What inspires you about Timebanking?
TimeBanking is a radical act of economic justice disguising itself as basic neighborly altruism which allows us to surface and exchange different sources of value in historically under-resourced communities where money is lacking. TimeBanking means that I can support more communities to do more things today than they could yesterday by partnering to locate these hidden sources of value.
Which core value do you most resonate with?
Radical hospitality. Building belonging. Empathy as deliberate practise.
How is your background helpful in moving the TimeBank movement forward?
My role in the TimeBanking movement is cultivating points of intersection with other grassroots and radical movements for social justice such as the solidarity economy or Just Transition. I want TimeBank practitioners to be aware of the dimensions of power, justice, and belonging that are present within the work of building a TimeBank. I want other social movements to see timebanking as something beyond simply neighborliness or altruism.
Why are you part of a nonprofit board? What are the emotional reasons?
I care about how we come to see each other and know each other through TimeBanking. TimeBanks.Org (as well as TimeBanking UK) was an early source of inspiration when I started my journey as a TimeBank coordinator providing me with a wellspring of different ideas for how to approach the specific challenges of my community and implement TimeBanking as a solution to building the networks of care and support we required. Serving on the board means that I now have the opportunity to share my learnings, support, and inspiration with new or existing TimeBanking practitioners in order to grow the movement in the US and connect it to other social justice movements.
What does building community mean to you?
Building community means that I am intentionally constructing spaces of care, trust, support, affection, and belonging with people who are around me. It means that I have taken the time to learn who they are and what they need while sharing feedback about my own capacities and needs. Building community means shared vulnerability and collective care.
What is something personal about you?
One of the things I often share in my Offers and Needs Market facilitation is that I spent about 18 months as a semi-professional Jamaican folk dancer with a dance company called Pocomania. Dance is a key part of my life and where I have learned some of my greatest lessons about the role of playfulness, engagement, and non-verbal communication when building a space of shared belonging.
Who is a hero of yours?
I share a facial profile with Malcolm X which has been called out to me since my early teenage years. I appreciate his integrity, scholarship, truthfulness, and radical evolution over time.