I’ve been living in Jacksonville for the past 10 years. I never dreamed of living in this city or even in this country, but life, God, the superior energy or whatever you call it, has its own plans with our personal journeys, and mine was to come to the United States, the country in which my mom lived for a year right before I was born. My mom was so courageous that even though she had already three children, she left my dad and my siblings back in Colombia, to explore a better life for her family. Without speaking a word of English, she came, worked as a nanny and lived in the U.S. for a year. I’m still in shock of how courageous that decision must had been for the whole family. Right from that you can already tell, my family is really special. At that time, in the 70s, you could become a permanent resident of the United States after being here a year, so my mom was in that process and, thankfully for me, she decided to go back to visit my siblings and dad while her paperwork was being processed. I say thankfully because my mom got pregnant during her trip back home, my sister Deiry was born and later I came to this world.
In a way, I feel I’m following my mom’s path in life. She is the most passionate community organizer I’ve ever met. Her passion to help others is probably what keeps her going to this day. Even at 74 years old, she is still solving daily matters not only for family members, but for many of our neighbors. Recently, one of our neighbors lost his wife to cancer and my mom has not only been there for them, but she is even going to therapy with the whole family because it’s the right thing to do. That is my mom and I’m so proud of her.
My dad, in contrast to my mom, is a very quiet man who grew up as a farmer in big family. In my recent trip back home I learned so much from my dad’s side of the family and from my own history. I learned, for instance that my grandfather on my dad’s side was an avid reader, even though he didn’t have formal education. I learned that my dad, similar to my mom, sacrificed his chance to go to school so one of his siblings could have the same chance. I learned that both my parents are the most selfless people I know. While I went with my dad to visit his hometown ( a town in which everybody is related to my dad, EVERYBODY) I witnessed one of the many selfless acts I constantly see of my parents. My dad gave the money I’d given to him to one of my cousins who does not have a job. I was so proud of him for having such a great heart.
I’ve been really blessed in my life in many ways. I grew up in a poor neighborhood in Cartagena, Colombia, which presented many challenges but many opportunities at the same time. Back home, we don’t have a strong government so all we have is each other. That clearly has taught me about the importance of family and community organizing. While growing up, I would always see fights between my mom and other adults who were defending our rights to gain access to basic services such as drinkable water or paved streets. It took at least 30 years for my mom to achieve the dream of seeing her street paved, but she achieved it.
My parents always instilled in me the importance of education and as my dad would say, he used all the cattle he inherited from his parents to pay for the education of his six children. They were so clear that was the only way out of poverty and both my parents invested all their resources into raising good people. Thankfully we never experienced hunger, but we know about a life with limitations.
After a long journey that took me, first, to Mexico to pursue my masters degree in communication and education, I came to Jacksonville, a city I’d never heard of until 2004. I was going to the theme parks in Orlando and I knew I had a college friend living somewhere in Florida. I came to visit her for a day and I fell in love with the St. Johns River. After several months of talking with my friend, I decided to come to Jacksonville to first improve my English and I eventually attend the doctoral program in educational leadership at UNF.
I completed my doctoral studies in five years even with English as my second language. I’m proud to say that I received multiple scholarships and that I don’t owe a penny for my education. It took hard work to complete my doctoral studies and being an English Language Learner (ELL) was my greatest advantage as I never had the chance to procrastinate. I was so blessed to pursue my education at UNF. I received so much support at the College of Education that I decided to stay in Jacksonville and to give back to this city.
When I was close to finish my dissertation I remember several of my professors telling me that I could go anywhere in this country because of my credentials as a professor and researcher back in Colombia and Mexico, but I was determined to stay here in the city I had fallen in love with and wanted to contribute to. I considered moving to other cities, such as Washington, D. C., where I could pursue my dissertation topic: advocating for early childhood education for Hispanic children. As most of us know, Washington is the place where most federal policies are built and decided upon. However, after serious consideration I realized that I had more chances to influence education policy in this city than if I move somewhere else.
I’ve been working at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund as the Community Mobilization Director for over three years now. During three years I’ve gotten to know the diverse communities in this city. I attended more community meetings that I can account for. I love what I do and people can see that. I’ve been challenged by several leaders of the African American communities who initially didn’t believe in me or in what my organization was trying to accomplish. I have innumerable stories to tell, but the one that probably keeps me here is the story of Monique Tooks. She is a passionate and very critical African American leader on the westside of town. Three years ago we met and she told me that she was going to check on me before she decide to engage with my organization. It took me three years to build a relationship with her. One day, unexpectedly, she gave me the best recognition a community organizer can get. She said: I’ve been watching you for over three years, and all I have to say is that you are authentic. That day, I left that place with tears in my eyes as I felt I was really following my mom’s steps. I do care too much about this city and about the diverse communities.
After 15 years of being far from those who I love the most I have made a difficult decision to soon move back home to Cali, Colombia. I want to be closer to my family and my culture, but I also feel the moral obligation to go back and to help build a better country. Colombia is currently undergoing a peace negotiation with the guerrillas and I’m convinced that I can help to build a better future.
Leaving Jacksonville won't be an easy decision. I love the city, my friends who have become family, and most importantly, I’m excited about seeing the “potential” of the city become a reality and not just a promise for the future.
Graduation rates have improved over 20% in the last five years, the communities’ voices are being heard and considered in many social projects. I’m excited to be part of a real social movement: ONE by ONE.
Are we there yet? Clearly not. We still have ways to go in terms of access, equity and quality of public education, but I’m hopeful and committed to seeing and building greater results.
I have a thousand reasons to stay here at least for a couple of more years, as well as thousand reasons to go back to my country: Colombia. But regardless of where I am, I’m committed to always build a better world. Simple acts and provocative questions can change the world. I love provocative questions, I love uncomfortable conversations. What are you doing to build a better neighborhood, a better community, a better city, a better world? That is what I would love to hear from people.
