On May 29, nearly 40 members of the Beekman Corridor Coalition gathered at WIN’s South Cumminsville campus for an energizing and thought-provoking evening with Transforming Change, a social justice consulting firm led by Robin Wright-Pierce and Rev. Nelson Pierce Jr. The Coalition was developed by WIN to bridge neighborhood boundaries and help Beekman Corridor residents come together to improve their community.
The presentation, sponsored by Interact for Health, was a call to action for residents to continue to build community power to create lasting change.
Robin and Nelson challenged attendees to reimagine what’s possible when neighbors are organized, engaged, and ready to lead. They shared real-world examples—like the long-term organizing in Ferguson, Missouri—that demonstrated how slow, intentional work such as door knocking and one-on-one conversations can transform communities and even shift political outcomes.
“We believe that policy shifts come from two things: organized people and organized money,” said Wright-Pierce. “Too often, the neighborhoods most impacted by injustice don’t have either—but we can change that by working together.”
From pedestrian safety to property taxes, residents shared the campaigns they are working on and talked about the changes they want to see. Rev. Pierce emphasized that meaningful change starts by building trust and taking small but intentional steps—talking to neighbors, hosting conversations, and showing up together at city hall.
Paul Garrison, a South Fairmount resident, reflected on the power of the gathering: “I’m glad I came. It was good to bring everybody together. The meeting helped bring the neighborhoods closer together and closer to the mission of building up the community.”
Rosemary Luther, a South Cumminsville resident, added: “The meeting was informative—thought provoking on how to take your power back in your community. It’s nice to know that such things as going door-to-door, becoming familiar with my neighbors can help encourage someone else to come and vote, to help them understand the issues, and I’m very thankful for that.”