By Vanessa Victoria Ford

Dear Neighbor,

How are you doing? I am feeling good but at times I look back over the past 18 months feeling discouraged. In spite of how far we have come out of the shambles of this pandemic, I lost hope in the resiliency of our country, my community and even myself. I think: Where are we now? Are things getting any better? People are hurting. Does anyone care? The depth of our compassion and reaction toward others who are suffering is usually defined by our experience. When I see all of the many ways that our community needs healing, I ask myself, how can I make a difference? We sometimes hesitate to help others because of a lack of trust in them. Trust requires sacrifice of our norms and comfort zones. When we trust, we try to find a way to align with the process. Once we are willing to give up our most protected spaces, we can contribute much more. We sometimes reject the urge to respond to humanity in times of despair. “That’s their problem” mentality has become normalized. Not getting involved in the plight of our neighbor has been acceptable to a certain degree. Let me suggest that what defines us can defeat us but hope wins when we choose to believe in each other again. When we care enough to help others, then we’re ready to heal.
Recently, I met a woman in the store who seemed discouraged. She got my attention because she looked sad. I walked up to her and said, “Excuse me, are you ok?” She said she felt alone and shared that the isolation was difficult and the thought of going back out into unfamiliar surroundings was unbearable. She expressed fear of going out. I thought to myself and then said, “Yes, I feel the same way.” I told her I often felt overwhelmed, but I never give in to my fears. I asked her to pause, breathe and speak life to herself until she saw herself walking into a brighter future. I encouraged her to trust herself and know she will make it out in this new community. She agreed and wished the same for me. We gave each other an air hug and went our separate ways.
As I reflect, I realize that sometimes what we actually fear the most is trust. Trust is hard, but in order to heal, we must trust; in order to trust, we must hope. As I talk to friends and watch the news, I know that there is a divide among us with researching the vaccine, wanting the vaccine and trusting the vaccine. So I thought, why are vaccination rates still so much lower in communities of color? Could it be accessibility issues? Historical incidents that create distrust in any form of government initiative? Myths that make their way through the community like a virus to spread fear? Knowing it could be any of those factors makes me wonder. Can we turn that around? How can we connect with our community? Does fear messaging work for our good? Does it help us get to a healthier place without actually causing physical and mental stress on us as result? So, should we rely on fear to motivate us to make healthy choices? Can art created by our friends and neighbors to convey health messages and produce change in our lives make a greater impact? Yes, I believe it can. When we let hope guide us to check our health, we begin to heal our community. When we trust local artists to convey messages from the heart, it reaches beyond a slogan or a pitch. When we let the mantra “Love Thy Neighbor” drive our instincts, we build trust. Trust that transfers through every segment of our community.
The Trust Transfer Project is a partnership between The Community Music School of Springfield and Springfield Cultural Partnership. It supports artists’ gifts and gives them an outlet to share health messages in the community. We’re trusting artists to heal our community in a spirit of hope, truth and love. Artists’ voices and work are being centered to promote healing. We’re building trust through the eyes of the most impacted by Covid-19. Trust Transfer Project seeks to transform the health of our communities one inspiring message at a time. Our talented & brave local artists, young and old are being lifted up by our amazing community partners. Artists are being supported by small businesses, bodegas, community centers, our faith community and local organizations. In essence, we are building hope together. Most artists have felt left behind or pushed aside, especially during the pandemic, not having a platform to share their amazing gifts. Now their gifts will make room for them as we share all of the amazing art projects they’ve created over the past few months to create change for a healthier community.
We’re building trust. Not just for this moment, but for our future. We’re planting seeds of trust now and giving it enough light to grow abundantly. Consequently, we can be proactive in the fight for equity for us all. Even if we don’t have an exact blueprint to build the framework that supports our post pandemic circumstances, we can move towards hope knowing that together we can make things better than it was. We can’t replace the loss we have experienced but we can restore light in dark places. Although I don’t know exactly every step it will take to manage life in the coming days for myself, my family and for my community, I’m stepping out on my faith today. Perhaps it feels risky for you but if there was ever a time to trust, it’s now. If there was ever a need to hope, for some, it’s now or never. We can do great things together. So, can I trust in you? Will you trust me? Because I’ve decided to hope again. ■