The Role of Community in Everything

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The first work that i did was actually at this organization called health initiatives for youth. And i got introduced to harmreduction there, and sex positivity and, and, again, i think a kind of like suite of orientations that were really about m how do we support the physical and emotional well being of young people in ways that see them as whole human beings? Then am i started doing work at the family independence initiative, which you mentioned. That's an organization that is focused on economic justice, but is really focused on shifting the narrative that we have about why people are poor. The money that exists in the united states is distributed in a deeply inequitable way. If we're

What do you think of when you hear the word “family?” For some, it’s feelings of love, belonging, support. For others, its estrangement, friction, and angst. Especially over these last few years. Which is why the notion of chosen family has become an increasing part of the conversation about who we surround ourselves with, how they make us feel, and how, together, we can expand the idea of family to create a bigger impact ripple in society.

This is one of the topics we dive into in today’s powerful Best Of conversation with Mia Birdsong. As the founding Co-Director of Family Story, Mia lifted up a new national story about what makes a good family, and as Vice President of the Family Independence Initiative, she leveraged the power of data and stories to illuminate and accelerate the initiative low-income families take to improve their lives. Mia is a Senior Fellow of the Economic Security Project, was an inaugural Ascend Fellow and faculty member with The Aspen Institute, a New American California Fellow, and Advocate-in-Residence with the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. In her book How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community, she examines community life, reimagines family and chosen family, and points us toward the promise of our collective vitality.

You can find Mia Birdsong at: Website | Instagram

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