47 Small City Social & Cultural • Respondents young people talk to their families about ICE, offering Know Your Rights legal sessions for arts organizations, hosting “Say Your Rights” training sessions where people could practice saying their rights out loud through role-playing scenarios. We raised money for our local food pantry and offered support to our local safety patrol volunteers. What the world saw—what we did at Mixed Blood and what took place across the Twin Cities—is the embodiment of a city’s social and cultural power. Every small city has this. It may not look like what it does in the Twin Cities metro, but it’s there. Perhaps it’ a neighbor dropping off a bag of groceries on someone’s front porch. Maybe it’s a church taking up a collection to help a congregant in need. Perhaps it’s someone taking in a family in need of shelter. These acts of mutual aid build and strengthen the social fabric of a place. Studies have proven that places with high social cohesion are able to withstand disasters, recover faster from shocks, and adapt to change. But fostering social connection takes time and intention. Places like HIP serve to unite people across difference. On the surface, HIP is a community center for those on the margins. But look closer and you will see that HIP is a center for belonging. Offering help with homework, classes to learn a new language, supporting sporting events, and bringing people together to share a meal helps residents practice culture, civic participation, and inclusion. As community members build relationships, they strengthen bonds. Simply put, they begin to care for one another. They become invested in each other’s safety and well-being, so that when someone is in need, others will show up. Culture exists and adapts. We can change. It happens slowly, to be sure. but then suddenly, it tips over. It happened in Minneapolis and it seems to be happening in Hazelton, too. What’s in look like in your community? Mark Valdez is an artist, cultural organizer, and consultant. Mark partners with communities, organizations, civic institutions, and others, using theater and creative tools to address community needs and to lift up community voices and stories. markvaldez.com
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