2021 Public Service Roadtrip
advanced-degree
career-change
entrepreneur

Founder & Executive Director

I can't lead this board. I'm too afraid to. I don't have the capabilities to do this.

How would you define public service in your own words? &gt;&gt; It is giving back, I think truly letting go of self to some extent. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH]. &gt;&gt; And really trying to make a difference in the lives, trying to improve the issues and the most impactful things for whatever population or whatever demographic, whatever geographic bounds and really just working towards that. It was like start a nonprofit, none of this belongs to me, none of this belongs to my team, it belongs to the community. The community can come in at any single time, ask us questions. They can ask to see our records, they can call us out if they want to, they can hold us accountable cuz everything that we bring in is supposed to go right back out into the community. Whether it's directly, whether it's through a program and I hold that to the highest esteem cuz people don't donate for us to just do whatever with it. People donate because they trust us and know that it's through programming, through just the establishment of EOC, through the redistribution of resources that we're gonna do what we say we're gonna do. It's gonna get back out into the community and it's gonna help improve the community cuz we wanna stabilize our folks, we don't wanna give out handouts all the time. We wanna see these issues disappear, we wanna eradicate homelessness, we wanna eradicate poverty. That's my goal, I don't wanna see people in my food line for the next 30 years. I wanna see people have food sovereignty, I wanna see people have fresh access. I don't wanna see people taking two, five buses in order to get to the other side of town or in order to get them to work. I want to see them with clean mobility options, I want to see them on bikes and actually helping with their entire wellness. We wanna attack the long term solutions and make long term impact. 

Character

Goals

Values

Public Service Is About Giving Back And Making A Difference

I am still navigating self-care, I put myself in classes, therapy has been helpful, just having someone outside of friends and family to talk to. Having a professional and particularly a professional who has expertise in self-care and kind of helping people navigate this. Because I have a very busy, crazy lifestyle where people expect you to just go, go, go and do everything and essentially save the world. And then it's realizing I can't, I can't do everything, I'm not gonna be able to solve every single issue and I'm not gonna save the world. But being okay with making a difference and doing my small part or what I consider to be a small part. And just really being okay with that, and then not feeling guilty. That has been crucial to myself self-care. And being okay with saying no and being okay with putting ourselves first. Because you really is active thing you have to really work on and think about is really protecting your peace and putting your yourself first. It is awesome to be a selfless person but at the same time you got to be selfish on certain things and that is yourself. 

Individualism

Support & Encouragement

Self-Care Is Important In Public Service

I'd probably say that my greatest moment of probably self-doubt was probably at law school, I was whether I was equipped to handle this or whether I could test well. I was like whether I could pass the bar after all this was said and done. Whether I would be able to find a job after law school. And would my race to be a barrier? Would my gender be a barrier in kind of a really white male dominated field? Would I have to be a public defender? I don't want to [LAUGH]. &gt;&gt; Yeah. &gt;&gt; Cuz I was like, I wanna work for a large law firm, I'm used to working for law firms. So navigating that and knowing that sometimes you do fail and it's okay if you fail. Like I failed law school to be very honest and transparent. And then really analyzing what led to that failure and then taking that failure and be like, this is actually a success because I was able to learn so much. I met new people, I met new professors, and also I took that one year's worth of studies and I still carry that with me and I carry the student loans with me too. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] But really just not being down on yourself. If you do fail or you do have any self-doubt, you'd let yourself kind of be in that moment but just for a little while, and then you move on. And then you take the lessons learned. I think more so it's about the lessons that you learned and then how you move after you learn those lessons. 

Doubt

Education

Failure

Dealing With Self-Doubt And Failure In Law School

I'm someone that is in this midpoint where I've taken the LSAT four times, thinking about law school, struggling to surrender to that structure and that system. And I'm really interested in what that one year was like, right? And it was a part time but still felt like a full time. What was it like going into it and what kind of made you be like nah, I need to step out of this? &gt;&gt; I enjoyed my one year in law school. Unfortunately, I have like 50k in student loans because of that one year [LAUGH] in law school. I was like Candice, maybe you should have thought about this a little more before you went and got in debt, but I enjoyed learning about the law. I enjoyed my classes, I enjoyed my law school colleagues, I enjoyed my professors. But I figured I didn't test well on the LSAT and I was like if this is an indication in the amount of work that has to be put into, amount of homework. And in particular the fact that I tried to do it while working full time, I think was a real barrier and challenge. And just knowing that I wasn't gonna give up my day job to go back to school. So I had to make a choice. How to draw a hard line in the sand like do you want to work and go to school, and what type of program do you need? Maybe you don't need a program that still even though it says it's part time is still gonna require you to have five classes at three hours each a week. And then on top of homeworks. I was falling asleep on the middle of floor with my law school books, falling asleep on my papers. [LAUGH] So it's hard for minorities. And so even though once you graduate from law school, it's about are you gonna land that clerkship, or are you gonna land that job at a big law firm? And then of course there's passing the bar, so I'm just not a standardized test taker. So I say if this is how it's gonna be then maybe I need to reconsider, and that's what I did. And so I decided just to be thankful for that one year experience but then I knew I still wanted a higher degree, I still wanted. So I decided get my master's in criminal justice. I learned so much just about criminal justice reform and rehabilitation. So between the work I did in law for ten years and also my work in philanthropy and just my studies in criminal justice reform. And then working actually at a nonprofit and learning nonprofit administration, I was able to combine all this to start a small nonprofit. So we might be grassroots but I have a lot of different experiences, I still have that legal mind. So even if I don't have the degree to back it up, I still know well, I need to consult a lawyer or we need to consider this. And a lot of people we don't have that background, you don't consider a lot of things and you might shoot yourself in the foot later. 

Choices

Struggle

Choosing To Get A Master’s Degree Instead Of A Law Degree

My name is Candice Elder. I'm the founder and executive director of the East Oakland collective. We are a nonprofit that does racial and economic equity work and DPS Oakland, which we affectionately call on the last frontier, where you will still find the largest population of African-Americans left and Oakland that have not been displaced or gentrified out. So we are working towards preserving black and brown culture. And that looks like to us civic engagement and leadership economic empowerment neighborhood and transportation planning and what we're probably most known and popular for is our work we do with and on behalf of the unhoused population that's everything from food justice to grassroots housing. &gt;&gt; What influenced or motivated you and not only what you studied but even now with coming in and creating the East Oakland collective? &gt;&gt; I started the East Oakland collective when I was Like 29, 30 years old. I wanted a way to give back to the community where I was born and raised and I still live in. I live not too far from where this current office location is. Not too far from where some of the hot homes I grew up in, not too far from where my parents had a bakery just right down the street here. So I think it's no coincidence that I went into the public sector. It was kind of looking around and being like, okay, I respect my elders and I pay homage to the past that they paid, but it's time for new leadership. It's time for the younger voice, to use our creativity and innovation. So I said I'm a millennial, my friends are millennials. Let's see if I can get as many millennials as I can together to actually make a difference cuz I know we have amazing ideas and I know we have the will but maybe we just fell in disconnected. So actually I started the East Oakland collective as kinda like a networking group. We started as a Facebook group we will meet in person and kind of patronize East Oakland, black businesses and we would talk about politics talk about issues going on. And then I had was awarded a mini grant did a town hall. It was packed we received media attention and from there we actually heard from the people this is what we want addressed. We want civic engagement and leadership, we want economic empowerment. So our focus areas are actually formed directly from the people themselves. And from there we just skyrocketed into this new budding grassroots, community organizing group and soon to be nonprofit. And the elders actually said, we got their blessing. They said, you guys are who we've been waiting for, now we can kinda retire cuz we're old and yeah, we have this seat forever. We've been doing this organizing work forever. So I'm very grateful that ELC was just able to blossom in the way it did. I just knew what I wanted to do and then everything else followed and came in place. &gt;&gt; How would you define public service in your own words? &gt;&gt; It is giving back, it is I think, truly letting go of self to some extent [LAUGH]. And really trying to make a difference in the lives trying to improve the issues and the most impactful things for whatever population or whatever demographic, whatever geographic bounds and really just working towards that, it feels like to start a nonprofit, none of this belongs to me. None of this belongs to my team. It belongs to the community. The community can come in at any single time ask us questions, they can ask to see our records, they can call us out, if they wanted to, they can hold us accountable. Cuz everything that we bring in is supposed to go right back out into the community whether it's directly our whether it's through a program. And I hold that to the highest esteem because people don't donate for us to just do whatever with it people donate because they know they trust us. And know that is it through programming through just the establishment of EOC, through the redistribution of resources that were gonna do what we say we're gonna do and it's gonna get back out into the community. And it's gonna help improve the community because we wanna stabilize our folks we don't wanna give out handouts all the time. We wanna see these issues disappear, we wanna eradicate homelessness, we wanna eradicate poverty. That's my goal I don't wanna see people in my food line for the next 30 years. I wanna see people have food sovereignty, I wanna see people have fresh access I don't wanna see people taking to five buses in order to get to the other side of town or an order to get them to work. I want to see them with clean mobility options, I want to see them on bikes and getting actually helping with their entire wellness. We wanna attack the long term solutions and make long term impact 

Interview

Walking in, there's a quote that says, if you wanna go fast, go alone, if you wanna go far, go together. It makes me wonder how you leverage your community power, right? Whether it's with your family and your friends, or even the individuals that you're supporting with the EOC, how have you leveraged that? &gt;&gt; I feel like I am personally definitely the community's baby. There's been so much support. There has been people who have mentored me, people who are taking me under their wing, people who have sent resources, funding my way, that I have no choice but to give back and to do the same. To open up the same door that was opened for me for somebody else. I'm grateful to have the community support, then knowing that I can't do this alone, EOC can't do this alone. It's not about working in a silo, we wanna break silos. We don't wanna hoard resources cuz it is, the nonprofit industrial complex is a thing, and it's really huge, and we should not be fighting each other for crumbs. [LAUGH] We should not be hoarding resources, we should be able to share. So I think when you share and you really give back, things come back to you. 

Community

When You Give Back, Things Come Back To You

My name is Candice Elder. I'm the founder and executive director of the East Oakland Collective. We are a nonprofit that does racial and equity work in Deep East Oakland. Which we affectionately call on the last frontier, where you will still find the largest population of African-Americans left in Oakland that have not been displaced or gentrified out. So we are working towards preserving black and brown culture. And that looks like to us civic engagement and leadership, economic empowerment, neighborhood and transportation planning. And what we're probably most known and popular for is our work we do with and on behalf of the unhoused population, that's everything from food, justice, to grassroots housing. &gt;&gt; What influenced or motivated you and not only where you studied, but even now with coming in and creating the East Oakland Collective? &gt;&gt; Yeah, I started the East Oakland collective when I was I was 29, 30 years old. I wanted a way to give back to the community where I was born and raised and I still live in. I live not too far from where this current office location is. Not too far from where some of the hot homes I grew up in. Not too far from where my parents had a bakery, just right down the street here. So I think it's no coincidence that I went into the public sector. It was kind of looking around and being like, okay, I respect my elders and pay homage to the past that they paid, but it's time for new leadership. It's time for that younger voice to use our creativity and innovation. So I said I'm a millennial, my friends are millennials. Let's see if I can get as many millennials as I can together to actually make a difference. Cuz I know we have amazing ideas, and I know we have the will but maybe we're just felling disconnected. So actually I started the East Oakland Collective as kind of a networking group. We started as a Facebook group. We would meet in person and kinda patronize East Oakland black businesses, and we would talk about politics, talk about issues going on. And then I was awarded a mini grant. Did a town hall, it was packed, we received media attention. And from there we actually spurred from the people, this is what we want addressed. We want civic engagement and leadership, we want economic empowerment. So our focus areas actually formed directly from the people themselves. And from there we just skyrocketed into this new budding grassroots, community organizing group and soon to be nonprofit. And the elders actually said, we got their blessing. They said, you guys are who we've been waiting for, now we can kind of retire because we're old and yeah, we have to seek forever. We've be doing this organizing work forever. So I'm very grateful that EOC was just able to blossom in the way it did. I just knew what I wanted to do, and then everything else followed and came in place. 

Focus

Why I Started The East Oakland Collective

Having grown up here and now back here, working here, living in here, how has that affected what you do here, and even in your daily life? &gt;&gt; Seeing the changes in in East Oakland is why I started. The East Oakland Collective in the first place, while I went, just dived into the public sector, cuz I don't want East Oakland to continue to look like this next fie, ten years. Nor do I want it to be taken from us. That it's prime property, it's a prime area still where your you will find vacant land left, more property. So to develop, we're facing two different things here. We're facing the lack of resources being the disenfranchisement, lack of political will, but at the same time we're in a federally opportunity zone. So there's an incentive to come in and buy and develop and it's buy and developed for who. And who is that, once you buy and develop, who is it gonna further displace? So taking both those aspects was why I dive into this work, to bring in resources, but to bring in resources to the longtime residents such as myself, such as my family. My family has all moved out in and I'm the last one here, I feel like I'm carrying the torch, as I don't wanna leave, I'm not gonna be forced to leave. And I want more resources for everybody in East Oakland. And it's really like, so what I just started figuring out, what do I have to do to make impact in order to see that this happens. 

Dedication

Desire

Inspiration

I was Inspired To Make A Difference In My Own Community

What ways would you say one person can organize when the work can seem so intimidating and beyond them? &gt;&gt; We can all make a difference. Even if sometimes we think it's small. We think it might just be a few dollars here to someone we see struggling on the street. It might be something that we do for a friend or family member. But if you made somebody's day, if you have somebody say, what you did touched me, what you did made an impact in my life. Job well done, you did it. You did it already because it's gonna take all of us. So imagine if we all did one small thing, then the world would be in a different place than we are now. It's being okay with making a difference however you can, how often you can, and it's also opening up the door and talking to somebody else and encouraging them to do the same. It's having those hard conversations with your friends and family at the Thanksgiving table or whatever and whatever issues is going on in your community, like have we ever thought about this? Have we ever thought about homelessness? Have we ever thought about the housing issues, health issues? Maybe as a family, maybe as a friend unit, maybe as a couple, we can volunteer, we can do something, and we can help each other out to meet this end goal. Then that's another job well done there. 

Making A Difference As An Individual

My name is Candice Elder, I'm the founder and executive director of the East Oakland Collective. We are a nonprofit that does racial and economic equity work in DPS Oakland, which we affectionately call on the last frontier, where you will still find the largest population of African Americans left in Oakland, that have not been displaced or gentrified out. Yeah, I started the East Elgin Collective when I was like 29,30 years old, I wanted a way to give back to the community where I was born and raised and I still live in. We started as a Facebook group, we would meet in person and kinda patronize East Oakland black businesses and we would talk about politics, talk about issues going on, and from there we just skyrocketed into this new budding community organizing group. People donate because they trust us and know that we're gonna do what we say we're gonna do and it's gonna get back out into the community and it's gonna help improve the community cuz we wanna stabilize our folks. We wanna attack the long term solutions and make long term impact. 

Candice Elder Highlight

Do you ever feel the weight of being a black woman, when you're walking into these meetings and people don't necessarily look like you? &gt;&gt; Not anymore, I used to, so I feel like that weight was when I was still working nine to five. When I was in law and then, when I was in philanthropy still and especially in the legal field, I was only black person in most of my jobs. And that's, what I was also running away from I said, I don't wanna be in these spaces anymore. Actually had the best employers and the best co-workers, but it was still something about being a black woman. And being the only one that I just did not wanna do with any more, I was just, worried about my hairstyle. It was just little stuff, but it's been huge for us. And then, now I don't care if I dye my hair yellow is, [LAUGH] can do whatever I wanna do. I guess switch my hair up every day and not have to answer questions, I have to answer to anybody about it. It's just I feel like I can breathe honestly, I feel like I can breathe now. And that can put in holistic practices, we can do things like check ins and community agreements, a certain way we operate. We can do poor libations and meetings, now we know we can do certain things, I burn stage, and everything in the office. We can do certain things that I couldn't do in essentially, the corporate sector and I tell people there's nothing wrong with staying in the corporate sector. There is nothing wrong there, might be a little bit more of a struggle to carve out your space, to come like find your sanctuary. And if you can do it, we certainly need people in these lanes. Because, I remember this one particular moment in my job, when I was working at a law firm. Where the office manager approached me, and he said you saw kind of the candidates for his new position. He was, what is your two cents? On who we should hire? And I was, hire somebody black, I was like, I'm trying to be only what? And he was, he agreed with me, he was like, I hear what you're saying. He was like, okay, [LAUGH] we will, but this is an example of whatever lane that you're in. Whatever space that you're in, is using these moments to disrupt, using these moments, to like have a voice. 

The Effects Of Being The Only Black Woman In An Organization

Serving Change

See how people serve the common good

Photo of Serving Change logo amid stickers with inspirational slogans

We all want to change the world for the better—but is it possible to turn that desire to serve the common good into a stable and fulfilling career? Follow three young people as they explore careers in the public service sector.

Photo of logo for Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Photo of logo for Strada Education Network

Photo of roadtripper Christian taking a selfie with fellow roadtrippers Chrisel and Tamia, as well as Jessica Montoya, the development manager for Playworks

Headshot photo of Jessica Montoya, the development manager for Playworks

Photo of Victoria Hoang, an Americorps apprentice with Community Rebuilds, and the three roadtrippers

Headshot of Victoria Hoang, an Americorps apprentice with Community Rebuilds

Headshot photo of João Continentino, a Community Rebuilds intern

Photo of roadtrippers Tamia, Chrisel, and Christian standing amidst stacked colored rocks in the desert

Photo of roadtripper Chrisel posing with a bag of In-N-Out Burger food

Photo of roadtripper Christian standing amidst his landscaping equipment

Photo of roadtripper Chrisel staring off into a large body of water near a city skyline

Photo of roadtripper Tamia posing in front of a fountain

Photo of roadtrippers Christian, Chrisel, and Tamia outdoors in conversation with Andrew Mayock, federal chief sustainability officer for the U.S. Government

Headshot photo of Andrew Mayock, federal chief sustainability officer for the U.S. Government

Headshot photo of Nicole Goines, an acting public information officer for the Department of Energy and Environment

Headshot photo of Jacki Payne, managing attorney for the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, in her office

Photo of Jacki Payne, managing attorney of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, outside her office with the roadtrippers 

Headshot photo of Tori Cooper, Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative at the Human Rights Campaign

Photo of Tori Cooper, Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative at the Human Rights Campaign, alongside the roadtrippers outside the green RV

Photo of Meredith McAvoy Perkins, executive director for Forest ReLeaf of Missouri

Photo of Alison Chan, political director for Save the Bay, beside a tidal marshland

Photo of Jesse Olson, habitat restoration director for Save the Bay, beside a tidal marshland

Headshot photo of Reginald Freeman, fire chief for the city of Oakland, next to a firetruck

Photo of Reginald Freeman, fire chief for the city of Oakland, in conversation with the roadtrippers beside a firetruck

Headshot photo of Candice Elder, founder and executive director of the East Oakland Collective, in her office

Photo of Candice Elder, founder and executive director of the East Oakland Collective, in her office with the three roadtrippers

Photo of roadtripper Tamia standing in front of a fountain

Headshot of roadtripper Tamia in front of trees

Photo of roadtripper Christian among landscaping tools

Photo of roadtripper Chrisel sitting pensively in a garden

Headshot of roadtripper Chrisel in front of a body of water

Public Service Roadtrip

&gt;&gt; Chrisel: Public service is so traditional for many folks. People think our elected officials, the post office workers, but there's a lot more than we think. &gt;&gt; Christian: There's people that may not be viewed as like a public servant, but have definitely shaped their particular area. &gt;&gt; Chrisel: This Fall, I have the privilege of going on a road trip with two other participants. &gt;&gt; Christian: I haven't met them in person yet. &gt;&gt; Tamia: But we're gonna be getting in this huge green RV for about a month, taking off interviewing people within different sectors of public service. &gt;&gt; Chrisel: Ranging from political officials to non-profit leaders to community leaders. So I'm excited to redefine what it means to be a public servant. &gt;&gt; [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; Christian: I've spent years like studying stuff relating to sustainability and climate change and the environment. And my education and my personal experiences are kind of leading me to a fork in the road, trying to figure everything out. &gt;&gt; Chrisel: The thoughts on my future excite me while they also scare me, having to reckon with the systemic barriers that get in the way for a young Black woman from the hood. &gt;&gt; Tamia: What I see myself doing, there's like no clear picture for me. I feel like marching and protests, those are helpful, but unless we change those laws, it's just gonna be a repeated cycle. &gt;&gt; Chrisel: It's so powerful to see people that look like you really doing the good work right? And still being so humble and modest. &gt;&gt; Jacki Payne: I was probably like you guys, not really sure what I wanted to do. &gt;&gt; Christian: Did you ever think you'd get to this point? &gt;&gt; Candice Elder: I never thought I would even be in the public sector, [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; Meredith McAvoy Perkins: Urban forestry was really emerging as a viable job. And so I kinda fell into that path. &gt;&gt; Candice Elder: I actually quit the corporate world and people were like, holy crap, she's serious. I actually have never looked back since, I don't regret it.. I think like I said, everything that I was doing before just led me here, and to really make a difference and make an impact in people's lives. &gt;&gt; [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; Tamia: We all come from really different walks of life.. &gt;&gt; Christian: One, two, three. &gt;&gt; Tamia: [LAUGH] Everything surprised me on this trip, like, literally everything, the way some places look. &gt;&gt; Christian: Made me realize that there's so much out there. &gt;&gt; Chrisel: It was mind blowing. I think all of the things that I knew to be true in some way have been demystified. &gt;&gt; Tamia: Just seeing what different careers could entail is eye opening for me. &gt;&gt; Christian: Talking with all the leaders, the majority of them were also kind of in this very limbo state. &gt;&gt; Reginald Freeman: It's not a mistake or you're not confused and as we grow, there's gonna be different perspectives. We're gonna see the world differently, so just embrace that. &gt;&gt; [MUSIC] 

Three young people interview public servants and seek out career paths that will allow them to change the world for the better.

Serving Change Trailer

I have the privilege of going on a road trip with two be taking off on this road trip across the country. getting in this huge, green RV for about a month, within different sectors of public service. to individuals who are in their field and love and getting that example. servants are elected officials, the post office workers, more than you think. who are at the ground level doing the work to bring change, that may not be viewed as a public servant, but their particular areas. I'm most excited to understand people's why's, right? what keeps you going? asking ourselves the same question of what do we want? someone for a half an hour could change your life completely. just outside Washington DC. be on the first day of the trip. &gt;&gt; Christian: Dibs on top bunk! everybody realized how tight and snug we were all gonna be. got pretty close pretty fast just because of that. what you use in food. I don't go nowhere without it. bit of home with me. I'm 22 years old. getting a taste of it. get to the more Southern parts of the state, bit spicier. of something that gives Opelousas a lively feel. where even though you know there's a lot of great things you can kind of get stuck. that's one of my greatest fears, just waking up and I'm still here. do feel something that I've discovered along the way for me. the age of five, my mom had these magazines, seeing Emmett Till's body in that casket and just, believe it at first. be a real person? that, and my question, it to me was why? how similar Emmett Till and Tamir Rice look, and kind of similar ends was like yes, it is a full circle moment. the state, the interactions of police with Black people. how funding is, redlining. that are ingrained and marching and protests, those are helpful, it's just gonna be a repeated cycle. my calling for me, the concentration in pre-law and a minor in criminal justice. laws and everything going on, so I can make a change within that. such a big part of my life. what I see myself doing, there's no clear picture for me. I could go to law school, it's just so many things. know until I'm in it. while I'm still in college. work while we're on the road, but personal development was the list of something that I wanna get out of this. different mindsets, in every way possible in a positive way. it's probably a little comfy. actually Chrisel Martinez. I'm from Harlem, New York. everything that went through I would feel it, see it. a joyful childhood, and the not knowing really what were the circumstances around me. together and that was enough. until 2012, and that was her kinda working and the free time that she had. that level of intensity raising four kids by herself. &gt;&gt; Chrisel: The three musketeers! &gt;&gt; Chrisel: Me and Christy, my older sister. like yeah, I'm going to college. I studied economics at the University of Albany, in leadership development. spent most of my energy in. a lot of my training or my work is in community organizing, of creative expression, creative arts work. me while they also scare me, and knowing that it's still being like, wooh, I don't know if I'm enough for this. Is this? that comes out when you still don't believe that you're and do it anyways, right? what it looked like, I don't know where I'm going. I get to be a part of. me as someone who was raised very family-centered, break away and individuate open to possibilities. Illinois, is about a population of 3,000 people. a pretty tight-knit community. services like fire and EMS-wise are volunteer based. the community kind of recognize that there's a need for this. I became an official member. heart attacks, pretty much anything you can think of, to bed at night thinking that you helped someone that day. to Cornell College, to the University of Wisconsin Platteville. like a high school teacher, but a geography course. is simply like maps, and there's a lot of the environment and conservation. opportunities where I was in the woods like coring oak trees, of Arts, Social Science with an emphasis in History, Science in Geography. a lot of different positions, museum to conservation work and some of those things just haven't panned out. my family, anybody in the community kind of knows that since I was in high school. landscaping after finishing college kind of feels like I'm up at this bed and breakfast up here. raised with that mindset that if you go to college, the world has turned out, it's changed. kind of get myself refocused on my priorities and to be able to stay here, being opportunities in terms of job outlook. of hard when you're involved, wanna disappoint anybody. career to go is kind of a mirage right now. of lead to something. what that's gonna be. off our interviews. definitely nervous. but I'm excited. she's had a long career in public service, and the environment with the EPA. the Biden administration. the one I'm most excited about. you're advising the President. is Brenda Mallory. on Environmental Quality here at the White House. since April of this year. I read somewhere that you found peace outside in nature and you at a boarding school in Connecticut. just go back into nature to find that peace again when try to find some opportunity to just be outside. being in a place that is that quiet, and that calm, that just is something that I always took some pleasure in. up in a profession where that is sort of critical and this just kind of just happened. was, like, a coincidence that it just ended up that way, but a defining moment? firm in 1985 when I moved to DC. operated where my goal, was to just do it really well. threw myself into whatever the substance was of the work to the work and what we were trying to do. private practice ended up being for cities who were trying to do projects and comply with environmental laws. to the public aspect and trying to serve communities was the conservation side, on the environmental justice side. we need to battle climate change in general. now I know you mentioned environmental justice, like for me, that's my interest. justice look like in a broad view, and personally for you? in some ways environmental justice is totally interlinked justice you're talking about. that there's more pollution in communities of color and explains why COVID was so of those communities. necessary steps for us to address climate change, right? that's what we're talking about, is how the historic and racism in the country has led to circumstances environmental level, these same people are suffering the most. into the federal government just was a logical path. how, within the work that you're doing, even the policies and to keep community informed in some way, shape, or form? ways that is really an awesome aspect of the work that of the key features of the president's agenda is really environmental justice. of time with people in communities right now, right? coming from a rural area, that it's uncomfortable to talk about certain topics. happens to be climate change. that's at the federal level, and small town with everybody being accepting of those ideas? the things I feel like we've definitely learned as a movement the sort of place-based nature of everything. critical is, not for me bureaucrat in Washington be the best spokesperson to try to inform people. the connection with the people who are in that community, who understand the culture of that community. spokespeople. the word climate change, but you can talk to them about flooding, in their community has changed dramatically in the last five, sure just how important it is to have your spokespeople the communities in which they are living. hit home for me so much. she's an inspiration just like what she's doing, upon issues too. to march alongside of him, to have that feeling. who grew up in segregation. Juneteenth with her. stuff, the history books and stuff. surreal for me in a way. many tie-ins to why I wanted to get into this anyway. to experience things like that. of D.C. I was in a state of really just like and the city life and just really falling in love with this is nothing like Louisiana, the roads are evenly paved. out to him, cuz he drove us. hiking, so I was very excited. in over my head. these well equipped shoes. my Vans, it'll be fine. look at the water. A River Runs Through It. just having a break, I should be doing something. I was like just sitting and being in it was great for me. is the Director of Community Engagement at Justice Initiative for the Human Rights Campaign. group of folks, I have to say that to start off. my pronouns are she and her. Community Engagement. a few years ago, health and the work that I do everywhere. up the conversation a bit. I've been listening to, where you were coming out, how the world, especially for there wasn't as much education about it. when the HIV and AIDS pandemic was at its all-time high. your voice amidst all this general confusion? off with the rough question. I've always known I wasn't like the other little girls, the other little boys. when I was away from college, I got my ears pierced, but it was an opportunity for me to experiment. HIV was really taking over. had come out the first time with were dead or it was very personal for me. that I should have made it. I live in the south, I'm transgender. I shouldn't have made it, but the fact that I am succeeding. to use my privilege to help others as well. into advocacy because access and of the things that keep us from success. greater opportunities that's more access. systems, these oppressive systems that we navigate get around them, and we can dismantle those systems. and just for me, you talk about advocating for trans people as well. how do you feel about the media coverage when it a huge part in eradicating stigma and reducing hate. beings have the ability to make anybody change their minds. is all of our responsibility, to provide as much education and opportunity for make an educated decision. where there are large groups of trans people. country where there are not such large groups of trans people. that as a community of people, us humanizes us. if you know more about our stories and our history, just didn't use the word trans, about how to treat people. I think that's kind of what, like you mentioned it earlier, change someone's opinion. the space to try to like, figure it out on their own. all the tools to help you to make a good decision. question, now that I'm leading, even going back to the Black experienced, or do you feel like there's been progression? been a lot of progression, be here with you all today, you wouldn't have invited me. that things are good. they've progressed. aggressions all the time and but some of them really hurt. let me make it clear, I'm gonna talk into the camera. thing to say, it is not, it is not because we should see color. we should see color. people differently because of their color. spoke on that because it's almost like an erasure me as Black, you're not seeing a whole part of me. skipping over more of me than you are actually including. I want you to see me. a space because I'm also, like, in your presence. about when you say that, was no progression, I wouldn't be here, right? an educational moment. in some way, shape, or form? those of us who hold some levels of power and to elevate the voices of others. folks were talking about civil rights movement, many different parts to it. receive credit because their contribution was frying liberation and it comes to fighting for what's right, all that other good stuff. march down Peachtree Street. are great at doing that. folks who're better at creating the signs that whose job is to buy the ink that goes on the sign. do, if you're a protester or the ink, whatever your role is, cuz we all have a part to play. you'll be invited to because of your masculine complacency is not allowed. it's like how do you put that interview in words almost? it was informative. want from an interview and then like so much more. a higher master came down to our level to really speak some that we all needed to hear it. me be aware of things to look out for just to be an advocate. within the movement and that I'm trying to do. asking ourselves the same question right now. where I'm not sure. of crazy to think that by the end of this trip, of direction. of started to hit us. I think the more we do it, the more I'm like, wow, really happening, like a pinch myself moment. see people doing things, and they're amazing and they enjoy doing this was to be able to help those who wouldn't be able can't imagine anything else that I would want to do. for like Colorado natural building ever before? there's so much more out there. 

Meet the roadtrippers and other inspiring people changing the world on a local, countrywide, and global level.

Episode 1: Start Small, Think Big

Chrisel? we're filling up gas, me for gas pump [LAUGH] for the RV, centered, the road trip is allowing wanna be and not who I feel I need to be. &gt;&gt; Christian: We started in Washington DC, an adventure to say the least. so many different cities. sectors of public service. they all are in their work. through the motions with it. like you really doing the good work. ourself the same question of what do we of led to something, but a lot of different positions, conservation work and environmental work, just haven't panned out. some sort of sense of direction. just to learn public policy, and things like that. doing, there's no clear picture for me. law school, it's just so many things. law. whether it's affording school. to get me there knowing that's a space associated with the fear of elevation believe that you're worthy of something. the Atlanta Legal Aid Center, and Miss Jacki Payne. over 30 years. Legal Aid takes on civil cases for to have an attorney. that they do, the pictures, I was just so hangs in my office and it says, reflect on it. what that means is for they don't pay anything. variety of areas but it's all civil. landlord-tenant problems, victimized in one way or the other. getting a custody order for them. drew you to this type of positioning and you here knowing that there's a lot of not really sure what I wanted to do. with kind of a minor in psychology and I thought I would be a research person or I didn't think about law at all. a couple of courses with a professor. about law school and I was like, second year internship was here. really work on a couple of cases and I could do this. be because I feel like I'm helping that somebody might not otherwise get. my minor is criminal justice as well. find something that makes money. that'll make money. in your ear like that and the biggest pusher of okay, well, when are you going to get into doing this? I'd be like, dad, I can't do this. be able to do it, it's like no. belief that the reason I was doing this be able to get the help otherwise. would make me feel that way. that I would want to do. what is speaking to your heart, you feel passionate? that is why they went to law school. people like us who are just like, society or I can help those in need or an injustice, get that remedied. civil rights litigation. almost four years now and to surrender to an academic structure that wasn't really created for me. can be found in the legal structures and society that can start with the law. hear your thoughts. it's something that's not constructed for how to break through that. taken some philosophy classes and it easier for me having done that. to go to law school, I mean, you can be an advocate. get you to where you want to be as far as to go to law school, say, okay, this is it for me. get through those gates? to really gain that perspective. wanting to go to law school and points of studying logic and support you in the practicality of it. grounding with someone who's really doing has spoken about nonprofits, it's not for something and you wanna advocate for believe in, the money isn't gonna matter. personal input is into it and &gt;&gt; Jacki: There you go. change that I wanna be a part of. &gt;&gt; Chrisel: Yes. Louis. of spur the moment to stop at Ruby Falls. with a waterfall inside. really an emergency exit in the cave, push down and get out of here. I didn't expect to have so kind of has to warm up to you for these people have been trapped in here for me talking about myself 24/7, he realized it would just be the most random things. the Midwest, it's like dirt and that just goes through. one time was not enough. that was definitely a highlight. a spot that is suitable for then I'll just smack it, ready? now we tap it every time we go out. stuff relating to sustainability and me too, high expectations. knows that I've done landscaping since I after finishing college be able to stay in my town, terms of job outlook for my interests. disappoint anybody by making that I can maybe whittle down Meridith Perkins of Forest ReLeaf. it was like, what do you wanna do? I wanna know the names of these trees, so forestry [LAUGH] the ship, making sure that our great tree an impact in both people and thanks for having us. this park lacks a lot of trees. a jog in my own park and you know, 12, 20 year old trees. get into forestry because it's like being from an urban area? neighborhood, St. Louis was pretty rough. my parents moved there for opportunity. kind of felt grounded in the park. are sirens going by and there was all was always just a really nice place. development all of the psychological and nature does that to a kid. more about the social aspects of trees. improve test scores, and public safety. talking to each other and commitments to their neighborhood and emerging as a kind of viable job. we take care of the trees in our cities? because I wanted kind of the culture and to the trees in the forest. a tree, but that tree planting has chain people never even think about. trees and the investment that it takes, on the community was great. to get involved could do this as well. on kind of my journey, had were what you make of them. do it. thinking not only about what difference in the quality of your work. go to work every day and something you believe in. really easily because everybody is so it works in everything. that I could see myself in, can still live in a pretty awesome place. the environment, into communities and don't get a lot of that. &gt;&gt; Christian: [SOUND] I'm pretty just the Rocky Mountains in general, and type of stuff in Galena, Illinois. these first initial two weeks of just just getting from A to B. up at eight, and then next day is ten, as a city gal from New York, be true in some way have been demystified. &gt;&gt; Tamia: [SOUND] [LAUGH] look at me with the axe. of grab some paper and just write out, I release judgment. being affirmed by Christian, who's like, the fire and I'm like, yeah, right on. it brought us together. &gt;&gt; Christian: You're Kelly. different geographical points and there's diversity on all parts. different walks of life. sometimes, but then there'll be a moment makes no sense at all and it's, okay, have those conversations, and us better as a team, definitely. is sustainable construction. but just can't afford that expense. an apprentice with Community Rebuilds, sustainable natural building. building ever before, or was it? know that was a thing. I studied public health in undergrad. the housing crisis in America. it's becoming a second home community. or are struggling to find housing. that in a safe and sustainable way. toxic materials go into a home. just how it affects them, affects anybody. how to build a structure. an experiment of showing all the different look like this, it's not finished. you can see the inside of the wall. old bottles and stuff and methods in a new way, using straw for pieces of wood into other ones and then plastering over that. then you just kind of stayed. never having any building experience. it can be very difficult. safe and really welcoming space. of the day to the end what I have that's the people that I wanna be with. spend that time. we all need it to pay rent and food, that are reliable, can say is theirs and feel secure. it was really empowering, within a man-dominated space. breaking barriers, right? can do it and learn along the way, do things anyway, as it goes. never saw myself doing this. just discovered along the way and come to me, the career I want. in terms of stages of life in the public apprentices, directors, coordinators. much out there. &gt;&gt; Christian: But also a reoccurring theme everybody was in those stages. in its own way surprised me. how open people have been. hey, you can do this. I was kind of just starstruck much more than I expected. in person was just incredible. silence you heard or didn't hear, right? in general really left me in awe. to make this look cinematic or so we're just going for it. of internal expectations of myself. just something that I picked up on for of mentally limited myself and a very small one in Louisiana. just by getting on the plane and we get to see the ocean and we've made it all this way. 

How do you build a better world? The roadtrippers see how people make little differences in people's lives that add up to big changes.

Episode 2: From the Ground Up

I knew that was gonna be our last stop. as many things as I could and really make it a moment. Seven Magic Mountains. look at all the colors. over now to the west. that side, is the end point, now seeing that light at the end of the tunnel, and through, and here we are. tell me, we made it. we've gone through this amazing journey across the country. interviewing people within the different sectors this definitely put me in a whole new world. so to speak. perspectives, things I probably never would have done, got there and saw the ocean, it's like, we did it. just seeing the activities and the days and down on our calendar. that it was coming to an end. the interviews, it's like, wow, this is really gonna be the end. we headed up to Oakland, California. I was asleep that whole time. only two hours. &gt;&gt; Christian: You and me both. &gt;&gt; Tamia: All right. &gt;&gt; Chrisel: I'm even most excited, not only for to be discovered, but they are in their biographies. who you are, right? up every morning? soul pump for joy? they do habitat restoration and protection for the San Francisco-Oakland area. disappeared historically, so and restoring what's left. with Allison Chan, who's the political director. with an appreciation for nature. super outdoorsy, the time or anything like that. on this notion of like, if you've spent your life outdoors. to do that, or that's the way they grew up, appreciation for nature no matter where you grow up. degree in environmental science. the Bay Area in time for and went shoot, I lost my job. an internship program. create a space to have really authentic humanistic could be a transactional space? speak to their hearts, right? bringing emotion to a policy conversation, which is hard for a technical background and I'm like, I have data. then you'll just see, and that's not true. either September or October, Area turned bright orange. of extreme heat and wildfires. and looked outside, and we'd been transported to the surface of Mars. it was orange, it was shocking, right? when I was having conversations with some elected officials, we're all going to remember for the Bay Area turned orange, right? days like that are only going to become more frequent. resilience in our communities. you're bringing the decision maker along emotionally, solutions that you're encouraging them to adopt. from that conversation and not agree with you? takeaway was the work she does politically. background and politics is very much ingrained in my DNA. to really see the political side of environmental sustainability, in me of like you can influence policy and having a law degree. great things here, but there's so many other organizations and the country that do very similar work. there are positions out there I could see myself in. surprised me on this trip, like the way some places look. like three weeks after, I'm gonna be graduating college. science with a concentration in pre-law and that I'm well informed of the laws and everything going on. with options after school, it's endless. law school, I could kind of do community development. a better answer since I'm literally graduating next month, how will I apply it? a lot of things that I have to think about. the founder of the East Oakland Collective. mind blown of how she's a whole social service agency. Elder, I'm the founder and the East Oakland Collective. racial and economic equity work in deep East Oakland. largest population of African Americans left in Oakland that gentrified out. preserving Black and brown culture. engagement and leadership, economic empowerment, transportation planning. most known and popular for is our work we do with and the unhoused population. our warehouse space, it just constantly rotates. us in the South Bay. adult diapers, kid diapers, my lawyer just fought for municipal district to allow us to get a hydrant meter. meter to the fire hydrants, and and we can turn it into fresh drinking water. it would get to this point, like reach this height and never thought I would even be in the public sector. UC Berkeley for undergrad, studied political science, African American studies. a lawyer, which is why I majored in poli sci, and the legal field for ten years as a paralegal. stint in law school, did one year in law school, [LAUGH] for me that one year. it's like what else could I do in the law field? a difference and impact there? master's in criminal justice, tried to look for there weren't too many. for a women's funding network. funding network, I started the East Oakland Collective. the community where I was born and raised and I still live in. a half years later, I actually quit the corporate and people were like, holy crap, she's serious. the stability for something that's so the public sector. back since, I don't regret it. before just led me here. to be able to manage and thrive in this nonprofit and make an impact in people's lives. I grew up in the 1980s, but there are still a lot of resources. just go away over time, fresh and healthy food. what I say, a food apartheid, it's systematic. that has placed us here. is ten fast food restaurants within a mile radius but by systematic design. address those root causes. accountable to do right, by its most impacted and vulnerable populations. just like approaching the city and being like, hey, no, we're like, okay, we're here to help you fix that. have our client choice market. on the tables, and then we allow people to shop. that it's more empowering because you give a family the food that they wanna eat, versus forcing food on them. you say one person can organize when the work can seem so make a difference. think it's small, dollars here to someone we see struggling on the street. what you did touched me. my life, your job's well done. You did it already. up the door and talking to somebody else and take all of us. something that I looked at, myself. thought of like Candice did creating one at all. space. just like creating this whole environment where like this is something I'd like to do. the last interview, interview Oakland's Fire Chief, Chief Freeman. an athlete in high school, an all American Athlete, and the ultimate team sport. of the mission, portion of the mission is what I fell in love with. about people, and passionate about serving. have to be passionate of both. my name is Reginald Freeman. of Oakland, the 37th fire chief. specifically East Oakland, Latinx. here in East Oakland for that simple fact. at going on seven years for service in my hometown. into more like environmental sustainability type roles. bio and your resume, it's full of accomplishments. would be in this position? wanted to be a DEA agent. on how to become a DEA agent, you had to either have be a police officer for municipality for six years. was gonna happen. about the fire service after a mentor recommended jurisdiction on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi the organization. the first African American fire fighter EMT for history as I say. the fire service when I walked through the door for 2001. follow up, what was that like? something you kind of flew into? as horrible as you can imagine. in my locker. been called the N word, glass in my bunk boots. really drove me to be the best firefighter I can possibly be. in a position to where no one had to feel the way that I felt, is to become the chief. spending my own money, going to classes, and then I went on and Bachelor of Arts in leadership, Master of Science, Service Leadership, working on my PhD now. adjunct professor at University of Florida. from what I experienced and wanting to better myself. possible firefighter I could be so when those tones went off, the call was, I was gonna be able to do my job. having such a difficult moment, and you transcended it and as opposed to kinda like in that moment, they walk away, you went harder? being an athlete, for me, transcended into my profession. I was training, even in high school. in the morning running. that same drive, I was determined to not be defeated. someone like you and especially a Black man who's done all of I was wondering what the community outreach is like. because I think, just the kids, will really have someone to look up to. that's a great point. really embrace the community and be part of the community. the position, immediately they at City Hall said, well, high here, so you do not have to live in the city of Oakland. that, but I'll be living in the city of Oakland. at Liberation Park, it was a warm day, warm Saturday, be a bunch of kids there at the Akoma Market Celebration. gonna be hot, I still put on my full class A with my cover. I was sweating, but that those young kids saw someone who looked like them. wanted to be a firefighter or that they could do that. with him were so enlightening and really powerful. where I was like, this is too good to be true, wow, you're so connect with you. there's reverence, there's honor, right? him having done the work, he's done great things and he's not stopping. are aligning with our gifts. would share with us as we kind of step into our life, right? priorities will change, it's gonna change several times. gonna be different perspectives. the world differently. of peace, accepting myself for because no one can be on me than I am on myself. to manage that, because they say pressure busts pipes. things early in my career to prove other people wrong. because my coworkers said that I couldn't. certification on the desk and say, here's mine, where's yours? I tell them don't make the same mistake that I made. it, not to prove anybody wrong. your perspective and matters, not someone else's. just a reminder of just even in all your levels of I guess matter when you're actually doing the good work. something that I'm actually kind of getting that I know not tailored to what I desire and what I need. do you show up and create an avenue for yourself so that you are worthy of kind of being there. creating a space not only for myself but for left us with really focusing on the present, taking in as many opportunities as you can while you can. from this trip as a whole, those opportunities. inclination that you'd enjoy it, to say yes and and San Francisco back here. last interview, it was kind of a bittersweet moment. we've gotten all the interviews, coming to an end, it also made me hopeful for what my future is. three weeks after I'm gonna be graduating college. going into civil rights more than ever now what I've been exposed to. it because it can be done. I mean, we've mentioned a lot how broad it is, but a perspective into all the iterations that it can take. aware of just the work that I want to do. that coming from a year of a bit of stagnancy too. taken out from that and heated me up a little in a way that I needed it. like your energy and your presence is needed. the trip, I was just in a position where I had expectations of myself. kinda made me refocus and I'm at in life now and up in the future. all the leaders, were also kind of in this very limbo state. where they are now. probably the biggest thing out comfortable and confident with where I am now, my path moving forward, even if I don't know what that is. the final moment. Tomorrow we all catch our planes and what this journey has been. enjoyed my time a lot. everybody's story and gone through to get to where they are. side, it has been a month. I'm looking forward to kind of what the future holds. the bigger piece of kind of like being able to speak up for gonna be some pushback, that's almost a part of it, right? equity work of how I want to kind of step into it and align with the conversations that are needed to be had. me to think about life after college. I was gonna cross that bridge when I get there, but now I feel like there's a roadmap for me. it's given me sights to what life can be like after college. learned to step into my voice more and be empowered more. life view, has been expanded by everything and everyone. 

Change is always happening—the best we can do is influence that change in a positive direction. The roadtrippers meet leaders working to do just that, and reflect back on how they can do the same.

Candice Elder

Founder & Executive Director

Videos

Candice Elder

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Non-Profit Organizations

Politics

Helping People

Skills & Qualities Beyond School

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

Interviewed By

Serving Change

Candice Elder

Founder & Executive Director

Videos

Candice Elder

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Non-Profit Organizations

Politics

Helping People

Skills & Qualities Beyond School

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

Interviewed By

Serving Change

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