Inglewood Mutual Aid

Inglewood Mutual Aid (IMA) is a collective of neighbors committed to becoming better neighbors. We are driven by our pride of living here, our love for humanity, and our sense of responsibility for one another’s wellbeing. Mutual Aid (MA) means what it sounds like: showing up for one another with reciprocity and care, rather than charity and hierarchy. These days, MA usually describes networks that organize shared resources to meet community needs outside of official public benefits. Some organize around specific needs, such as food, while others focus on communities, such as Trans Aid Nashville. We are organizing around place: Inglewood - the Nashville one. MA recognizes that governments at all levels fail to meet our communities’ needs. We only survive together. We stand against displacement. We want our neighbors who are most harmed by our unjust economy - by gentrification, skyrocketing rents, and mass incarceration, for example - to be able to thrive in our neighborhood.

(1) Everyone needs help sometimes. No one is irresponsible just for needing support. (2) We have more in common than we don’t. Everyday people relate more to each other than to the billionaires who pull the strings. (3) The problem is the economy. Poor people are not. (4) Community promotes safety. Everyone is safer when our basic needs are met, we hold conflict with love, and we have each other’s backs. (5) Solidarity over charity. We work together to meet our collective needs. (6) We practice the society we want. We can’t wait for the system to change - we rehearse for the worlds of our dreams. (7) Joy coexists with suffering. Things are hard, but hope arises through showing up for one another and celebrating every win.

With critical mass, IMA will focus on five areas of need: (1) Food (2) Eviction Prevention (3) Labor + Materials (4) Transportation (5) Connection