Parents and grandparents at JC Nalle and CW Harris elementary schools in Ward 7 feared for the safety of their children walking to and from school. Deacon Sims from Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church, who lived across the street from CW Harris, told of fearing for his family and the children in the neighborhood because there was a problem with people speeding and driving recklessly throughout the neighborhood and near the school. Parents at the parent engagement office at JC Nalle reported the same problem.
Leaders working with WIN decided to do something about the problem. They talked with neighbors, gathered signatures, and filed the necessary paperwork, but did not get a prompt enough response–while they waited for a response from the government there had been some close calls and near misses. Leaders called for a meeting with the city officials, but did not get a prompt response. They decided to go directly to make their case face to face. One winter morning, parents at JC Nalle filled up a bus with parents, neighbors, and children who were not yet school aged to travel to the office of the Department of Transportation to demand a response. Each person carried a stuffed animal – to send the message that they would rather prevent a tragedy then have to put them on a tree after a tragedy. Leaders filled the meeting room, made their case, and left with a date for a response – ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
As soon as the weather broke in Spring, allowing the work trucks to lay road tar, the Department of Transportation installed the new speed humps. Leaders celebrated with a few ceremonious slow drives over the humps. Many of the children and grandchildren of the leaders of the campaign have grown up and gone on to middle school and high school by now. Still, there are many, many children who have come after who are now more safe because leaders loved their children, identified solutions to keep them more safe, organized power, and acted to get it done.