LibraryScenariosWhen community groups struggle with informal power structures and inclusion
Scenario

When community groups struggle with informal power structures and inclusion

Our community garden collective makes decisions together but there's this unspoken hierarchy where the people who've been gardening longer get more say, and some of the newer members - including most of the people of color - are starting to opt out of meetings. We all believe in equity but we're not practicing it.

Juana
Online
The coach is replying

More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

Egalitarian ideals clash with informal hierarchies based on tenure, expertise, or cultural capital, often reproducing exclusion despite good intentions.

Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Converting — gaining a new identity?”

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.