"How Fonc got its funk"
|
Future of Nevada County (FoNC) was born out of a void. A new generation wanted to create a formalized space to come together and be empowered in our community. FoNC began with a conversation on the front porch of an old Victorian in downtown Nevada City, CA. After the 2016 election, powerlessness and confusion could be felt on the streets, in the workplace, in the bars, in our homes. The country's deep wounds and latent hatreds were now unabashedly on display and being reinforced by the leader of our country. We formed from a common desire to create a space where the topics close to our hearts could be discussed and meaningful action could be taken.
The federal government felt too far away and too big for us to be able to make an impactful difference. So we decided to invest ourselves locally in community politics. After attending several meetings we realized that we needed a space that resonated with the norms and ideals of our generation and addressed the topics that are poignant to us. |
Who we are &
|
FoNC consists of a group of friends who are young professionals, activists, educators, business owners, environmentalists, artists, and social justice advocates, along with their mentors. We discuss, explore, and act on issues about which we feel strongly: environmental sustainability, access to local government, diversity and inclusion, indigenous rights, affordable housing, economic development and jobs, and the cost of living. We are oriented towards and interested in addressing the root causes of these issues.
The foundation of our conversations and passions are in better understanding matters persistent in our normalized culture: alienation and disassociation with our habitat and the ecology of our natural world, white supremacy, patriarchal power structures, profit over people, oppression of voice, thought, and space by those in power, the culture of divisiveness, and the lack of willingness in those who have a seat at the table to create space and empower others' opinions. |
Our process &
|
We model our meetings around the beliefs that everyone's opinions are valuable and should be included equitably. This model opens up space for each individual so those who may not normally have a voice or feel comfortable taking space can do so. Our meetings are modeled to amplify the voices of people who feel silenced.
We recognize that we are a mostly white group in a mostly white community in a conservative congressional district in California. Most of us are college-educated and have the privilege of supporting ourselves and choosing to live here. We recognize that the issues we are championing are informed by our backgrounds. While we understand that white supremacy permeates our everyday lives, our actions and interests are in progressing beyond that dominant system. We are exploring and analyzing the colonized, white supremacist, patriarchal, capitalist culture we perpetuate with the desire to evolve it in ourselves and reinforce that paradigm shift within our communities' governments. We recognize our privilege in being able to show up in spaces that others may not feel welcomed or safe entering into. |
current
|
Our current projects involve working towards a public pedestrian area and recognition of the Nisenan, the indigenous tribe of Nevada County. In short, FoNC was formed out of a desire to materialize and operationalize our values.
Interested in getting involved? Join us for an upcoming event! |