Buzzing with activism

There are a few topics people are told to avoid in polite conversation — money, religion and politics. But a group of women in Homewood are working to change that last bit.

Homewood HIVE (Huddle, Inquire, Validate, Enact) was inspired by the Women’s March on Washington in January.

“I think it started as a group of ladies not really pleased with the rhetoric post the election,” said Megan Cheek, one of the founding members. “So the Women’s March [happened]; several of our members did march. Some rode the bus overnight to D.C. Some marched locally.”

The national organizers of the Women’s March had created a list of 10 actions to complete in the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s term, and one of those actions was to create huddles — small gatherings for informal conversation, during which people could talk about next steps.

“Kristin [Rezek, co-founder] had sent out a text to folks saying, ‘Isn’t it sad that we have to have these conversations about this rhetoric?’ And I said, ‘Hey, how about we try this huddle?’” Cheek said.

At their first meeting, 40 women showed up, and most of them were people Rezek and Cheek didn’t know. 

“We really are just kind of flying by the seat of our pants, but the first meeting, everybody had their own story,” Rezek said. “It was just so inspiring.”

As a group that self-identifies as progressive in a conservative state, Cheek said their first meeting also brought people together.

“I think at our first meeting, a lot of people were like, ‘Oh, you too,’” she said. “They didn’t think that people in Alabama had similar views as them, so there were a lot of, ‘Well, I didn’t think you’d even be in this room.’”

Since that first meeting, Homewood HIVE — named for the location of meetings, not to exclude residents from other cities, Cheek said — has seen anywhere from 20 to 70 women and men attend its meetings.

Homewood HIVE holds monthly meetings, with panel discussions that cover topics in the news, as well as other meet-up activities such as writing postcards to legislators or phone banking for candidates. The educational aspect of these panels is important, Rezek said, because it helps open discussion and inform attendees.

“Then if someone asks us a view, like, ‘What do you view on health care?’ we can better back our view,” Rezek said. “Or we may change our view, based on what’s presented.”

But their discussions are not just about political parties, partisanship or ideological divides, Cheek and Rezek said. They want to open communication across the political spectrum, and one way to do that is through a community focus, Cheek said.

“No matter what side you fall on, people can find common ground in their community,” she said. “And that’s something we’re striving to achieve by educating ourselves about different issues, about finding projects in the community that we can initiate, that we can get behind.”

They hope to start community-wide discussions about topics ranging from recycling to anti-bullying efforts to sidewalks, Cheek and Rezek said. 

“I think the place we can be most impactful is spreading positivity in our communities and in trying to get some of these projects off the ground,” Cheek said.

This month, Homewood HIVE will host Open Ears and Beers on Oct. 25. The event will take place at Good People Brewing from 6-8 p.m. and aims to foster productive conversation despite different views.

“We aim to create simple questions to explore a way to talk about differences without debate or conflict,” Rezek said. 

From those local efforts, larger conversations can emerge, but the common ground is an important first step, Cheek added.

“I think my hope for the group is that we can continue to educate ourselves, we can continue to come together and try to evoke some sort of positive change,” Cheek said. “So again, we’re talking to our friend who lives down the street and doesn’t believe what we believe, but we can find common ground on something.”

While 2017 started off with what they saw as negative rhetoric and tone throughout the country, Cheek and Rezek said forming and participating in Homewood HIVE has given them hope. 

Instead of seeing people downtrodden by negativity, Rezek said her kids are now seeing a group come together and become active in their community.

“I was kind of in a slump in January, but now, I’m taking energy and putting it behind something so positive. … I feel like it’s kind of a domino effect, and now I’m excited about it,” Rezek said. “And each month, at our meetings, my heart races.”

Cheek added that being surrounded by other HIVE members has been inspiring, whether it’s from a project they are working on or a cause they are supporting. The group, she said, also provides a “gentle entry” into political discourse.

“It’s not like we’re storming the gates. Not yet,” she said with a laugh. “There’s something for everyone. … Now, whether that means people being elected from a different party or people just coming together and saying, ‘We need sidewalks in our neighborhood,’ you and I may not be on the same spectrum, but we agree that we need sidewalks.”

For more information, go to homewoodhive.wordpress.com.