The Importance of Community

Community. Formally defined as “a unified body of individuals” by Merriam-Webster, and a concept that is encountered by society on a daily basis. However, this world holds a deeper significance to me, as it has been a constant in all 20 years of my life. 

 

Growing up as a third culture child and moving between 6 countries and 3 continents, the concept of change is an unfamiliar thing for me, and rapid shifts in surroundings became second nature overtime. Nevertheless, a sense of community was something I had never lacked, because whether we realize it or not, it is something we are born into. 

 

To continue from the dictionary definition, a community can simply be a unified body of individuals, whether it be through status, location, identity, mindset, or affinity. By default, I am part of my university community, the community of my city, and the community of my age. This being said, it is important to state that being automatically placed into a community does not automicatically ensure the feeling of it. 

 

Living in United States has provided me with a multilayered and intersectional view on the world, one that I truly believe could not be replicated anywhere else. With this, I was able to place this perspective towards the concept of community, especially in a time period where the rights of vulnerable communities are at stake, more than ever, the importance of community is illuminated. 

 

Individuals deserve safe spaces where they can be themselves in their freeest forms. Places where they feel supported, and realize they are not alone. The feeling of community is not reserved for exceptional people, or only for moments of peril and fear. They are spaces for celebration, joy, and inclusion – which serve as tools of resistance against forces of oppression. 

 

As seen through various global conflicts and battles of equality, these hurdles were not overcome by Individualistic values and forces. It is with ones that were collectivistic and community centered, not leaving their neighbor behind. While it can appear that the virtue of humanity appears to wither away, it is important to hold onto the remaining parts of it, and pour it into neighbors, friends, and greater communities. 

 

Community. Something I define to be a feeling and sense of unity and belonging, where humans can be their most liberated selves. An unconscious constant in all of our lives, and most importantly, a sentiment and feeling that we all deserve, no matter who you are.