DillySeed Magazine End of Year Review | Page 14

Rest Stop with

Ranard

rap session

Ranard slows down just long enough for us to chat with him about the #WeMarch Movement, his brand of leadership, how he's making a difference, the upcoming march and gaining local celebrity.

Check out his Rap Session with Elle.

- DillySeed Mag

DSM: A lot of people know you from #WeMarch, but your roots are in Our Carmichel. What inspired that?

REH: I recall the moment in 2015 when I made the decision to go forward with Our Carmichael. One evening I had pulled up home, got to the electric gate, touched the remote for it to open, pulled into the yard, got inside; there was my housekeeper. I opened the refrigerator and took out what I wanted to eat and drink, then looked out the kitchen window to see a neighbor grilling in his backyard.

I went outside and shouted to my neighbour, “Man, you livin’ ey? You’re grilling in the middle of the week!”

He said that he was grilling because his power was off and he had no gas, and I froze. I thought, “What? I’m living comfortably but just next door to me there’s someone who has no power, no gas and is outside, not because they want to be but because they have no choice.”

From that I realized the wealth in this country is unequally distributed. There are a lot of people going through hard times but because of pride some of us don’t know what they’re going through.

I wanted to find a way to not just give back but to encourage other people to be the change they want to see in the country.

DSM: So how did you go about getting started?

REH: I first reached out to friends and family, and to the public calling on people to assist in helping to rebuild The Bahamas. In March 2015 I rented a space and held the first meeting laying down my vision and asking them to share theirs. I saw a change movement, not relying on a government but relying on the people to unite, starting from the grassroots and moving up, ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Chrissy Love was in attendance and upon seeing her, I remembered the statement she closed [her show] with every day on radio and how similar her view was to mine: “if each before his doorstep sweeps, the village will be clean.” Our Carmichael is being that change you want to see. Nothing about Our Carmichael is political…

DILLYSEED:On that note, I understand your desire is not to get involved in politics. We’re living in this society though whereas we are to a great extent controlled by a government. They create the rules, they enforce the rules, or they don’t. How can a community with limited power ultimately be the best it can be?

R. HENFIELD:I think Our Carmichael proves that you do not need the government to bring about some of the immediate changes that you need. For example, we have 50,000 people in the Carmichael community—from Baillou Hill Road to Adelaide—whose homes are not insured; they

DSM: Afkft lyjf lf ltf f lj fg jf j fkl ljfy jhf lyfyuf ylf lyf yf luf d gfh fulyfrkdd kdt td tdk?

RER: Ay fuylf uyf yfh fytdesetesf jy fdr dkyd kf uyf y uf yuyufu kj fkuyfkkt dtdtkkh d tlf hfhgf rdksariyuypiligy jfyfdt d tf kyf kyf yufy f lfi yff hffyd krd kduyl fuy.

DSM: Afkft lyjf lf ltf f lj fg jf j fkl ljfy jhf lyfyuf ylf lyf yf luf d gfh fulyfrkdd kdt td tdk?

RER: Ay fuylf uyf yfh fytdesetesf jy fdr dkyd kf uyf y uf yuyufu kj fkuyfkkt dtdtkkh d tlf hfhgf rdksariyuypiligy jfyfdt d tf kyf kyf yufy f lfi yff hffyd krd kduyl fuy.

DSM: Afkft lyjf lf ltf f lj fg jf j fkl ljfy jhf lyfyuf ylf lyf yf luf d gfh fulyfrkdd kdt td tdk?

RER: Ay fuylf uyf yfh fytdesetesf jy fdr dkyd kf uyf y uf yuyufu kj fkuyfkkt dtdtkkh d tlf hfhgf rdksariyuypiligy jfyfdt d tf kyf kyf yufy f lfi yff hffyd krd kduyl fuy.

DSM: Afkft lyjf lf ltf f lj fg jf j fkl ljfy jhf lyfyuf ylf lyf yf luf d gfh fulyfrkdd kdt td tdk?

RER: Ay fuylf uyf yfh fytdesetesf jy fdr dkyd kf uyf y uf yuyufu kj fkuyfkkt dtdtkkh d tlf hfhgf rdksariyuypiligy jfyfdt d tf kyf kyf yufy f lfi yff hffyd krd kduyl fuy.

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