The Detroit Documenters program trains and pays Detroiters to attend local public meetings and monitor elected officials, in collaboration with local journalists. Hundreds of residents are active in the program, bringing more transparency to local government through their meeting notes, live tweets and civic participation.
This month, we’re featuring radical community organizer Hannah Mathers …
Hannah Mathers (or Han as they prefer to be called) became a Detroit Documenter late last year. They learned about the program from other Documenters in the community advocacy space and were attracted to the concept of paying people to take notes at local meetings to keep residents informed.
Han said the Documenters notes they read before joining the network were personable and more relatable than reporting from mass media outlets, especially the raw notes from Documenters on the Bus .
After taking notes at a few public meetings, Han quickly realized that even in smaller local government bodies like the SMART Board of Directors , “big decisions are being made with lots of money.” They said it’s eye-opening and empowering to feel like they’re playing a part in sharing what they’ve learned with fellow community members.
Han is reppin’ for the suburbs, having been raised in Waterford Township and residing in Pontiac for the past few years. Their full-time job is organizing on behalf of queer youth of faith at the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health . Han also works as the lead editor and organizer at Suburban Connections for Collective Liberation , a publication focused on how metro Detroiters can become less complacent in the U.S. war machine and exploitation of racial minorities for profit through better relationships with neighboring cities.
Being a Documenter has enhanced Han’s advocacy work. Han said they just realized they’ve become a frequent notetaker even in their routine work.
“Now every time I go to a meeting, I pull up a little document,” they said. “Obviously there’s no Documenters program in Pontiac, but the skill of listening with that intention of consolidating for notes is a pretty cool skill to have and be developing.”
Now, Han feels more committed to showing up to public meetings knowing they have a task, and they attend those meetings more often and with more confidence.
Keep reading to learn more about Han’s work in the community and how you can connect with them.
Name: Hannah “Han” Mathers
Location: Detroit
What I do:
- I organize with queer youth of faith in religious and spiritual communities as my day job. It’s pretty rad!
- I organize a newsletter to connect folks doing liberation work in the suburbs.
- I crochet, sew and love making clothes more gender/body-affirming.
- I do mutual aid work with Oakland County Mutual Aid.
- I am the chair of the Legal Observer Committee of the National Lawyers Guild Detroit and Michigan Chapter.
- I am a partner, dog parent and lover of accessible dance floors.
What I love about it: I love that feeling of connection that comes when I am with others doing the righteous work of the disruption of harmful systems, community care and creating new possibilities.
One thing I want to get from the Documenters community: I have enjoyed being involved in this way and learning how to document what elected officials are doing with our resources.
One thing I can give to the Documenters community: I bring a sense of going slow, making space, caring for each other and avoiding an “eye on the prize” mentality as we inch toward realizing our humanity together. I’m grateful for ideas and connections on how to create new possibilities and community resiliency!
What is your favorite local restaurant or small business: Stuffed Bun in Pontiac!
How you can reach me:
The post Meet Hannah Mathers, this month’s Featured Documenter appeared first on Outlier Media .
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