Mission & Values

A group of people are sitting in a circle outdoors, socially distanced, wearing face masks, and participating in a gathering by a brick building with stairs, trees, and neighboring buildings in the background.

Community members gathering and forming Longfellow Rising in the summer of 2020

“There is hope the community is still there for us. This is something we built together... This is our livelihood.”

- Ruhel Islam

Rebuilding Downtown Longfellow with equity, sustainability and belonging

Our mission

Longfellow Rising exists to rebuild Downtown Longfellow through community-led, equity-centered development that restores belonging, strengthens cultural identity, and supports long-term stability for residents and small businesses.

Born from the uprising following the police murder of George Floyd, our work honors that moment by prioritizing BIPOC leadership, community ownership, and redevelopment shaped by those most impacted by disinvestment, displacement, and systemic harm.

We believe rebuilding is not only about buildings. It is about relationships, trust, and creating places where people can gather, heal, and thrive together.

Support Our Mission
A poster with the title "Longfellow Rising" and the tagline "Prioritizing People Over Profit". It features a grid of six abstract shapes in purple and dark green, with the words "Equity," "Diversity," and "Sustainability" listed on the left.

OUR VALUES

  • We believe lasting change starts with relationships. Our projects, partnerships, and decisions are grounded in listening, trust-building, and collaboration with the people who live, work, and organize in Downtown Longfellow.

  • Equity is not an aspiration. It is a practice. We prioritize communities historically excluded from decision-making and work to ensure resources, ownership opportunities, and influence reach those who have been most impacted first.

  • Rebuilding includes healing. Art, storytelling, and shared cultural experiences are essential to restoring trust, honoring lived experience, and strengthening a sense of belonging. We invest in culture as core infrastructure, not an afterthought.

  • We plan for the long term. That means supporting stable, affordable spaces for residents and small businesses while advancing ecological practices that expand green space, conserve resources, and reduce environmental harm. Accountability to the community and future generations guides our work.

  • We reject extractive development models. Every decision is guided by community benefit, shared prosperity, and care for people and place over short-term financial gain.

Meet Our Board

Guiding Principles

  • Practice anti-racism and inclusion to achieve equity

  • Work collaboratively in a spirit of respect and support

  • Committed to transparency, access and support of diverse stakeholders in Longfellow

  • Build and sustain relationships in downtown Longfellow, knowing that solid and communicative relationships lead to sustainable outcomes

  • Solve problems through engagement and action, while recalling past historical inequities

  • Seek to bring about meaningful change through inclusive and equitable business practices

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