Community identity exists in all cities and towns. It’s natural instinct for people to take pride in the places they call home. But the journey of building a public safety ecosystem requires a love-level commitment to one’s community, the aspiration to see it thrive, and the collaborative spirit required to work together and succeed.

Newark embodies that commitment. The city’s long and diverse history of mobilization and civic engagement — featuring student groups, unions, grassroots organizations, and other collectives of artists and activists — put it on the path to a community-centered ecosystem long before the concept had fully formed.

People recount these journeys of empowerment, of their leaders, and of the victories and struggles of their movements neither accidentally nor to imply the present moment does not hold similar power and possibility. Quite the opposite: The act of building a collective memory is intentional, encouraging, and forward-looking, in part to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Every city has the building blocks for a collective community identity. That local pride is the base ingredient. From there, the people, grassroots leaders, and  supporting system leaders will play a crucial role in strengthening that identity into action and power.