Ruby Jewel ShorterMs. Ruby Jewel Shorter is a retiree. Being independent and giving back to the community are two things that matter the most to her. She is a proud homeowner, and she cares for her garden and her neighborhood. She grows various plants and flowers in her yard to make her house look neat. “I like that!” she said, in the middle of our conversation at her front porch as she pointed towards a green plant that is circled by plenty of white rocks. She takes pride in her home and her yard.
Ms. Shorter was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The second youngest child in her family, Ms. Shorter and her six siblings were raised by a single, hardworking, father. Her parent, older brothers, sister, and aunt taught her to be a loving and caring person. Raised in a small community, Ms. Shorter valued the sense of belonging and connection among her neighbors. She missed that togetherness when she left her hometown for good in 1977. At the age of 19, Ms. Shorter move out from Arkansas, with her husband at the time, to find a better life in Milwaukee. She described the culture of Milwaukee as more individualistic compared to the collective life in Pine Bluff. She yearned for the life where neighbors looked out for each other. When she moved to Milwaukee, she had few friends. But that did not deter her, because she was always ready to offer a friendly hand to people around her, “if someone needs my help, [and] if I can do it, I will help them.” A fiercely independent individual, Ms. Shorter strives to live a life that she desires. She was supported by the federal welfare program for a few years after she became a single mother, but soon, she tried to get off welfare assistance by taking up a job. It was important for her to teach her children how to be self-reliant too. “Get a job! … work hard for what you want in life. I feel like I owe that to my children, to get a job and work and not be on welfare, that’s not a way of life. Not for me!” she explained. Ms. Shorter cares for the world that she inhabits. She believes that one should not just take from the community but also give back to it. She built her first house with assistance from Habitat for Humanity. She appreciates the Habitat volunteers, who helped transform her dream to reality. She maintains relationships with other residents who also received a Habitat house—they live in the same neighborhood, and they look out for each other. She also takes care of the environment in which she lives. Back in the day, when she stayed in a small apartment in Milwaukee, she tried to ensure that the building remained clean. Ms. Shorter would routinely get off her second-floor apartment to sweep or pick up trash, carelessly tossed out by some neighbors. She continues to maintain that attitude. Nowadays, she participates in community cleaning programs organized by the United Methodist Church. She is often joined by her friends, Delores and Jeanne. “You are contributing something negative to the community if you throw papers down,” she explained to me. Ms. Ruby Shorter believes that to create a better neighborhood, every adult needs to have a job, a better education, and to learn how to take care of themselves. However, she realizes the difficulties many residents from her neighborhood face. Many are formerly incarcerated individuals who have criminal records that prevent them from getting a job. She is against gun violence and criticizes easy access to firearms. She lost her child due to a traffic accident, because of somebody’s reckless driving. She hopes that people will learn not to drive at a fast speed. At the end, she acknowledges that everyone can do their part to improve the neighborhood. Ruby Jewel Shorter, interviewed by Ni Made Frischa Aswarini & Liam Farin, July 2021. |
The importance of respect
Littering and throwing out trash
Getting off welfare
The importance of working and going to school
Gun violence and gun access
Ruby Jewel Shorter talks about her role as a homeowner in the community
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