Roughly one year ago, shortly following the murder of George Floyd, Shawn Dromgoole, a then-29-year-old Black man who had lived in the same neighborhood in Nashville, Tenn., for his entire life, found that he no longer felt safe walking around that neighborhood alone.
Dromgoole shared those sentiments in a post on neighborhood-focused social network Nextdoor, and hundreds of his neighbors responded by showing up to walk alongside him, which helped spark a nationwide trend of neighborhood solidarity walks.
Nextdoor is marking the one-year anniversary of Dromgoole’s post by teaming up with him on a nationwide campaign that encourages people to post #WalkWithMe in order to invite their neighbors to build more inclusive, welcoming communities.
The platform pointed to the rise in violence and hateful rhetoric directed toward Asian and Black communities, and it cited a recent study finding that most new friendships are made within a person’s neighborhood, saying that knowing just six neighbors can help reduce loneliness and have other positive health benefits.
A Nextdoor spokesperson said in a statement, “Even the smallest acts of kindness can establish a sense of security and boost your neighborhood unity. Become an active participant in your neighborhood and invite others to explore with you. Whether you walk, skate, roll in a wheelchair or cheer from the sidelines, everyone has a chance to get involved. Use this as an opportunity to get outside and get active as we head into summer—neighbors can be the best accountability partners.”