CHRISTAN ROZELL | NOVEMBER 19, 2018
Safe and Stable Homes Paralegal Christan Rozell shares why she’s passionate about working with Atlanta communities to stabilize housing.
Some of the reasons I do this work are a given.
I’m human, and so are our clients. I’m Black, and so are the majority of our clients. I’m a woman. I am a product of a single parent household, raised by a Black woman, which describes many of our clients.
I’m a resident of the same county that we serve. I am a renter—I have first-hand experience with slumlords. I am a survivor of domestic violence. I am an advocate for protection and defense of all survivors.
These are also the identities of many friends, and many people I meet volunteering throughout the city. Shared intersections are the driving force. To me, this is an empathetic obligation, and not one that I feel complacent about. What better work to be committed to?
I do this work because it battles against disheartenment and dispels discouragement for the state of the world.
People in my life often entrust their children to me. I am a role model. My nieces, nephews, Godchildren and tribe member’s children watch me closely. One day my babies will, too. I would like to show them how we are to take care of each other, both in our homes and in our communities.
As adults, we often view this task as cumbersome. But to children, everything is magic. And we owe it to all the babies to do some good now so they will have some good later.
I do this work because I’m able bodied and able minded. I do this work because I thoroughly enjoy being a part of resolutions, attending fairs every other day, obtaining and connecting with resources for overlapping missions. I do this work because it battles against disheartenment and dispels discouragement for the state of the world. I do this work because I witnessed my parents and siblings act when their gifts were whispered to them. I do this work because I believe in empowerment.
My professional legal background and personal passion for community have intertwined, and I am grateful to The Most High to have found myself here.
Christan Rozell
Paralegal, Safe and Stable Homes Project
Christan is AVLF’s newest Safe & Stable Homes paralegal. In this role, she is tackling issues that incubate systemic poverty in Atlanta.
Christan has lived in Atlanta for 13 years and currently calls Vine City home. She brings almost 10 years of paralegal experience to this role, along with a wealth of community service work with organizations such as Care, Hands on Atlanta, and the Empowerment Council. On the weekends, you’ll find Christan at a food drive, community clean-up, or at a workshop to help organize Atlanta’s communities. She also enjoys writing poetry, taking Afrikan Martial Arts classes, traveling, and relaxing with friends.