How David Evans keeps his neighborhood litter-free and well-informed
As founder of Block by Block and social media educator, Evans is an activist for the modern era.
David Evans, Green Philly’s latest Civic Catalyst, equates civic engagement to maintaining a healthy relationship. “You can’t just vote and be done with it,” says Evans. “It’s like a relationship: You have to work at it.”
So who is David Evans? And how does he make a difference?
Role: Local politics expert and leader in the movement to clean up Philadelphia’s ongoing litter problem. Founder of Block By Block, neighborhood Block Captain, and founder of local_politics_first.
Green superpower: Networking and a “naturally outgoing” demeanor
How Evans wields his superpower: He deftly weaves together connections between community members and organizations to act upon a common cause. He uses multiple platforms to reach people, like social media and in-person classes. He has no problem saying “Hi, neighbor” to people in his neighborhood but is not phased if someone doesn’t want to say hi back. His thought: “Sometimes I have bad days, too.”
What he finds fun about sustainability work: “The community we’ve built. It’s the small group of people passionate enough to spend their free time building with us, the laughs we’ve shared, and knowing one another over the years.” AND the WINS along the way! Evans uses his superpower to collaborate with Clean Water Action, Trash Academy, and Circular Philadelphia on the Clean Philadelphia NOW Campaign to work towards ending illegal dumping and litter. He celebrates how the current mayoral administration is cleaning up the streets and how leaders have used the campaign’s language in their plans.
“You take a shower and get dirty again, right? It doesn’t prevent you from taking a shower.”
David Evans
Challenges to overcome: Securing more funding for litter prevention practices, along with having meetings frequently canceled and rescheduled by city leadership – leading to feeling ignored. “The speed bumps can be deflating. To me, it’s just humans being humans…I don’t always think it’s something nefarious, I like to see the very best in all people. But being polite and persistent gets me through those tough times.”
Sometimes, community members also question the point of cleaning up if the street will just inevitably become dirty again by tomorrow. “My response is: You take a shower and get dirty again, right? It doesn’t prevent you from taking a shower.”
What got him started: During the George Floyd protests of 2020, Evans was gassed and hit with rubber bullets on Route 676. It was a shock and a wake-up call that “hit home” and proved galvanizing for him. “It made me realize I knew so much about the Sixers and about the Eagles, but I didn’t know anything about who was in charge of anything.” He found out he wasn’t alone. So he started learning and sharing his findings through his local_politics_first Instagram.
What Evans is looking forward to: Speaking for the first time, along with other members of the Clean Philadelphia Now campaign, at a City Council Hearing on Illegal Dumping on March 3.
Advice for getting involved in sustainability work: Pick one thing and go all in. Evans has “been there before” when it comes to feeling confused about how to get involved, but choosing one passion – litter reduction, in his case – was helpful.
How to get in touch: Find him on Block By Block and local_politics_first
Cover photo: David Evans stands in front of the recently closed Cecil B. Moore Library. Evans, along with other community members, are fighting to repair and reopen the library. Credit: Angie Bacha
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