LSA welcomed Pascagoula, MS native Marisa Green to its Mobile office on Feb. 10.
Holding a Bachelor of Arts in English from The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), Green states she has an interest in community organizing in the South. Seeing an opportunity to be of service in the community is what drew Green to LSA. Green has volunteered for Planned Parenthood Southeast and oversees a Social Media account for Mississippi Rising Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps to mobilize Mississippians for social justice and civil rights.
“I had ties and family down south and wanted to make sure I was a part of community organizing. I was ready to get back into the nonprofit world – the legal sector specifically,” Green said. “When you come from the south, you understand a bit about how hard the system is on people that are low-income … I am passionate about the idea that I can be of service. Living paycheck to paycheck is not unfamiliar to me, as I’ve supported myself throughout my life with jobs waiting tables, bartending, and in retail.
“I struggle with the amount of discrimination, racism, and bigotry that exists, and I work daily to become a better advocate and ally,” Green said. “Helping someone to navigate the system … getting justice, helping people, collaborating with people. My goal is to just do the best job that I can here for our clients.”
While at LSA, Green hopes to learn as much as she can from staff and relate to clients.
“I want to understand why things are happening the way they are – I am asking a lot of questions,” Green said. “Housing is really fascinating to me, because we’re in a housing crisis. What I can [also] bring is empathy, because I do understand what it is to make your living in low-wage jobs. I am a survivor of sexual assault, and so when I’m talking to clients who are dealing with this, I want to hold space to hear and support their story in the right way. It’s critical.”
Green, who has a brother named Slayden who lives in Oakland, enjoys hiking in her spare time. She has hiked both the Appalachian Trail and the Continental Divide Trail in the US (a total of 4,989 miles) and plans to run several 5K road races in 2020.
As a professional dancer and choreographer, Green spent the last 13 years in New York City before returning to the South. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from The University of Southern Mississippi and currently serves as Intake Paralegal in the Mobile Office
“My type of dance was technical but a little different – experimental, like Alvin Ailey or Pina Bausch,” Green said. “I have a passion for dance and for the Arts. Arts education is really valuable. I think it’s wonderful for adults to engage in the Arts as a lifelong practice.”
For more information about Green or our advocates, please visit: www.legalservicesalabama.org.
