On June 3, the lights at Keach Park were officially turned on. For many people, it may have looked like a simple celebration. For others, it was the completion of a project nearly a decade in the making.
As someone who had the privilege of serving as a lead organizer for Change for Concord — now Hope Project New Hampshire — I felt both pride and relief standing alongside community members, young people, city leaders and supporters as we celebrated this achievement.
But this moment is about more than lights.
It is about leadership. It is about community. And it raises an important question: If we can come together to accomplish something that took nine years, why do we still struggle with disconnection in parts of our community?
In 2017, under the American Friends Service Committee, Ayi D’Almeida and a team of young leaders, including Martin Toe and others, began advocating for lights at Keach Park. They testified before the Concord City Council during the review of the proposed city budget and shared a vision that many people now recognize as common sense. Their argument was simple: young people deserve safe and welcoming spaces where they can gather, play sports, build friendships and strengthen their connection to the community.
The campaign continued through different generations of leadership. Martin Toe carried the work forward. Later, Lidia Yen took on the responsibility. Years passed. Discussions continued. Support grew. Challenges emerged. The proposal moved forward and backward more than once.
When I became a lead organizer, the campaign had already been active for about seven years. Many people were frustrated. Some wondered whether it would ever happen. Yet community members, youth leaders, neighborhood residents, local organizations and supporters continued showing up. Together, we spent two additional years educating the public, engaging decision-makers, building relationships and explaining why this investment mattered.
Today, because of that collective effort, Keach Park has lights. For that, our city deserves gratitude.
I want to thank the Mayor, members of the Concord City Council, city staff, American Friends Service Committee, Sierra Club New Hampshire Chapter, local organizations, community leaders, families, taxpayers and the many residents who believed this project was worth supporting. Public investments only happen when people are willing to work together and when elected leaders are willing to listen.
The lights themselves are important. They increase safety. They expand opportunities for recreation. They allow more young people to use the field. They create additional space for community gatherings and activities. But the larger lesson may be even more important.
This project succeeded because leadership was shared. No single person can claim ownership. Different leaders carried the responsibility at different times. Different organizations contributed. Different city officials played roles. Different residents offered support. The project survived because people understood that community progress often takes longer than any one person’s term, title or involvement.
That is where I believe Concord has something important to reflect on.
We often celebrate diversity, inclusion and community engagement. Those values matter. But true inclusion is not measured by the statements we make. It is measured by who participates in decision-making, whose voices are heard and whether people from different neighborhoods, cultures, generations and backgrounds feel connected to the future of our city.
The success of Keach Park shows what is possible when those connections exist. At the same time, it should challenge us to ask harder questions.
Do all communities in Concord feel equally heard? Do young people feel they have a meaningful voice in shaping our city? Are we building enough bridges between longtime residents and newer residents? Are we creating opportunities for people from different backgrounds to work together before problems become divisions?
These questions are not criticisms. They are responsibilities.
Good leadership is not about avoiding difficult conversations. It is about asking them honestly and working together toward solutions.
The Keach Park project reminds us that progress is rarely quick. Democracy can be slow. Community change can be frustrating. Building consensus often requires patience, compromise and persistence. Yet when people remain committed to a shared goal, meaningful change is possible.
Nine years is a long time.*
Some of the young people who first advocated for this project are now adults. Some leaders moved on. New leaders stepped in. Through all those changes, the vision survived. That should inspire us.
As we celebrate the lights at Keach Park, let us also celebrate the deeper lesson behind them. Strong communities are built when people stay engaged, even when results take longer than expected. Strong leadership means investing in something that may benefit others long after your own role is finished. Strong cities grow when residents see one another not as competitors, but as partners.
The lights at Keach Park now shine over a field. My hope is that they also shine a light on what Concord can become when leadership, community and shared purpose come together.
That is not just a victory for one neighborhood. It is a victory for all of us.
Fisto Ndayishimiye is a refugee, community organizer and youth leader based in Concord. He is the co-founder and executive director of the Young Adults Development Network, founder and director of Importance Leadership, and founder of One Concord.