Tucker Handley relocated from Birmingham, Alabama, to Cleveland after taking a job here. He has settled into Northeast Ohio, a place he is proud to call home. He sat down with Signal Cleveland to discuss how he is channeling his energy into giving back to the community.

Good afternoon. How did you first come to hear about the Cleveland Documenters?

I joined somewhere around 2021 or 2022. I stumbled on a post about Documenters on the internet. During that time, the pandemic was still going on and I was working from home full time. I had some flexibility to cover meetings, which I probably wouldn’t have had if I was in the office full time. I’ve been able to learn about things I didn’t know and [also] be helpful in getting that information out there.

What have been some of the challenges you’ve faced since becoming a Documenter?

I’ve said this before during our community of practice [events], I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Documenters at times. When you’re covering meetings you’re trying to gauge how much is too much or deciding which details you want to highlight. Also trying to see if I will have time to document, with my current work schedule. Sometimes the meetings can run long. It’s a public service, and there is something I really like about that, but it takes effort. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from it, so that makes me feel good.

Which meetings do you enjoy covering?

I enjoy the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) meetings, where they talk about the ridership numbers, and Cleveland City Council meetings, where they present data about different metrics in the city. That’s always interesting to me. For me, it’s more about which meetings fit into my schedule. 

What are some of the things you enjoy doing in your free time?

I work out a lot, I’m a part of a boxing club. I enjoy playing the piano, listening to podcasts and cooking. I’m involved with a lot of different ministries at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lakewood, and I also do some work for Meals on Wheels.

Can you talk about a standout moment you’ve had while documenting?

There was a Cuyahoga County Council meeting. This was during the time where protestors were coming to meetings across the city on behalf of what is going on in Gaza. They had disrupted the meeting with chants, so the meeting had to be moved to a private room for an executive session. It was really intense, but it showed how powerful people can be when they come together for a cause.

What was one of the earliest forms of civic engagement you remember taking part in?

In the earlier days, it was going to church. My family went to church regularly. Our church did a lot of work for the community. We did food drives, clothing drives and other things like that.

In more recent times, I’ve been dealing with a chronic condition that gets worse over time. That has humbled me in a way. It’s important for me to give back to help keep myself strong. I need to find ways to be useful and not just give up. I need to be an example for other people who may see me still moving forward despite the issues I’m dealing with. Hopefully, they can take something positive from that.

What is your elevator pitch to convince someone to join Documenters?

Community journalism can be different. In Documenters, we are working together to figure things out and telling the stories of our neighborhood. These days, a lot of people don’t trust the media. This is a different model, where it can be participatory and we can learn from one another. It’s not hierarchical – we do this work together. For me, it’s about being the change you want to see.