Meet Joseph Cordova

We recently connected with Joseph Cordova and have shared our conversation below.

Joseph, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I spent the first 10 years of my adult working life with a series of nonprofit organizations. During my senior year of college I worked for the America Reads program through DePaul University, tutoring elementary aged students in the south and west side neighborhoods of Chicago. Inspired to keep going about this type of community engagement and hoping to contribute whatever I could to people and families in need, I went on to work for homeless shelters, community employment programs, disability advocacy organizations, and community colleges. While I am very proud of the work I did during these years and even more proud of and inspired by the people with whom I worked, I took some time to reflect and came to the realization that I wanted more ‘teeth to my bite’. Meaning, I wanted to explore a different type of advocacy, one where the communities I would serve could realize a different kind of impact and sustainability. After graduating law school, I was fortunate enough to begin my legal career through an Equal Justice Works fellowship at Florida Legal Services. Here, I would embark on a new career of Community Lawyering, serving vulnerable communities throughout North Central Florida. Today, my work as an attorney means being an enforcer of the Fair Housing Act. As such, I manage a project region where over 4 million people reside. Our work is dynamic and always flowing in and out of communities, delivering legal education and providing direct legal representation. While the law does not necessarily move faster than the previous types of advocacy I conducted, I do feel like adversaries, community leaders, and those in positions of authority are more likely to pause and listen when our team of attorneys correspond; I feel like our victories, big and small, offer direct relief to clients; and I feel like my success is making the size of splash I had hoped for, as previous offenders of housing discrimination laws correct their policies and practices.

For me, finding my purpose was all about recognizing the impact I wanted to make. An age old question is whether we should have a small impact on a large group of people or a large impact on a small group of people. I truly believe life is not about one or the other. Regardless of how we approach this question, if enough of us enter from both sides, then the question becomes more about, “What type of impact are YOU most prepared to make?”

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am an attorney who manages a Fair Housing project for Florida Legal Services. We cover 15 counties in North Central Florida. Our efforts include community education and engagement; direct representation; and enforcement. While no day is common, our staff routinely visit with advocacy groups, housing provider organizations, and community associations to deliver Fair Housing presentations and workshops in order to help inform people of their rights and protections under the Fair Housing Act. Additionally, people who have experienced housing discrimination can contact us for direct representation in matters that require legal advocacy and representation. Finally, we operate Fair Housing Testing, where community members will respond to housing listings and advertisements and report back their experience. We compare their experiences to other ‘testers’ of different races, genders, national origins, etc. to determine if differential or preferential treatment occurred.

The Fair Housing Act protects against discrimination in housing based on race, color, sex, religion, national origins, families with children, and disability. Unfortunately, while in existence for over 55 years, it is one of the least understood laws that protects our rights to equal opportunity living. Many people contact us when it’s too late or with stories that are not protected under this law. Our belief is that through greater community education and engagement, we can catch discrimination while its occurring, or better yet, prevent it from happening to future generations.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Organization, definitely. If you have goals, stay focused on that goal and do not incorporate too many distractions or allow yourself to miss opportunities because you were not prepared for the moment. While much of life is not in our control, be organized so you can be ready for when it is your turn. This includes not taking on more than you can handle. Or better yet, saying ‘yes’ to things that contribute to your goal. Many of us have full plates and stay busy, but at the end of the day, nothing we did had any impact on progressing our lives, or serving the people we hope to serve. Staying busy is not the goal. Reaching your goals is the goal. And if you fail to reflect upon how what you are doing will get you there, then you will find yourself exhausted with no progress towards your goal.

Having said that, you still need to find balance with being open to new ideas and paths. Like I said, we are not in control with so much of our journey. Stay organized and focused, but do not be stubborn and narrow visioned. You will be surprised how the realization of your goal will reveal itself in a way you never imagined. That is why your job is to stay organized and prepared, energized and focused, that way, when the opportunity arises, you are capable of seeing and recognizing it. If you are overwhelmed with distractions and chaos, opportunities will pass you by, and you will not see them. At the same time, if you are narrowly visioned, opportunity may be standing right next to you, but you cannot see it, because you refuse to turn your head.

Finally, resolve. Like I said twice before, we are not in control of so much that occurs in our lives. If each bump in the road knocks you off your path, you may never get there. Be ready and prepared for setbacks. These are opportunities to learn and strengthen. If you allow too many things to break you down, then you are choosing a path based on luck and perfection. And that is just not how the journey works.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is full of wisdom. What struck me most about this book is how Malcolm X, who is infamous for his controversial and radical approach to civil rights and equality, was internally one of the most humble and self-reflecting people to ever live. Throughout his life, what he thought he knew was constantly being revealed differently to him and he was constantly having to rethink his approach and position and go about things in a new way. All the way to the end of his life, new wisdom would present itself to him and he would have the humility to admit he was wrong and it is time to be right. Living life stubbornly defeats the purpose of life. Allow yourself to see and admit to your faults and grow from them. If you die with the same beliefs and approach to life you were born with, then you missed the purpose of life.

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