TO THE EDITOR:
I am an ethnic and racial minority and citizen of Chapel Hill raising multiracial children in our progressive town. I have previously written about how micro-sociological experiences in Chapel Hill and North Carolina are grossly inconsistent with the macro-sociological processes in place that strive toward inclusion and due diligence for equity.
I have personally been on the receiving end of the ill of systemic marginalization and the good of intentional inclusion and healthy investigation of my minority status to understand the challenges in my day to day experiences in town and through various organized communities in our town.
From this personal perspective, the recent election results and reactions to candidates for Town Council were both encouraging and revealing that even in a progressive town, there is an ongoing work to maintain that status and continually redefine the descriptive.
As a minority I want to encourage more majority citizens and minorities alike to be intentional in conversation and day to day interactions to cross the bridges.
Unfortunately, there still persists the notion that we must agree with a specific majority held set of politics, religious criteria and even arts and cultural preferences that categorically include and systemically exclude.
To clarify, some exclusion is benign and inherit with freedom to choose. But, ill founded dogma can be the oxymoron of the “progressive” platform. In order for there to be progress, dialogue must set aside in exchange for an “other” investigation.
So, please investigate, agree to disagree and include in civic life.
Jason Gayton
