Are we a town divided?

Chapel Hill to host community conversation on race

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July 16, 2008 | US State News | Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The city of Chapel Hill issued the following press release:

The public is invited to a community viewing and discussion of "A Class Divided" to be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 24, in the Council Chamber of Chapel Hill Town Hall. Refreshments will be provided.

Organized by the Town of Chapel Hill's Justice in Action Committee, the event is the first in a series of outreach events designed to engage the community in frank conversations about race relations in Chapel Hill.

Mayor Kevin Foy and Justice in Action Committee Chair André Wesson will make welcoming remarks. Dr. Jan Boxill, director of the UNC Parr Center for Ethics, will help facilitate the discussion following the viewing of the documentary film.

"Class Divided" is an encore presentation of the classic documentary on third-grade teacher Jane Elliott's "blue eyes-brown eyes" exercise, originally conducted in the days following the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. The film is designed to help engage people in reflection and dialogue about the historical role of racism in the United States, as well as the role of prejudice and stereotyping.

The Justice in Action Committee was created in 2005 following the Council's approval of the renaming of Airport Road to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. In 2007, the committee adopted a new name, purpose and mission: "To adequately and effectively reflect the Town of Chapel Hill's integrity and commitment to preserving racial, economic, and social justice within the community."

Its stated goals are to recognize how we take for granted our biases and how these affect behavior; to challenge comfort zones (exposing how racism and prejudice affects all of us); to challenge ourselves to recognize our own perspectives and open ourselves up to recognize the perspectives of others; and to identify how our differences unite and bind us.

Future programs being planned by the Justice in Action Committee include a Unity in Heritage Festival in fall 2008 and a Martin Luther King Day Celebration in spring 2009.

"The success of this program and the committee's work will depend on the level of community involvement," said André Wessen, Justice in Action Committee Chair. "We welcome all input and involvement from everyone."

To learn more about this event and/or the Justice in Action Committee, contact André Wessen (919) 843-8917 or Jan Boxill (919) 962-3317. New members are welcomed, and applications are available on the Town of Chapel Hill website at www.townofchapelhill.org/boards.

Learn more: Racial Equity