Local officials asked to address problem of racism in McDowell

Community Engagement Project's statement about racism in McDowell

The following is the statement that was presented by the Community Engagement Project to the McDowell County Board of Commissioners, the Old Fort Board of Aldermen, the Marion City Council and the McDowell County Board of Education.

We are here as representatives of the Steering Committee for the Community Engagement Project, which is managed by the West Marion Community Forum, to request your support to advance racial equity initiatives across our county. Please note that other members of our committee are also presenting this statement simultaneously at the County Commissioner, City Council, Old Fort Board of Alderman, and McDowell County School Board meetings.

This past year has brought to the surface multiple pandemics facing our community – including homelessness, poverty, food insecurity, and systemic racism. In response to these challenges, we have seen many of our community members step into brave spaces and show up for their neighbors with courage and dignity. They have organized rapid response support by providing healthy food boxes, emergency supplies, and critical resources for residents. After the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, residents have also grappled with issues related to historic racism by hosting the Shine the Light Vigil, attending racial equity trainings, and creating the Old Fort Together mural.

Our work is all about shining a light on these issues and today we are here to do that. Today we are asking you to step up as formal leaders of our county, as we continue to see institutional racism show up in our policies and systems – including our school system, health care system, non-profit system, and local government.

Our work to engage the voices of historically excluded communities have surfaced many of these challenges. For example, our youth of color have bravely shared their experiences with racism through a photovoice project where they stated, “We are pretty constantly aware that most white people fear us, especially in groups…including our teachers.” Another youth shared, “Our teachers and leaders don’t seem to want to (or know how to) address things related to our experiences.”

One recent event, which was recorded by a student on their phone, shows a teacher reinforcing stereotypes about immigrants and Black people, spreading falsehoods about COVID-19 safety measures, and preaching white power. This is entirely unacceptable, and we know the school system is working to address this incident.

Moreover, in Old Fort, Black elders have stated, “Our souls are in the dirt here, but that is not reflected in the historical narrative of the town.” Other leaders in the Black community have asked that white people stand up and speak out against the injustices they are continuing to face.

Now is the time for us to heed that call and commit to undoing the harm caused by generations of historic racism – including the lack of knowledge and education we have on this topic. It is not up to communities of color to teach us about racism, we must do the work. White people created racism and it is up to us to undo it. We must unlearn the ways we have been conditioned by white supremacy and make visible how it shows up in our policies, systems, and individual biases.

Let us be clear on this point - this issue that does not just affect communities of color – racism hurts all of us. It scars our humanity when we look away from it, ignore it, and dismiss it. Its purpose is to divide us and stop us from uniting against the injustices that affect us all – greed, corruption, poor health, and generational poverty.

As a mostly all White leadership on our county boards, it is time for you to “get approximate to this issue,” and change the course of history so that we can create a brighter future for all.

Today, we are asking formal leaders of McDowell County, including the County Commissioners, Old Fort Board of Alderman, City of Marion, and McDowell School Board to step up and voice their support for racial equity in our community.

We ask you to take the following actions:

1. Immediately convene a racial equity taskforce made up of leaders from across your boards to educate yourself on these issues and identify achievable actions and policy changes you can take to advance racial equity in our community. Our Steering Committee is ready to help you form this taskforce.

2. Declare that racism is a public health crisis and publicize a racial equity statement by the end of 2021 outlining the actions your board will take to address this issue in our community. Our Steering Committee is ready to help you write this statement.

3. Commit each of your board members (including the county manager, city manager, mayor, and school superintendent) to attend a racial equity training hosted by the Racial Equity Institute by the end of 2021. Our Steering Committee is ready to sponsor you to attend this training at no cost to you.

In closing, we are committed to working in partnership with you on this critical work to support our policies and institutions to be more accountable, inclusive, and equitable towards communities of color. We know #ittakesavillage and we invite you to be a part of our movement to advance racial equity in our hometown.