A few years ago I became more civic minded after a devastating illness. I started attended meetings, workshops, public functions, banquet dinners, social luncheons, dedications, ribbon cuttings, grand openings, etc. It dawned on me that, on many occasions, I was the only black person in the room. There would be 25, 50 or 100 people attending a gala affair or a community meeting and many times I found myself the only person of color at the event. Sometimes I would see another black person, maybe two. When RCI showed the film Anonymous People back in May of this year, 600 people attended! I saw only 3 blacks. A film about the recovery community and I was one of the three! Black folks in Williamsport must be more assertive and engaged in community affairs. They need to take responsibility for their lives. They need to vote in larger numbers. They need to make their voices heard. So I am constantly asking the question, Where are the black people? Williamsport is 13-14% black. We need to get rid of our invisible cloaks and step to the table of ideas. So when you go to the next public function, count the number of black people and ask, Why arent there black people here?
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 01:15:13 +0000
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