From: Tom Vujovich
Columbus
The chaos and disruption of the past year will be hard to forget. However, in the midst of all that was upsetting there were also opportunities for growth and healing. Hopefully, COVID-19 will become a distant memory before long.
What we should remember of this past year is the new found awareness of the inequities which gave rise to community unrest throughout the country. The loss of life and property destruction should remind us that there is more work to be done in order to bring justice and fairness to all members of our community.
Columbus has been fortunate that it has not experienced the troubles visited upon other communities. This good fortune should not lead us to believe that there are no improvements that we need to make as individuals and as a community.
The senseless loss of lives in communities of color has shone a bright light on the unfairness many feel and experience on a regular basis. In our community, we are fortunate that local law enforcement and the courts have been proactive in looking at their policies, behaviors and assumptions and are making an effort to confront what has often been unspoken bias against those of color. Many organizations in the community are using the lessons of the past year to reshape the way they address their own work.
We need to support all who are making an effort to eliminate unfairness and inequities in all its forms. On a personal level, the death of George Floyd provides a moment to reflect on my own biases and assumptions.
I realize that I grew up privileged because of my color. If you are white like me ask yourself if you have ever been sworn at, denied service, harassed, threatened or made to feel uncomfortable because you are white? Have you ever been made to feel unwelcome in your own community? Have you ever been denied a job because you are white?
Prior to this year I was never called on to weigh the advantages that my whiteness provided. The events of the past year have made me more aware of the plight of those less advantaged simply because of the color of their skin.
So my resolution for the new year is to work harder at listening to and understanding those who are not just like me. I will be more appreciative of the value of our differences, and I will work toward a community that is no longer passive about the inequities that prevent all of us the same opportunity to live a full and healthy life. I may fail more times than I would like, but hopefully by trying I may encourage others to try as well. Wouldn’t that be worth celebrating in 2021!
