Who has not been inspired these last few days by the life of the iconic civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis? Who has not been moved by the power of his words in the op-ed printed in the New York Times on the day of his “home going” in Atlanta? How can we not be inspired by his challenge to “Redeem the soul of our nation,” to act, to stand up, to speak out, to work for solutions to the inequities and injustices that still exist? We are called to help fulfill the promise of the American Dream for all people. We are encouraged to join the revived civil rights movement!

Salisbury has begun this work. Our Salisbury City Council adopted the Resolution of Reconciliation on January 15, 2019. The leadership of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and Mission House have provided space for discussion around racism as well as educational seminars. Racial Equity Rowan is doing valuable work by providing workshops to educate and train our citizens. Are we living up to the commitment put forth in the Resolution of Reconciliation to “identify, acknowledge and eliminate policies and practices that create or uphold racial disparity” and are we holding our elected officials accountable to reporting these efforts?

We have the opportunity here in Salisbury to participate in the virtual community forum “Heart of Democracy” on Thursday at 7 p.m. This will be a Zoom webinar. Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of the solution.

— Betty Jo Hardy

Salisbury