Sampson’s new chapter and changes

As American citizens, should we feel a measure of responsibility to help right the wrongs of the past? More specifically, as Sampsonians, to what degree should each one of us consider it a part of our civic duty and responsibility to fight for justice and equality and to work to remove barriers to full equality and opportunities for all Americans? Lastly, how do we make the struggle for racial equality and justice “everybody’s fight,” demanding the full measure of equality and justice for all?

With the complete removal of the Confederate statue from the courthouse grounds, combined with this moment of racial reckoning, I am hopeful that new doors of opportunity will be opened, ushering in a new chapter that will see meaningful change, leading to the greater advancement of equality and justice for all.

Back in 2018, the discovery of unmarked slave graves in a local Clinton cemetery gave us an opening to begin an official process of reconciliation and moving forward, but we allowed that opportunity to slip through our fingers. Today, with the removal of the Confederate monument from its prominent public space in downtown Clinton and the national racial reckoning protests, why not use this moment in our history as “an act of truth-telling and confession” to nudge us to begin the long-delayed process of reconciliation and healing as we begin this new chapter in our county history.

Do you not think this process of reconciliation is inevitable? Haven’t we delayed this long enough, causing us to be too slow in doing the right things? Not only is this an opportunity to acknowledge the harm and devastation caused by years of slavery and the incalculable psychological effects of Jim Crow, it is also an opportunity for us to let the sun set on the Confederate Lost Cause, closing this narrative as well.

Maybe, it’s time we pay attention and be moved to action. Reconciliation can begin with there being a community vision of equal justice and equal opportunity for all. Again, this process involves each individual having the dedication and commitment to making a difference in our community, a community that will allow everyone to thrive if they are willing to work hard.

Again, let me remind you, the day of racial reckoning is upon us. This is no test, this is the real deal. However, it has always been the real deal for those of us who grew up in Sampson County, being subjected to the daily oppression of systemic racism and injustice, and who, according to black poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, “wear the mask that grins and lies…with torn and bleeding hearts we smile.”

I do believe this moment of racial reckoning has created an opportunity for engaging the public in an honest dialogue, one acknowledging the County’s legacy of racism, causing systemic differences in life chances.

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”