I work in a local nonprofit. It has been a wonderful experience that has allowed me to get to know members of the community who I otherwise wouldn’t have crossed paths with. I am grateful for this opportunity and for the privilege that it is to be able to live in Silverton.
I am a transplant, like many of my clients, like many of the donors, and so many of the most active members of this town. … I truly believe we can all work together to make Silverton a more inclusive town.
I hold on to the hope that there’s more of us who care about our fellow human beings, not just the ones whose skin color is similar to their own. I force myself to believe that in a town that has so many churches, there is hope… I know so many who see beyond the politics, and what drives them is their compassion, kindness and (sense of) justice. This is why it’s so hard to even type this letter, but I believe the only way to acknowledge there is a problem is by speaking of it.
Days ago, I had a conversation with new neighbors. A teenager and her sister who were waiting for mom started to chat with me. (One says she) is doing online school because she doesn’t want to be called the n-word. (She) knows that if it happened in her old school in a bigger town, it must happen here. I stayed quiet but my heart broke. I wanted to say: “This won’t happen here, people are nice here” but … I remember stories from years ago of other kids being victims of racism to the point where the family had to move. Next, she begins to tell me about how … she and her mom and sister were out on a walk and they (asked someone if) the local cinema would be showing the latest version of The Color Purple. The person answering said no, and attributed it to racism…
…This is the time to change the conversation. Do we only want to listen when the white man is the savior? The good? The main character?
I look at this publication and while I find hope in some stories of goodness, all I see are white people looking back at me. Where’s the Hispanic community that is a KEY part of our food chain? Where are the Asian and the African families or individuals that I know are here? Hiding, quietly, obeying the white man’s law to not offend, to not be visible, to not be victims? Is this what I want to teach my child? To stay silent when a fellow human being is being mistreated or not welcome? To allow this level of racism to exist in the community that I am a part of? Hard “No’s”.
We must all want our children to live in peace, to feel a sense of belonging, and purpose, and to feel safe. What we need is more effort, and more conversations about racism, inclusion, and the lack of diversity we see in our town. We could start with more stories featuring people of color… WE need to believe that we are working together for future generations, (so they can) live full, dignified lives no matter what we all may look like or where we come from. We can only benefit from each other’s perspectives and stories. We can only become more peaceful, less lonely, and more connected.
Miriam Ponce
Silverton
