Frank Stegall
Entities need space to come together and resolve their problems. We’re still dealing with communities which have separated themselves into little cells. They are not cells with bars, they are cells with very opaque walls. There’s little movement in and out. Certain individuals can create that space by building up trust. If you have an opportunity to communicate, you can knock down barriers, and people are more willing to solve problems.
Greensboro, Alabama has one of the most unique configurations of schools in the Black Belt. Within a relatively small town, there are three school communities, each with its own obstacles and opportunities. One school is attended only by White children, one school is attended by only African American students, and one is attended by both White and African American students. Just as is the case between any school communities, open dialogue is essential if those who support one school community are ever going to understand and appreciate those who support another school community. One could say that the school communities are defined by the physical campuses of Southern, East, and West. One could say that the school communities are defined by more subjective measures. One could say that the school communities are defined by walls which are built on the absence of communication and trust.
Some of us, White and African American, want our schools to prosper. For some though, immediate prosperity for a few is more important than the prosperity of our children. For some, obtaining power or maintaining power for adults far outweighs the importance of empowering children. We have very powerful individuals of all ethnicities that want separation rather than cooperation. I don’t understand how we can be so blind to the fact that through our unwillingness to communicate and trust we are creating another generation of citizens who will not communicate or trust.
We can create a commitment to diversity ethnically, politically, and socio-economically, to resolve the issues. The solution will not just occur. It’s going to come from chipping away at those barriers of mistrust, self-interest, and stereotyping, until pretty soon they don’t seem as formidable as they once were. We will talk and realize that what’s kept us apart is our own desire not to communicate with each other.
Frank Stegall
Superintendent of Hale County Schools. Greensboro, Alabama
Outsidein. A Community Space for Hale County.
outsidein: a community space for hale county. build space with your voice.
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