Barringtonians believe Black lives matter. We know this to be true, because we witnessed the massive attendance at the first BLM roadside vigil organized by the Barrington Interfaith Partners. It drew 1,200 people, mostly fellow Barrington residents, a year and a half ago. And we know it to be true because of the continued support for initiatives in our town to create a more equitable community.
Striving for equity is an effort to remove the existing obstacles that currently ensure disparate outcomes.
As Black History Month comes to a close, we should consider several issues regarding the reactions to some of Barrington’s inclusivity efforts. As we think about these issues, we’ll be reminded that Barrington’s future gets brighter and better as we become more welcoming and inclusive of all people in our increasingly diverse community.
Equity. Striving for an equitable community is often portrayed by naysayers as an attempt to create equal outcomes. That is inaccurate. Striving for equity is an effort to remove the existing obstacles that currently ensure disparate outcomes. A founding principle of our nation is that everybody should have equal opportunity. We should strive for this to be a reality in every community, especially our own.
The flagpole. Barrington’s flagpole is not a “free speech zone,” nor does it display flags or banners at the behest of others. The government of the Town of Barrington uses the Town Hall flagpole as the signaling device for which it was designed, in direct agreement with the US Flag Code. Barrington raises flags under the Stars and Stripes as a message to all people, that those who feel represented by an additional community flag are equally valued members of the community, just like all who feel fully represented by the Stars and Stripes, alone.
The Black History Month flag. The flag flying on our flagpole is not connected to any organization; it is reflective of a grassroots movement. The Black lives matter movement is a broadly diverse movement for racial justice. It is not a Marxist or antisemitic movement. It does not call for the dismantling of the nuclear family. The policies of one organization within a movement consisting of many organizations and individuals don’t speak for the whole movement. The words of a few members of a grassroots movement, no matter how prominent they are, don’t speak for the whole movement.
Antisemitism. Like everywhere, it’s here, too. We’ve seen it in the swastikas painted at Zion a few years ago. We’ve seen it in graffiti stating “kill the k*kes,” painted on a picnic table. It’s been spoken by strangers walking through our local grocery store. It’s been posted on the Facebook pages of a local veterans group, and published in the columns of the local newspaper’s opinions page. One place in town we can be certain it does not exist: our custom Black History Month flag. Affirming the equality of all people is a Jewish value.
We have so much to gain by opening our arms, hearts and minds. When we stick together and keep moving forward, we march toward an even better Barrington.
