Future of SC residents relies on finding common ground, Head of Columbia Urban League says

We are living in unprecedented times where fake news has become a reality for many.

We have seen how fake news has confused many from taking the lifesaving COVID vaccine.

Failure to take this vaccine has resulted in unnecessary sickness and even death for far too many, including children.

This highlights the adverse impact of fake news leading to polarization and divisiveness confronting us today.

The challenges in today’s society remind me of novelist Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…”

Dickens describes the state of affairs confronting us today.

But there is also an opportunity for committed and courageous leadership to embrace “common ground” as a means of bringing opposing and sometimes hostile parties together for the greater good of society.

Those who pursue “common ground” must be committed to staying the course.

The Bible says, in Ecclesiastes 9:11, “The race is not given to the swift or the strong but to the one who endures to the end.”

As stated in The National Urban League mission statement, we are “dedicated to economic empowerment, combating discrimination, and promoting inclusion in order to elevate the standard of living in significantly undeserved communities.”

Our theme, “Common Ground: A Pathway to Equity, Equality, and Inclusion,” recognizes that for 54 years the Columbia Urban League has worked – and continues to work -- to promote a pathway for advancing fairness and social justice in reaching the goals of equal opportunity and inclusion.

Equity is meeting people where they are, such as the underserved and those in disadvantaged situations, and providing needed resources that will allow them to have an equal opportunity to reach the same outcome as others.

Now, as much ever, we need “common ground,” a leveled playing field, to make that happen.

A commitment to seeking and working from “common ground” will lead us to equality and inclusion for all.

James T. McLawhorn, Jr. is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Columbia Urban League.