In the shadow of Mr. George Floyd’s lynching-by-other-means, our organization is reflecting on how our magazines can make a material contribution to countering racism in our communities. We have always striven to create publications that look like the towns and cities they serve, and we are instituting programs that address racial inequity in our own company, but that’s not enough. Though I am convinced that the solution to racism lies in the better angels of our nature, not in the hands of politicians (half of whom pretend that they think Black Lives Matter means other lives don’t – shame, shame on them) or editorials penned by righteous publishers, surely a local publishing company can share our platform with community stakeholders. But not in a vacuum.
In recognition of that fact, I am reaching out to community leaders, readers, staff and friends with a one-line emailed question: “What can our magazines do to help?” I will share their responses in future issues and online. (I’m keeping names confidential in order to guarantee an open exchange of ideas.)
The responses so far have ranged from optimistic to resigned to sad to even mournful and angry – usually a combination.
All have been thoughtful.
A friend of mine and of the magazine responded, “My first thought was why not host community virtual meetings [where] a broad cross section of the community [could] tell their personal stories as it relates to racism as well as have them provide their solutions for fighting racism in our community. You could then dedicate an edition of the magazine [to this idea] and include selected persons who participated in those conversations. Your magazine, I suspect, reaches a readership that may have given no consideration to racism in general and specifically to racism [here].”
Another person wrote, “I appreciate you asking me. I think about that question every day, ‘What can I do in this dark time?’ I think of the children and what they are experiencing – are they feeling the hate and confusion? The other day, I listened to a young man [who] was 10 or 12 years old, [and] he said, ‘I just want to live.’ You can imagine what that did to me. They don’t understand and will be hurt the most.
“To answer your question: What can you do? The children will lead us. Telling stories of children, black, brown and white together, playing, talking and eating, all the things that adults are supposed to do. When it comes to the police, the adults are going to have to work that out. I wish I had a grand idea, but I think we have lost our way and [are] attempting to find it. In the meantime, I just pray we don’t teach our children to hate.”
Amen.
– Dan Shannon
48 Best of Chapel Hill
‘The Best Thing I Ever Ate’
Best of Chapel Hill voters share their most-loved dishes at our readers’ favorite restaurants for comfort and Southern food
Open for Business
Some of our readers’ favorite retail shops share how they’ve weathered the pandemic and what comes next
Rock On
A native’s ode to our music scene
Update Your Space
Our readers’ favorite interior designers give their top tips for transforming a room
Pointe of View
A look back on the founding moments of the Ballet School of Chapel Hill
The Complete List of Best of Chapel Hill Winners
FEATURES
26 Marching for Justice
Photos from June’s Rally for Justice and protests at the Chatham County Courthouse
34 At First Light
Moments with hard-working early risers in our towns
84 Welcome to the Neighborhood
Isabel and Efrain Piñeiro adore their 55+ community
88 Retirement Guide
Directory of continuing care retirement communities and assisted living, independent senior living and 55+ living communities
106 Homegrown Getaways
These families used their time at home to make improvements and create enviable backyards
122 A Pool to Dive For
Family and friends make a splash in this backyard oasis
124 Go Exploring
14 ways to enjoy the outdoors this summer in Orange and Chatham counties
DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS
8 About Town
Events not to miss
16 Noted
What we’ve heard around town
22 Forward Progress
A Q&A with Orange County’s leaders on the coronavirus response
132 Simplify Your Summer
Three easy recipes that celebrate the season: Postal Fish Company’s corn-and-crab fritters with comeback sauce, tzatziki from Olga Bakatsias of Kipos and Mary Tate of Venable’s The Love Letter cocktail
138 Weddings
Meredith Beaton & Jonathan Pruitt
Alex Okulski & Jane Smith
Rachel Crawford & Joshua Donnald
Erica Carlsen & Russell Parks
INC.
SILVER LININGS
12 Honoring a few of Orange County’s Class of 2020
14 David McGlohon Jr.’s birthday party parade
15 Morgan Moylan’s surprise floral displays in Hillsborough
15 Anna Creissen’s front porch photo sessions
