Dear Editor:
I so appreciate the Union AME Church’s annual Martin Luther King Day program, which honors the legacy of Dr. King and reminds us of the hard work that is always before us. Over the 50 years I’ve lived here I have come to see Warwick as a special place, what I consider a hopeful place. Dr. King popularized the notion of the “Beloved Community” meaning an inclusive society based on justice, equal opportunity, and love of one’s fellow human beings. If there is any place that can achieve this ideal of the “Beloved Community,” it is here in Warwick.
That is why I wrote a call to action letter to the editor in February 2021 to see if there was enough interest and energy in our town to support a “We the People Warwick (WTPW)” initiative. The response of over 100 people within 30 days confirmed my belief about the goodness of Warwick residents, and it is because of their creative imaginations, talents, skills, and love of community that the growth and development of WTPW continues.
We welcome you this new year to learn more about us, our approach, our dialogue series, our facilitator training, and our initiatives to help bridge divides, build connections, and bind our community. Please join us to add your story, views, concerns, and ideas on how together we can continue to create Warwick as a Beloved Community - where every person feels welcomed, heard, and supported in the town we all love.
The mission of WTPW is to foster dialogue, greater understanding, and common ground among all people of Warwick, ensuring that every person feels welcomed, heard, and supported in the town we all love.
We: Advocate for the safety, acceptance, and support of all families;Work to bring together neighbors to share points of view;Work to build trust and seek common ground through dialogue;Identify opportunities and challenges before us; andEmbrace the richness of our diverse views and opinions in finding solutions to community problems.
Above all, we strive to exercise compassion toward one another by acknowledging what we share is more powerful than what divides us.
For information about WTPW go to: wethepeoplewarwick.org.
Sincerely,
Beverly Braxton