Hello Members, Patrons & Allies,

Happy New Year! As we move forward in our new world of less physical contact, our visual world is constantly expanding.  With this expansion comes the exposure of the many underlying concerns of this country.

We all witnessed a deeply painful moment in our history unfold on January 6th when insurrectionists trampled on our democracy by vandalizing our Capitol while congressional meetings were in session.  We watched as our representatives and their staff hid in closets and cubbyholes in fear for their lives.  I can only imagine what would have unfolded had the insurrectionists been non-white.  They would not have been escorted out with no immediate arrests nor allowed to vacate the premise at their own pace.  It was shameful to see how long it took additional security forces to arrive and quell the disturbance.  Now we wait for justice and a real conversation about the part race played in this action.  

It was all about race as we watched “white privilege on steroids” per Paul Butler, former prosecutor, and current law professor of Georgetown University Law Center.  I can’t help but remember reading a quote from President Abraham Lincoln during all of this – “America will never be destroyed from the outside.  If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

We at Bridges Project Ocala will continue the fight to shed light on the racial injustices that underlie most of the services afforded us on a daily basis.  We want to hear from the community on how we might move closer to embracing truth and democracy, all while not infringing on anyone’s freedoms, but protecting all voices. There is work to be done and we all must vow to participate in some way to get to a better place in this country.

We hope you will join us in 2021 to celebrate a new world with so much potential.  

A Bert Perkins, President
Bridges Project of Ocala