Social Hour for Social Issues
                 
The WIF Education Committee presented an informative "Social Hour for Social Issues" at the new North Carolina Dance Theatre facility on Wednesday, September 29. Experimenting with a new format, the evening focused on a specific issue: population change. Dr. Heather A. Smith of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute gave the keynote address, entitled "A Telescopic View of Population Change in Mecklenburg County." A panel moderated by Michael Marsicano of the Foundation for the Carolinas included Dr. Ophelia Garmon-Brown of Novant Health and Mayor Anthony Foxx, as well as Dr. Smith.

Dr. Smith set the stage with an overview of the population growth in Mecklenburg County since 1980. The population of the county has almost doubled in that time, and the foreign-born population has increased 550%. Dr. Smith discussed the reasons for the population growth and the implications, and posed a question: will Charlotte be a City of Welcome or a City of Exclusion? (Visit the WIF website to view Dr. Smith's PowerPoint presentation.)
 

The panel discussed the effect of this growth on healthcare services, city services such as law enforcement, and schools. They talked about how newcomers learn what to expect and what is expected. Mayor Foxx noted that when organizations visit Charlotte to assess it as a possible location for their business, they are interested in the diversity of the community. However, they want this diversity to be present in all facets of the community, not in isolated pockets.
 

Dr. Marsicano noted that three of the panelists (himself, Dr. Garmon-Brown and Mayor Foxx) are members of the CMS Investment Study Group. He explained that this group is primarily concerned with narrowing the achievement gap and improving the graduation rate. He stressed that this group is not saying that they know what to do, but that they want to listen to the people in the gap to hear what they think needs to be done. Dr. Marsicano shared that all of the success stories that the CMS Investment Study Group has heard from other communities involve either an extended school day, an extended school year, or both.
 

Here are four takeaways from the rich discussion:

1. All community members should share their experiences with population growth and change in their neighborhoods and workplaces. Dialogue makes a difference. Dr. Smith recommended attending the "Changing Places" exhibit at the Levine Museum of the New South (through November 2010) and participating in a dialogue opportunity there. (Visit the website www.changingplacesproject.org to join the online community forum.)

2. An essential question facing the country today is "Prevention or not?" according to Dr. Marsicano. This can be applied to many areas, including the environment, healthcare and education.  How does our community answer that question?

3. Mayor Foxx challenged the audience to reflect on the sacrifices of previous generations and to ask themselves, "What are we willing to give up to give our children what they need to have?

4. Dr. Garmon-Brown spoke of a mental health crisis in the country. She stressed that it is not a mental illness crisis. The number-one prescription medication in the United States is an anti-anxiety medication. How do we build self esteem for everyone?

The final question of the evening focused on how the community will fund nonprofits that work with immigrants. Dr. Marsicano shared the experience of the Catalyst Fund at the Foundation for the Carolinas. He noted that the Foundation learned that money is not the issue; rather, it is very difficult to convince organizations to adapt to new situations. The audience was left with that thought to ponder as they made their way to the cocktail hour. 

Thank you to our Education Sponsor