A guided tour through the inner workings of our county and municipal governments… 

Chatham County… It’s OUR HOME, and it’s OUR GOVERNMENT.  As citizens it’s OUR RESPONSIBILITY and it’s to OUR ADVANTAGE to better understand how government works for us individually and as a community.  Knowledge is power. 

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Citizens’ College:
Making inroads, building bridges
and eliminating barriers 

“You gotta accentuate the positive…
eliminate the negative…
latch on to the affirmative…”
(oh yeah, and) “don’t mess with Mr. In-Between.”

Esther Coleman is a teacher.  Don’t let her current title/job of Director of the Chatham County Human Relations Commission fool you.  She still reeks of “teacher.”  Lucky for us, because there’s still a whole bunch of teaching and learning to be done when it comes to those daily adventures of relating to one another as human beings sharing space in Chatham. 

Esther stands at the head of the class for the grand finale of Citizen’s College 2009 winter session, held at Horton Middle School. When Citizens’ College (CC) held it first sessions back in 2007, her job didn’t exist.  But members of those first few CC graduating classes knew it was needed.  One of their major concerns was the way in which the people of Chatham relate to one another.  “What is the County (county government) doing to bring people together?”  That was the critical question on the minds of young and old, new-comer and old-timer, white, black and Hispanic.

Esther’s Power Point presentation describes the ways and means by which her commission is seeking to accentuate the positive… eliminate the negative… and latch on to the affirmative (all while dealing with the messes in the cracks of human relations, those “in-between” spaces.)  Among the citizens soaking up the information is an alumnus from the second CC class of 2007.  He has driven up from Bear Creek tonight to join his son, soon to become an alum of the CC class of 2009.  Together they are a testament to all concerned citizens and their governmental servants that are actively and positively engaging in the countywide work of “human relations.” 

In 2007 Mohamed Ahmed read an ad in the newspaper about something called “Citizens’ College: How Government Works,” and thought he could benefit from such a course.  In 2007 he was, along with his other CC classmates, an interested visitor to the Chatham County water treatment facility on Jordan Lake.  Today he is a knowledgeable full time employee at the plant.  In 2007 he was already a conscientious citizen voter.  But as a result of his Citizens’ College experience, he took the next step to become an involved volunteer with the county Board of Elections.  “Mo” has not only benefited personally by his involvement in CC; through the course work he has also become a greater asset to his community. 

Mo confesses his affection for Citizens’ College in words of praise for the variety of people it brings together to network with and learn from.  But the greater proof of his love affair with CC is perhaps embodied his son.  CC ended too soon for Mo.  He wanted more, and he wanted to see CC continue to have an impact on his community and his family.  He wanted to “take it to the next level.”

Enter Amir.  It’s not like he doesn’t already spend quality time enough with his course work as a junior at Chatham Central High School.  It’s not like he isn’t already a conscientious student and ultra busy guy.  He is a teen-ager after all.  No matter.  Father knows best!  Amir has already shown his interest in community affairs by serving as student poll worker at the Oakland Precinct in the recent elections.  Then that CC ad appears in the paper once again.  “You ought to do it,” advises his Father.  “Ya… sure, Dad… I’ll think about it.” 

Son-of-a-gun if he doesn’t do just that.  Son-of-a-gun if he doesn’t decide to take the “book learning” from his honors civics class on federal government and kick it up a notch to the interactive, hands-on learning approach of CC toward local government.  Son-of-a-gun if he doesn’t get in his car every Thursday night with directions in hand, trying to find the site for the next class.  And son-of-a-gun if when it’s all about to come to a screeching halt, he isn’t sad to be calling it quits.  “I’m really going to miss these Thursday night sessions,” he admits.  “I’ve learned how to get around the county… learned a lot about county roads.”  And like his father, he also has learned to appreciate and better understand the people that joined him week after week; those who shared as students and those who taught as session leaders.  Like father… like son.  Son-of-a gun! 

Mo, Amir, the other graduates of the CC class of 2009 and all the alums of former CC classes are part of a small but growing number of Chathamites equipping themselves to meet the challenges of life together in this special place and time.  Many of these challenges are the same as those facing Esther Coleman and the Chatham County Human Relations Commission, challenges listed in her Power Point presentation: civil rights – understaffing – immigration issues – hate bias and hate crimes – academic achievement gaps – the county east/west divide.

The agony and the ecstasy, the bane and the blessing of our humanity is that we are all unique. No two of us are alike.  Yet, in one respect, whether we realize it or not, we are all like Amir.  We are on a common journey seeking to find that next place to assemble with fellow learners and teachers.  Our goal is to work on and to experience together those lessons that better equip us for the task of relating to one another.  Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities – Institute and the Chatham County Managers Office offer Citizens’ College as one means toward achieving this goal.  They affirm the quote that concludes Esther’s Power Point presentation: “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” ~ Henry Ford

 

Article & Photos by
Gary Simpson

Author’s note to the reader: 

You have just sampled a slice of “Citizens” College: How Government Works.”  The article is intended to give you an initial taste, and whet your appetite to come back for “seconds.” 

We encourage every citizen of Chatham County to join our “progressive supper” that takes us around the county to feed our minds and spirits on a seven course meal of interactive learning.  If the saying is true, “You are what you eat,” then think of Citizens’ College as wholesome “health food” to empower folks to answer the call to active and faithful citizenship.   

Knowledge is power.  The Mission of Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities (CCEC) is to empower citizens to enhance Chatham’s future.  Citizens’ College is one of our best tools for engaging the people of Chatham and enlightening one another to the workings of our government.  Through the educational branch of our organization, CCEC Institute, we provide this opportunity to nourish and strengthen the diverse community of Chatham as a whole. 

Over the coming months we hope to offer up more slices of life to round out the entire “smorgasbord” that comprises the Citizens’ College curriculum.  We hope you’ll come back to this web site to sample more stories.  Better yet, give a call to Rita Spina at 919-932-3132 to inquire about the next date that Citizens’ College will open its doors.  Why just read about it, when you can sink your teeth into the real thing?