Stronger Together

Some people believe that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream is now a reality. I have seen “little Black boys and little Black girls joining hands with little White boys and little White girls as sisters and brothers.” But are we truly united?

All you have to do is look around our state and our nation to see the truth. We are divided. Groups are being formed and policies are being pushed with the goal of exclusion and segregation.

Just the other day, I had breakfast with a friend who said something that stayed with me. She believes a divided America was better because Black people were thriving during segregation. Places like the Paradise community in Fort Mill, Little Africa in Spartanburg, the neighborhoods north of Calhoun Street, and the Morris Street Business District in Charleston.

It’s true that some Black communities found success in the face of injustice. But here’s the thing: not all Black people had that opportunity. Many didn’t even know these communities existed.

That’s the problem with segregation—people get left out.

Now, more than ever, we must step out of our bubbles and work together to build a better tomorrow for our children and grandchildren.

That work begins with one of the most powerful tools we have: public education.

Right now, there is a blatant effort to destroy it. Just look at the recent decision to withhold over $6 billion in federal education funding—money that was already allocated to states.

This is not about cutting waste. This is not about saving extra funds. South Carolina school districts depend on this money to:

• Pay teachers and essential staff

• Provide interventions that close learning gaps

• Buy technology that prepares our kids for jobs that don’t even exist yet

Defunding public education not only jeopardizes the success and well-being of children in South Carolina, it threatens South Carolina’s economy.

Division fails our kids. It fails our state!

Let us come together, not because we agree on everything, but because we recognize each other’s humanity. Let us choose connection over division, and lead with love, not hate.

The only way we overcome this "us vs. them" mentality is through unity and love. The foundation of our unity must be education—for kids and adults alike. 

Education empowers people.

We must fight to protect the promise of free, high-quality public education—for every child, now and in the future.

Our children and our grandchildren are depending on us!