The caption above says it all — “Passion led us here.”
We started this journey in 2017 because we believe in community and the power of coming together. From the beginning, our aim as been to assist in making Oak Ridge a ‘model city’ of unity, love, and healing for the world to see and experience. Our growth has been deliberately slow because we believe that deep change can only happen when the roots of trust have had ample time to deepen into the landscape of care and compassion. Not everything we do is successful, but we learn by doing and passion keeps us trying and experimenting with new things… sometimes taking risks or stepping into the unknown together as a community.
We’ve been completly humbled by the opportunity provided us by the New Pluralists — without them, we couldn’t have gained the kind of traction we have right now in this work. 2024 will mark the end of that financial support, and we are working doubly hard to generate momentum and strengthen our network so we are positioned to keep co-creating community wtih you for years to come.
In 2024, we will work in three primary tracks described below:
TRACK ONE: Crossing the Red State/Blue State Divide
2024 could potentially be the most divisive year in American politics. Our aim is preserving our community no matter what might happen at a national level. We will work on listening to each other, respecting each other, and loving each other despite our differences. Working around the table at several points during the year, we work toward hosting debate watch parties for conservatives, liberals, and everyone in between. We will host meaningful community conversations around potentially hot-button, divisive topics with the goal of preserving unity in our city. We will need a planning team created comprised of members from both sides of the political spectrum.
To volunteer to be part of this important team of hearts and minds working to protect our city from harmful divisions that could potentially arise, please apply below. Because this team needs to be balanced between Red & Blue political leanings, not every application can be approved for the executive team, but we will work hard to create roles and opportunities for everyone who applies.
TRACK TWO: Expanding the Circle of our Racial Bridging Supper Series
Approximately 30 black and white neighbors spent four weeks together sharing our stories and experiences around race in 2023. Our planning team will begin meeting in February with the aim of launching a second round of community conversations in April / May. In this second round, we hope to go even deeper into trust-building and we will ask the question: “What does racism look like today in our city?”
We will also continue to greatly support and advocate for the Scarboro 85 who were the first black students to desegregate a public school in the Jim Crowe south. The heroic accomplishments of these students will be honored in the coming years with a monument to preserve, educate, heal, and unify on our journey to becoming a model city for the world to see. Oak Ridge is uniquely positioned to be a central part of the historic Civil Rights trail, and to be a beacon of hope for the future.
Casting a hopeful eye toward all that is coming to our community in the field of bridging and relational repair, we anticipate healing will further unite us as we engage in deep conversation and an honest reflections of where we’ve come from amd where we are headed. Keep an eye out for this series, and by all means, if you’re interested in helping us, apply to be a team member at the link below.
TRACK THREE: Strengthening the Care Infastructure in Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge Periodic Tables is not an organization, but rather a toolset that can be used by anyone or any group with a desire to learn and apply the principles. Coupling with the amazing work being done by our Chamber of Commerce, the Oak Ridge Ministerial Association, United Way and others, we will generate networks of care that are founded in relationships of trust. We believe this moves us “beyond the band-aid” and will help us remove the barriers to success that some of our most marginalized neighbors experience. Good food alongside rich and honest conversation opens our minds to creative solutions as we together weave a web of care, connecting dots, and bringing our challenges to the center stage. We will be asking important questions like, “How can we foster a spirit of audacious creativity and idealism, and yet still remain anchored in a grounded pragmatism capable of producing deliverables to Oak Ridge?”
Keep this track on your radar in 2024, as we expect it to be powerful in the work of our non-profits and care infastructure. There will be opportunities to serve in this area, however the primary executive teams will be comprised of area non-profit directors, clergy, and business leaders.