Who Is “Us”? Rethinking Community in a Changing America

Can we build a community that works for ALL of us?

One of my friends was venting about the “woke” media. “How come we see so many gay people, Muslims, non-white people and poor people every time we turn on the TV or watch a movie?! Why don’t we just see regular people anymore?”

“That’s easy,” I replied. “It’s because we see so many gay people, Muslims, non-white people and poor people every time we look around the room or walk across the street. Do you think that straight, Christian, middle-class white people are the only ‘regular people’ who live here?”

Our society is gradually becoming more diverse. In 1982, when I moved to Arlington, Texas, 60% of the 200,000 City’s residents were white. Today, only 34% of the 400,000 City residents are white. Arlington is now one of the most diverse cities in the country.

And even if 1980s Arlington was a homogenous community of mostly straight, Christian, middle-class white people, it was still an anomaly. Today, only 10% of the world is white (similar to the 10% of the world who are LGBTQ). And only 30% of the world is Christian.

Although we have made tremendous strides in alleviating world poverty, the average person in the world lives on less than $7.00 per day,  much less than the middle class. Globally, we are NOT predominantly Christian, middle-class or white. We never were. We never will be.

The United States Will be Majority-Minority within 20 Years

Arlington is part of a larger trend. The State of Texas is majority-minority, which means that no single ethnic or racial group holds a majority. And eight other states are majority-minority. Demographers estimate that the United States will be majority-minority within 20 years, too.

I worked in and around local government for 30 years, and I saw large and small communities struggle with their changing demographics. When minority populations grow in number, they can become increasingly aware that they are NOT being adequately represented.

First, they might conclude that at-large representatives, who are supposed to represent everyone, are NOT representing them. In some ways, when technically everyone represents you, then effectively no one represents you. Often, diverse cities enact single-member districts.

Then, they might conclude (even with single-member districts) that the career politicians are still NOT representing them. No wonder. Established constituencies have been amassing political capital longer than emerging communities. Often, diverse cities enact term limits.

Recently, I saw something that I never saw in 30 years of attending city council meetings. After a key vote was held, audience members wept. Seriously, I never saw anyone cry about a bond issue or a tax increase or a zoning case, but this was different.

A majority of the city council voted to remove LGBTQ protections from the anti-discrimination ordinance. Overnight, new alliances arose. New candidates emerged. New political action committees formed. And former mayors rallied to protect the status quo that they created.

Can We Build a Community that Works for All of Us?

Often, religious people claiming to represent “family values” lead these attacks on marginalized groups, like LGBTQ people, while disseminating half-truths and untruths, engaging in character assassination, and promoting angry discord behind the scenes.

Can a political system designed for a predominantly Christian, middle-class, white community adapt to its increasingly diverse population? Can we consider quality of life, in addition to economic development? And can we offer affordable housing, in addition to executive housing?

Can we make investments in public transit, in addition to streets? Can we serve the neighborhoods, in addition to the entertainment district? And can we build a community that works for ALL of us? Can “unity” be a reality, NOT merely a blueprint?

This is NOT just local. At the federal level, spending and tax policies shifted in favor of billionaires, to the detriment of the middle class. While at the State level, spending and tax policies shifted in favor of charter schools and private schools, to the detriment of public schools.

Arlington will NOT thrive unless we work together. Texas and the United States will NOT thrive unless we work together, either.

The Lessons of History

All empires collapse eventually, due to corruption, hubris, inequality, overspending, resource depletion, unsustainable practices, wars, etc.

The United States has seen the apex of its influence. In The Way, I wrote, “In the 1900s, the United States had the world’s largest economy. In the 2000s, China will likely have the world’s largest economy. And in the 2100s, India may have the world’s largest economy.

“Some of the tensions in our culture arise from our waning influence as a nation. Due to environmental degradation and population growth, our planet is struggling, and our resources are stretched…. Our pie is not growing; our world is zero-sum.” The center cannot hold.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “All life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality.”

Will we build a community that works for ALL of us, not just some of us? Will we erect bigger tables or higher walls for our new neighbors? And will we protect ALL of us, not just some of us, from discrimination? If not, who will we discriminate against next?

Can we build a community that works for ALL of us?