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What Frightens Civitas?

Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director · January 28, 2015 · 5 Comments

Apparently I scare Civitas.

Maybe it’s my upbringing. I was raised by a single mom (my parents divorced when I was a toddler) who was fortunate to have a solid job with the federal government and a supportive family who were the safety net between us and poverty. We were lucky.

Maybe it was my education. I came up through the Virginia public schools, Kindergarten through college (Wahoowa, y’all!). I attended U.Va. on a partial scholarship from a corporation that thought supporting young people of color through higher education was the right thing to do. At Virginia, I volunteered my time helping extend those opportunities. We were a better school for those efforts to make it more diverse.

Maybe it was my career as a journalist where I spent more than a decade writing primarily about education – what the schools were and were not able to accomplish. We are fortunate when our educators have what they need to serve kids, and we are also fortunate that the First Amendment allows us to scrutinize both how decisions are made within our government as well as the folks making them.

Maybe it was the 12 years I spent as a Navy wife, doing my best to support my husband while he served our country. Our oldest son was born while his Dad was deployed. They didn’t meet for four months. During those years, I was astounded by the spouses who held their families together at home even when the military seemed to view them as a burden. We should have done better meeting the needs of all who served then and we should do better now.

Maybe it is the time I’ve spent teaching church school, leading youth group, volunteering for mission trips, room mothering, grade parenting, soccer managing, helping with school projects (happy to share pointers on building an awesome paper mache Grandfather Mountain), running lines for school plays (“Chirp, chirp, I am a robin. A sign that spring is coming.”), and otherwise doing what I can to help the three young men who bless me with the name “Mom,” as well as the friends who have surrounded them, know that they are loved, valued, and supported. We can’t say we love our children and then deny them opportunities.

Maybe it’s the 14 years I’ve spent working for the North Carolina Council of Churches, an organization founded in 1935 by white church leaders who realized that segregation is a sin. (The Council is also scary to Civitas as is our Executive Director George Reed). Since its beginning, the NCCC has taken seriously the notion that we all are beloved and equally valued children of God, and that the decisions and policies of our government leaders ought to reflect that. We can’t read our Bible and skip the part that tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Maybe it’s because I try to live my life from a place of joy, believing good things can come from even the darkest circumstances and that we are all in this together, rather than living from a place of anger, fear, and hostility. We open ourselves to the blessing when we focus less on keeping others out.

So here I am, on Civitas’ left-leaning list (and in excellent company, I might say – hey, AARP and other friends!), not at all meaning to be “shadowy” but believing that we can do better than we’re doing right now. That our children deserve better, those who live in poverty deserve better, those who face disparities created by centuries of racism, sexism, classism, and ageism deserve better, and that the frequently neglected, most vulnerable among us deserve better. I personally believe those things in large part because that’s what I read in my Bible.

Civitas thinks that makes me a scary part of the problem. I think it makes me one small part of the solution.

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Children & Youth, Council News, Death Penalty, Economic Justice, Environment, Health, Healthcare Reform, Human Rights, Immigration, Interfaith, LGBTQ, Living Wage, Mental Health, Moral Mondays, Peace, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society

Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

About Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Aleta Payne first joined the Council staff in the spring of 2001 as the Communications Associate. She continues to oversee that work along with development, represents the Council in several partnership efforts, and serves in other administrative roles, as well. Aleta is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in government and foreign affairs and spent much of her early career as a journalist. She has three young adult sons who continue to come home to Cary for dinner, or at least groceries, and two young adult terrier-mix dogs who keep the nest from feeling too empty.

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Comments

  1. AvatarAnn Wood says

    February 5, 2015 at 1:40 pm

    I need a way to thank CIVITAS for adding me to their enemies list as a member of so many forward looking, people centered, compassionate and caring organizations. I would have been
    really disappointed to not have any of my groups on the list, instead, I found almost ALL of them.
    A mark of success as a thinking, effective human being is to be on the side that is in opposition to CIVITAS.

    Reply
  2. AvatarJudith Scruggs says

    February 3, 2015 at 4:45 pm

    Accolades to you for a thoughtful and beautifully written piece. As an active member of several named organizations by CIVITAS, notably, the League of Women Voters of North Carolina, I feel we are all in excellent company. I wouldn’t want to change a single affilliation, nor will I, except to maybe join others.

    Reply
  3. AvatarWalter Salinger says

    February 3, 2015 at 10:23 am

    Wonderful piece! As a fellow Civitas bogeyman (because I’m active in the League of Women Voters of North Carolina; oh the horror!), I posted your essay on my FB page. Thanks for writing it!

    Reply
  4. AvatarBridgetBrownJohnson says

    February 2, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    A beautiful & thoughtful reflection, Aleta. Plan to share this with friends.

    (I will have to look at this CIVITAS list.)

    So glad & proud that you are my FRIEND!

    Reply
  5. AvatarSandy Irving says

    January 28, 2015 at 11:57 am

    Congratulations, Aleta–I’m proud of you, George and NCCC for making this list!

    Reply

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