Race relations at the center of community forum

Racial tensions are high across the country, but here locally, a church is trying to find ways to bring us together, rather than push us apart.  Thursday night in Salisbury, a community forum was held at the Oak Ridge Baptist Church hoping to bridge the gap in race relations.

"You cannot legislate, compensate, or integrate to be able to create solutions for this.  You have to get person-to-person in a relational level, that's the only way you're going to be able to bridge these gaps," said lead pastor Brian Moss.

Recent events prompted the church to host the open discussion, as part of their series, 'Dude You're Skewed,' to change people's perspective on a list of issues.

One solution brought up is that it is time the community started talked about these serious issues like a family would.

"Brothers and sisters can have serious conversations, brothers and sisters can have confusing conversations, tense conversations, brothers and sisters sometimes irritated with one another, but they still live in the same house," said guest speaker Dr. Kevin Smith.

Moss compares race relations to a balloon that needs an open and honest conversation to let the air out, and release built up pressure.

"We can't get over what we can't talk over.  And until we actually sit down and just begin to dialogue and listen to one another we are never going to be able to move forward in appreciation for one another."

Salisbury resident Kenny Peterson says it starts with people listening and understanding others situations.

"Be more aware of people's surroundings, your own surroundings and just kind of what comes out of your mouth."

Brian and Kevin agree, if anyone can take anything away from this community talk, it's to develop friendships outside of your race.

"Once you do that certain stereotypes and generalizations, I mean they just blow up," said Smith.

"It's easy to be suspicious of a stranger, it's hard to hate a friend," said Moss.