{"id":2760,"date":"2021-01-13T09:47:16","date_gmt":"2021-01-13T14:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/?p=2760"},"modified":"2023-12-12T16:34:44","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T21:34:44","slug":"on-being-first-and-new-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/on-being-first-and-new-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Blog: On Being First and a New Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><button id=\"listenButton1\" class=\"responsivevoice-button\" type=\"button\" value=\"Play\" title=\"ResponsiveVoice Tap to Start\/Stop Speech\"><span>&#128266; Listen to this article<\/span><\/button>\n        <script>\n            listenButton1.onclick = function(){\n                if(responsiveVoice.isPlaying()){\n                    responsiveVoice.cancel();\n                }else{\n                    responsiveVoice.speak(\"When Kamala Harris is sworn into office on January 20, 2021, she will be able to claim more \u2018first evers\u2019 than any other national politician \u2014 first female vice president, first Black vice president, and first South Asian vice president. Jacques Gilbert, mayor of Apex, N.C., knows something about being first. Growing up in subsidized housing, Gilbert\u2019s ambitions were more about supporting himself and helping others. Leadership, especially government leadership, seemed out of reach.\u00a0 \u201cI never thought I would be sitting here,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was like a Black person would never be the mayor of Apex, a predominately White town. It\\'s never going to happen.\u201d But in December 2019, Gilbert was sworn in. From the beginning, he approached the office with a perspective that was different from the mayors who had come before him. As the town\u2019s only Black police officer for roughly eight years, he understood the need to build bridges in the community. And as a man whose faith is foundational, Gilbert knew the value of compassion.\u00a0 \u201cI literally open the door in my office; it\\'s an office where the door has been closed for many years,\u201d he says. \u201cThere were people who had felt for years that they couldn\\'t walk through the door of the mayor\\'s office, because they were not welcome.\u201d In June, two college students walked through that door and asked to hold a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Apex.\u00a0 \u201cI knew at that moment, it wasn\\'t going to be well-received by community members,\u201d Gilbert says. \u201cIt\\'s looked at as, \\'We don\\'t have problems here. Why would they want to do that?\\' The reality is there\\'s a lot of things that we don\\'t know about, and we have to provide people an opportunity to share their concerns.\u201d The demonstration went forward with his blessing.\u00a0 \u201cIt was probably one of the most amazing experiences I\\'ve had so far as a mayor,\u201d Gilbert says. \u201cMe and my family in the middle, and I have a few police officers on my right, and then protesters on my left, and then a sea of protesters behind us.\u201d That walk of solidarity was a symbolic gesture, showing that town staff were committed to making things better. Frank discussions followed, leading to more diversity and inclusion training. While many supported the protest and his decision to march, Gilbert received criticism from police officers who saw his participation as betrayal \u2014 that he had crossed \u201cthe blue line.\u201d \u201cThat\\'s kind of frustrating, but it doesn\\'t stop the momentum,\u201d he says. \u201cIt actually gives it more legs, because we now can see where the problem is, what the problems are, and we have work to do.\u201d Black Lives Matter demonstrators seek to highlight systemic racism and police violence in particular, which is disproportionately directed towards Black people. While some see the slogan as calling for special treatment, it is rather a call for equality.\u00a0 Gilbert says he was put in the right place at the right time, in order to facilitate real change. The mayor is confident the same goes for the new vice president, and when prompted, he offers some advice. \u201cThe people put you there, and they put you there for a reason. Don\\'t hold back.\u201d Amber Keister is a writer and editor who believes in the power of story to bring people together. Her work has appeared in Cary Magazine, The News & Observer, and other local publications.\u00a0\", \"US English Male\");\n                }\n            };\n        <\/script>\n     <\/br><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Kamala Harris is sworn into office on January 20, 2021, she will be able to claim more \u2018first evers\u2019 than any other national politician \u2014 first female vice president, first Black vice president, and first South Asian vice president.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/library\/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8876 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-A-1024x341.png\" alt=\"TDM Library: your one-stop-shop for update, expert DEI Resources. Explore the platform with a free trial. Click here to learn more.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"341\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-A-1024x341.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-A-600x200.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-A-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-A-768x256.png 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-A.png 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/341;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jacques Gilbert, mayor of Apex, N.C., knows something about being first.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growing up in subsidized housing, Gilbert\u2019s ambitions were more about supporting himself and helping others. Leadership, especially government leadership, seemed out of reach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI never thought I would be sitting here,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was like a Black person would never be the mayor of Apex, a predominately White town. It&#8217;s never going to happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But in December 2019, Gilbert was sworn in. From the beginning, he approached the office with a perspective that was different from the mayors who had come before him. As the town\u2019s only Black police officer for roughly eight years, he understood the need to build bridges in the community. And as a man whose faith is foundational, Gilbert knew the value of compassion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI literally open the door in my office; it&#8217;s an office where the door has been closed for many years,\u201d he says. \u201cThere were people who had felt for years that they couldn&#8217;t walk through the door of the mayor&#8217;s office, because they were not welcome.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In June, two college students walked through that door and asked to hold a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Apex.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI knew at that moment, it wasn&#8217;t going to be well-received by community members,\u201d Gilbert says. \u201cIt&#8217;s looked at as, &#8216;We don&#8217;t have problems here. Why would they want to do that?&#8217; The reality is there&#8217;s a lot of things that we don&#8217;t know about, and we have to provide people an opportunity to share their concerns.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The demonstration went forward with his blessing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt was probably one of the most amazing experiences I&#8217;ve had so far as a mayor,\u201d Gilbert says. \u201cMe and my family in the middle, and I have a few police officers on my right, and then protesters on my left, and then a sea of protesters behind us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That walk of solidarity was a symbolic gesture, showing that town staff were committed to making things better. Frank discussions followed, leading to more diversity and inclusion training. While many supported the protest and his decision to march, Gilbert received criticism from police officers who saw his participation as betrayal \u2014 that he had crossed \u201cthe blue line.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThat&#8217;s kind of frustrating, but it doesn&#8217;t stop the momentum,\u201d he says. \u201cIt actually gives it more legs, because we now can see where the problem is, what the problems are, and we have work to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Black Lives Matter demonstrators seek to highlight systemic racism and police violence in particular, which is disproportionately directed towards Black people. While some see the slogan as calling for special treatment, it is rather a call for equality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gilbert says he was put in the right place at the right time, in order to facilitate real change. The mayor is confident the same goes for the new vice president, and when prompted, he offers some advice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe people put you there, and they put you there for a reason. Don&#8217;t hold back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/library\/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-8041 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-A-1024x85.png\" alt=\"Display ad for TDM Library. Text says &quot;Find more content like this in TDM Library. Start my free trial&quot;\" width=\"1024\" height=\"85\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-A-1024x85.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-A-600x50.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-A-300x25.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-A-768x64.png 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-A.png 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/85;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amber Keister is a writer and editor who believes in the power of story to bring people together. Her work has appeared in Cary Magazine, The News &amp; Observer, and other local publications.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Kamala Harris is sworn into office on January 20, 2021, she will be able to claim more \u2018first evers\u2019 than any other national politician \u2014 first female vice president,15<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2761,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,5],"tags":[79],"tdm_type":[92],"class_list":["post-2760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trends-industry-insights","category-blogs","tag-personal-stories","tdm_type-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Guest Blog: On Being First and a New Perspective - The Diversity Movement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As the town\u2019s only Black police officer for roughly eight years, he understood the need to build bridges in the community. 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