Building Bridges to Begin New Sessions September 14

building_bridges_recipients.jpg
Left to right: Tyler Jeffries, Anice Smith, and Courtney Jones
(2009 scholarship recipient).

Staff Reports

Building Bridges of Asheville, which has offered the Asheville-Buncombe County region opportunities to meet and learn about each other across racial and cultural lines since 1993, has scheduled its next session at Asheville Middle School beginning September 14, 2010.

The program will be offered for nine consecutive Tuesday evenings through November 9. The program has been revised to provide shorter readings and more time in small groups; the large group presentations begin at 7 p.m. and are immediately followed by small group discussions.

 

Building Bridges was established to enable the Asheville community to
confront and overcome racism through a process of changing attitudes and
hearts by offering education, consciousness-raising, nurturing, and
ongoing support. Its twice-yearly nine-week sessions include seminars
and small group discussions on race relations and community building,
and provide a safe space for individuals to:

•    Discuss racism
•    Explore and clarify ones own beliefs, prejudices, and complicity with racism
•    Come to understand and accept differing perspectives and experiences
•    Build real and honest relationships with others
•    Experience the human and spiritual aspects of racial reconciliation

One participant described the experience this way: “I came to Building
Bridges with the hope of broadening my appreciation for the diversity of
God’s family. What I did not expect was to learn some startling new
insights about my own past in Asheville, which help me understand that
integration in Asheville was far more complicated than I realized.”

This year Building Bridges received a two-year grant from the Z. Smith
Reynolds Foundation for organizational development. The grant has
allowed the nonprofit to hire its first paid Executive Director, Rev.
Aubra Love (see sidebar).

Teachers in Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools, ministers in the
United Methodist Church, and health professionals receive continuing
education credits for completing the program. Register on line at
www.buildingbridges-asheville.org or arrive by 6:30 p.m. on September
14. Price for the nine-week program is $30. For more information, call
828-777-4585.

2010 Scholarship Recipients

Building Bridges of Asheville has announced the recipients of its 2010
scholarship program. Tyler Smith and Anice Jeffries, both 2010 graduates
of Asheville High School, will receive full tuition and fees to a North
Carolina public four-year or junior college. When grade requirements
are maintained, the scholarships are renewable for all four years of the
young women’s education.

According to Scholarship Committee chair Karen Ballard, Building Bridges
awards scholarships in a competitive process each year. “The
scholarships go to area high school students who meet certain criteria
and who otherwise may not be able to afford higher education. Often
those selected are the first in their families to attend college,” says
Ballard. This is the fourth year that the scholarship program has
selected two scholarship recipients.

Both of this year’s scholars are members of the National Honor Society,
and both participated in the City of Asheville’s Youth Leadership
Academy.

Tyler Jeffries, who graduated from AHS with a grade point average of
3.95, will attend NC A&T University, where she will major in
nursing. In addition to academic excellence, she was in the marching
band and color guard.

Anice Smith, whose AHS grade point average was 3.796, will enter East
Carolina University this fall. Her academic drive led her to excel in
honor classes and, like Ms. Jeffries, toward the profession of nursing.

Both women are outstanding athletes, as well; they played together on
the varsity basketball team, which Anice captained for two years, and
Ms. Jeffries was also on the school’s track team.