Unity and Cleanliness
By Albert B. Kelly
There are basic things that help bring a community together. Some of those things come to us in the form of events and some of them come in the form of annoyances. As for the event side of things, I’m thinking about Unity Day which will be held on Saturday, September 3rd in Bridgeton City Park beginning at 11am and going until 6:00pm.
If you are not familiar with Unity Day, it is an event that is open to the entire community and the goal is to bring together people who might otherwise not engage with each other. The truth is that we naturally keep to our own, meaning we only deal with people like us whether “us” is defined by race, ethnic background, or economic class.
Unity Day is an effort to provide people with a time and place to gently move out of their respective comfort zones and experience new and different people in a relaxed and fun way. This might not sound like a revolutionary idea, but it is the only way that I know for people to begin to make a connection with and cultivate empathy for people different from themselves. Absent that there’s only fear and suspicion.
In addition to the games and activities on Unity Day, it will also be a day to recognize and honor hometown athletic standout Markquese Bell. This talented young man completed a successful collegiate career including stints at Maryland University, Coffeyville Community College and Florida A & M University amassing 95 total tackles and 71 solo tackles at Florida A & M University and becoming a Buck Buchanan Award finalist earning All-SWAC honors due to his athleticism and hard work on the playing field.
Heading into the 2022-2023 football season, Markquese signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys and from all reports, he’s about to take a roster spot away from second year cornerback turned safety Israel Mukuamu. Regardless of how his journey in the NFL turns out, the Bridgeton community is proud of Markquese Bell and this is a chance to express that hometown pride.
Unity Day in Bridgeton City Park promises to be a fun time for all involved as we head into the Labor Day weekend and look ahead to the fall season. The first 100 families will get a free T-short and the first 250 kids attending will get free food treats.
The other thing to note for the month of September is the semi-annual Community Clean-Up Day taking place on Saturday, September 24th from 9:30am to 2:30pm. Everyone participating in the community clean-up will be meeting at Gateway’s facilities at 110 Cohansey Street.
While quite different from Unity Day, this remains an open invitation to residents, friends, and supporters of the Bridgeton community to come out and lend a helping hand in keeping the community free of trash and litter. Teams of people will spread out in various corners of the community with bags, gloves, and pick-up sticks.
We know that nothing good comes from the accumulation of trash and litter. At its worst, the presence of trash and litter impacts public health and wellness. Short of that, it depresses property values and creates a blighting affect in the neighborhoods and communities where it exists. At a minimum, its presence helps fuel the worst stereotypes about race, ethnicity, and economic status.
Regardless of anything else, I maintain high hopes for my community. Many people still care about the Bridgeton community either because this is the place they currently call home or because it once was the place they called home and for all that may be lacking, they have and hold some cherished memories of growing up here through the seasons of their lives.
So whether you come as part of a church group, with co-workers from your workplace, as a family, or going solo, we’ll be happy and pleased to see you. Children are welcome, but need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Obviously the end result matters and that result is having cleaner streets, but there is more. It has to do with the whole idea of community spirit. I say that because community spirit is elusive and often hard to define. You know it when you see it, and these days it looks like a committed group of residents picking up trash and litter city-wide on a Saturday in September and that’s no small thing.