A Healthy High Point Starts With Creating a More Inclusive One
Barbara Frye believes that a healthy High Point starts with creating a more inclusive one. As a board member of both the Foundation for a Healthy High Point and North Carolina for Community and Justice (NCCJ), she has seen firsthand how listening, learning, and bridging divides can strengthen the fabric of our community. In a recent conversation with us, Barbara shares why NCCJ’s mission of promoting inclusion and acceptance through education and advocacy resonates so deeply with her, and how its work with youth, businesses, and neighborhoods is shaping a more respectful, connected future for us all.
Q: Tell me about your work with NCCJ.
A: My work with NCCJ has been the most meaningful work in my life. It excites me to be part of an active, dedicated board where we’re given plenty of chances to learn. Before joining the board, I worked with NCCJ while I was working with United Way, and while I was at the Opportunity Center in High Point, and I’ve just always loved their work with youth and businesses as champions of inclusion for everyone. I appreciate the thoughtfulness that goes into every decision they make, and the board is a big part of that. And I’m proud of the way they’re staying true to their mission and communicating their work in a positive way, which is difficult in the current environment.
Q: Why does NCCJ’s work belong in conversations about health?
A: It just fits. Foundation for a Healthy High Point wants to create a cohesive community, and NCCJ’s work helps to create an environment where more people are able to get the resources they need for better physical and mental health. Since health is shaped by so many social factors, the work NCCJ does is a natural part of the conversation.
Q: What keeps you committed to this kind of work?
A: I love that the organization teaches board members and the community to talk about issues without trying to change someone’s mind. I believe in their mission – it’s how I was raised – and serving on the board lets me advocate for what I believe in while exposing me to the opportunity to think about some of these issues differently. What I’ve learned has changed the way I think, and that allows me to commit to my advocacy work in a more secure way.
Q: What role does NCCJ play in our schools?
A: NCCJ is very active in the Guilford County schools. They’re best known for their Anytown program, which is a youth leadership program. Their summer camps allow teens to come together, listen to what others are saying, and look at things with a new perspective. Students learn how to communicate their thoughts and feelings in a positive way while staying calm and collected. In addition, NCCJ offers Anytown in School, a set of programs that can be used with middle and high schoolers throughout the school year. Students gain skills that they will carry forward into their adult lives.
Q: What role does NCCJ play in our neighborhoods?
A: Their corporate work touches a lot of individuals who can carry the message and the mission back to their neighborhoods. Every time you talk to a business about being more inclusive it plays an important role in the community.
Q: What reflections do you have on NCCJ’s work toward inclusion and acceptance among diverse groups?
A: NCCJ is proactive and innovative with this kind of work. They have a great staff that thinks outside the box. Every year they work with all types of religions on an interfaith tour for the community. Some years, they host a trip for people to visit other communities, whether it’s in another country, or another state to explore some of the racial issues we’ve had. That kind of exposure helps people learn about others. Not everyone is like I am, and if we can understand that, it goes a long way toward treating people with grace.
Q: Any final thoughts?
A: I’m thrilled with the opportunity to serve on both the Foundation and NCCJ boards. I’ve learned so much, and it has encouraged me to keep learning and keep probing. It has given me a voice that I’m proud to use in representing High Point.