Newspapers, and media in general for that matter, are often accused of sensationalism or of blowing things out of proportion. So it is with great care that I make the assertion that the events of the past few weeks, and the turmoil that has come with them, have changed this county.

If these events have not changed the county already, I think they will. Perhaps it is incumbent upon us that we make sure they do.

While it may be some time before we know all the details of what happened June 24, when Tahliek Taliaferro was killed after an argument with a group of people he had reportedly had run ins with in the past, theories abound about what happened and why.

The crime may or may not have been about race, but this much is certain: the topic of race—the fact that the accused assailants were white and the victims black – has permeated almost every conversation I’ve heard about that awful day.

And while we have received many comments on our website that stress the need for tolerance and forgiveness at this time, there have also been a fair amount that would turn most people’s stomach.

What is for certain is that there are still those in our community, decades after the great strides made by the Civil Rights movement in this country, who cling to the notion that equality has no true place here or anywhere else.

In light of this incident, and the feelings that seem to have surfaced, I think it is time to begin an open and honest discussion about where we stand in this county when it comes to racial equality.

In the coming weeks, we will do our part to fuel that discussion, presenting a series of stories that examine this issue from as many different perspectives as we can find.

We’d like to talk to those in our community who have seen prejudice and bigotry up close, as well as those who just don’t see it as an issue here.

Sadly, up until two weeks ago, I thought we might find at least an equal number in each camp. But I’m just not sure anymore.

Thinking back, I can recall talking to an older black gentleman about this very issue last year. He was born in the days before tolerance and racial equality had been embraced as virtues, and has seen more than his share of injustice based on race.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he said to me, frustrated, trying to relay the reality of discrimination.

No sir, I said. But I would like to try.

I think we owe it to ourselves as a community, as human beings, to do that.