A chance to talk honestly ... and to act

        In many ways, it will be nice to close the books on 2001.

        It has been a tough year for all Americans following the extraordinary events of Sept. 11. But Cincinnatians have borne extra burdens: the hurt of racial divisions that turned to violence in our streets in April; the federal scrutiny of a police force sworn to serve and protect; the deep reflection as our community has tried to understand and correct our flaws.

        As you read through the accounts in today's special section, it is clear that the powerful events that erupted last spring have changed us. And while the April riots and the September terrorist attacks are very different in scale and historic impact, Cincinnatians may well notice some uncomfortable similarities.

        In September, the attacks shook our sense of security. In April, the riots shook our sense of who we are and how we live with each other.

        We now know that there were warning signs of our nation's vulnerability before the surprise attack on Sept. 11. Similarly, rising racial tensions were evident well before Timothy Thomas' shooting death made Cincinnati the latest symbol of intolerance.

        In both cases, people who needed to be listening weren't.

        Our March 4 special report, Divided By Race, chronicled a discussion panel with 28 regional leaders convened by the Enquirer. They said poor race relations were a top problem for our region, and some of their comments were prophetic:

        "There are some very angry African-American people out there," said Karla Irvine, executive director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal.

        "It's time for the entire community to mobilize to fix this thing," said Ross Love, a local broadcast company executive who later was named co-chairman of Cincinnati CAN, the mayor's commission on race relations.

        The race problems of 2001 in Cincinnati, like the Sept. 11 tragedy nationally, have made us evaluate our situations more honestly.

        Change has swept through the city leadership and departments. Officials and citizens are challenging themselves and each other to respond.

        Plenty is left to be done, but the result of quick action speaks well of Cincinnati. People are engaged and tackling tough problems. Finally, we have started to talk more openly about how to make things better.

        Many good community programs are at work right now. One large and successful piece of new dialogue is the "Neighbor To Neighbor" community project, sponsored by this newspaper. It has brought hundreds of people together in dozens of neighborhoods to talk about overcoming race problems.

        The New Year brings us all a fresh start. But we in Cincinnati will need ample amounts of the very thing President Bush has urged Americans to have in the war against terrorism: resolve.

        Procter & Gamble CEO John Pepper said in our March special report that it won't be easy: "This is not like building a stadium. It isn't something you do and three years later the stadium is built. It's an ongoing effort and deserves ongoing leadership."

        Resolve starts with each of us.

        Ward Bushee is editor of the Enquirer. He can be reached at 513-768-8551.

Cincinnati 2001: Year of Unrest
Prologue to turmoil: "A very tense time"
The trigger: Shooting 'ignites furious response'
The riots explode: A city's dark week
Summer of blood - guns rule the streets
Tests of justice: Officers acquitted
Binding wounds: What can be done?
What comes next?: Good examples few
WARD BUSHEE: A chance to talk honestly ... and to act
2001: A timeline
Unrest photo timeline
Jim Borgman on race