“Community Conversations” is a community of residents, students, organizations, and businesses in Hillsborough, New Jersey, committed to strengthening our social fabric for the betterment of the whole community. 

After months of Covid isolation, our community was finally able to come together in August 2021 for a home-screening of the documentary Me, The "Other" with friends and neighbors. The movie narrates real-life stories of twelve students from Michigan who experience prejudice through ‘othering’ and how this has affected and still shapes their lives.

After each personal story unfolded, we explored some of the challenges of coping with different types of discrimination and bias, sexism, racism, gender bias, and rejection. At the same time, we explored our own feelings and reactions to these powerful stories, together, and we saw each other’s humanity. It was Hillsborough at its finest. Conversations lasted well past midnight as we discussed the ways in which this film touched our own lives. Here are some of the points that were shared:

- A senior retired Black American, who was never seen or recognized outside of work, talked about the feeling of being Black and invisible in America, about working with a business colleague every day and yet, they never “see you.”

- A prep school student, frustrated by their world, addressed the hurt and pain of realizing that fellow high school students who want to become successful are blind to issues outside of their bubble and couldn't care less about anything else as long as they make it. 

- A participant reflecting on the Civil Rights movement and how much still hasn't changed raised the need for pushing through boundaries because if we don’t learn and make real changes, this country will relive every tragedy. 

- A bi-racial high school student talked about how high schools try different diversity practices but need to make more serious efforts to make systemic change, not just tick the boxes. (Youth see right through superficial attempts!)

- The group discussed what solutions could look like to make a dent into some of these issues, locally, regionally, and perhaps even nationally.

Director and co-producer, Shidan Majidi, joined us via zoom to answer questions about the film, most notably how he had found the people who were willing to share their intricate and revealing stories on camera. The movie’s level of intimacy suggested to us that connecting with the cast members must have taken a lot of preparation. We were surprised to learn that these stories were shot in five days, and that cast members were mostly identified through an open call posting at the three universities most of the students attended. Shidan Majidi created authentic connections with each student and offered each one a safe space in which they felt comfortable to share their deeply moving stories. 

This, more than anything, left us asking: What does safety mean? No judgment, no othering, connecting with a person's heart and not their circumstances, giving a person’s noble spirit a chance to breathe. I encourage everyone to see this movie and if you can, host an event with your own friends and neighbors. Barriers will start to break down and we might move away from “othering” and closer to “oneness.” Away from me as the “other” and towards me, you and all of us, together as one.