By Nicole June
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – First Lady of Clarksville, Cynthia Pitts, met with the women of the Korean-American Association (KAA) this month as part of a campaign to build relationships with the many diverse communities that make up the city of Clarksville.
Terry Jalinsky, who serves as President of the Korean-American Association, said the group hasn’t always been acknowledged in the past and embraced the conversation with Pitts. She said the group discussed what they need to achieve as a community and Pitts listened as they voiced their concerns.
“Since we are a different culture living in Clarksville, there are some different needs,” Jalinsky said.
Those needs include working together with the city to potentially establish a Korean cultural center or a senior center that provides cultural support for Korean-American citizens.
As the already substantial Korean-American population in Clarksville grows, those needs may change and expand over time.
The meeting is part of an effort by Mrs. Pitts to reach out to groups of Clarksville women who have not previously had a platform.
“I have a heart and a passion just to connect and build relationships with the different communities within our city, for them to feel a part of the city and to get involved,” she said.
Mrs. Pitts said a meeting of this kind hasn’t happened before and she felt a bond between herself and the KAA women.
“There is a connection that took place,” she said. “It was a blessing.”
She and her husband, Mayor Joe Pitts, also attended the KAA’s Lunar New Year celebration to immerse themselves in the group’s traditions.
As she stood on the stage to sing karaoke with some of the other party-goers, it occurred to Mrs. Pitts that she had a unique opportunity to form new connections and friendships with KAA and other organizations.
“How many people am I missing not connecting with? These are citizens of Clarksville,” she said. “We need to do more than just meet once a year at an event as we come in a door and out a door.”
Pitts said she wants these groups of women to feel that they are a part of the vision she and her husband have for the city and hopes to bring women together for common goals.
This past weekend, Pitts also met with women of the Clarksville Hispanic American Family Foundation to create a similar dialogue.
“I want to meet with them to find out their desires for the city and what their needs are,” she said. “This is just something that I felt the Lord was leading me to do.”
Several more ‘Women of Clarksville’ events are planned in the coming weeks.
For more information about the Korean-American Association, contact Terry Jalinsky at 931-206-9861. For more information about the Clarksville Hispanic American Family Foundation, visit them on Facebook.