Building on that work, Butler declared the Year of Unity. He attracted diverse leaders from across the state and from various types of organizations, businesses, and faith institutions. Though the movement purposefully shies from political affiliations, a notable exception is former President George W. Bush’s service as honorary chair.

Year of Unity sprang into action with Together We Heal, a day of activities at the American Airlines Center to honor the fallen officers and bring together law enforcement and the community. Next was Together We Learn, a partnership with the Dallas Police Department, Black Police Association of Greater Dallas, Dallas ISD, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department and others to provide opportunities for young people to interact with law enforcement. More than 120 high school students lunched with officers and received instruction on how to handle traffic or pedestrian stops, including participation in mock traffic stops with Dallas police officers.

A Year of Unity Choir was created with more than 100 diverse voices and performed at the 2017 State Fair of Texas and a benefit for Hurricane Harvey victims.  Year of Unity also partnered with AT&T to educate students on the dangers of texting and driving.

The core component of Year of Unity is Together We Dine, a series of safe discussions about race over dinner. We routinely witness people exercising their right to speak; Together We Dine encourages its attendees to exercise their right to listen. Attendees answer questions about race while others at the table listen. After everyone answers the question, the table opens for discussion about what people heard that affected them.

Though discussion points differ from table-to-table, participants at all tables learn that the strangers next to them care about many of the same things they do: advancing their community, creating better lives for their children, ensuring safety for citizens and law enforcement, stopping hate and other noble intentions. They learn what unites them is greater than what divides them, as Butler  says.

Nearly 500 North Texans participated this year, with more than 100 forming small groups to continue their conversations. All are ambassadors for restoring healthy dialogue on race throughout our state. Year of Unity is now a movement and will continue for years to come.