Marcia Espínola, of Siler City. Until a decade ago, Siler City was the epitome of small-town North Carolina.  Located in the center of the state where two storied highways, 64 and 421, intersect, Siler City was far enough from larger cities to maintain its identity and independence. When the local poultry industry’s growth outpaced the supply of indigenous workers, Latinos were encouraged to come to keep the economic engines running.

Come, they did. Now the population of Siler City is 50 percent Latino. African Americans and whites each comprise about 25 percent of the town’s residents. The change was rapid. Almost overnight Siler City was torn apart by the clash of cultures.

One who came to Siler City about ten years ago was Marcia Espínola, a young Chilean who, like many of the immigrants, did not speak English. Today, Espínola is one of the best known and most respected people in the town. She never worked in poultry, but she became an advocate for those who did, especially when nearly a thousand lost their jobs when a plant closed. She also is an extraordinary advocate for racial and cultural harmony.

Espínola is known in Siler City – and increasingly beyond – as a quiet leader who helps different cultures understand each other. She had just arrived when Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke came to town to lead an anti-immigration rally. Not only did Espínola ease the fears of Latinos but she also went about helping others in her community understand and accept their new neighbors. She became a tireless teacher, helping Latinos understand local laws and regulations, including those about keeping yards clean and neat. In doing so, she helped erase preconceived ideas others had about Latinos.

In many ways, Espínola has become an ambassador engaged in shuttle diplomacy, from one side of town to the other. She has dedicated her life to helping three groups of residents better understand and accept each other. When she speaks, people listen, regardless of who they are or their views. Espínola has learned English, but she began with an innate ability to communicate clearly and convincingly.  Among her strongest admirers who also consider her a close friend are a retired white businessman in his 70s whose family has lived in Silver City for generations and the African-American police chief who credits Espínola with “bringing Siler City out of the pits of racial war that was taking place” in the wake of David Duke’s visit.

People view that dark day in 2001 when Duke stirred emotions as the low point in Siler City’s race relations. The experience also prompted Marcia Espínola to commit herself to the daily advocacy work of building relationships among the African-American, the white, and the emerging Latino communities. Paul Cuadros, noted author and UNC-Chapel Hill professor who wrote about Siler City in his book, A Home on the Field, has said, “It has not been an easy struggle to get Siler City closer to acceptance of the newcomers, but there is no doubt that the daily efforts of Marcia have helped to push this community closer to this ideal.”

Retired businessman Ed Spence believes so strongly in Espínola’s work that he now spends much of his time and energy working alongside her. “We have witnessed first-hand the complex relationships that have emerged as our town adapts to multiculturalism,” he said. “We are fortunate to have her in our community to teach us how to overcome the prejudice of racism. Marcia has been a force for racial understanding and tolerance. She models cooperation, projects a can-do attitude, and creates opportunities to foster good will among the different races that make up our town. She will make us all better people and better citizens.”