A s Thanksgiving approaches, few Tar Heel stories are as moving or as relevant as that of Jason Brown, a former UNC and NFL football player who has rededicated himself to farming.
Brown has gained national attention over the last week for his commitment to helping those less fortunate than himself. His dedication to altruism, and in a larger context, food security, should be an inspiration to all.
Ask typical UNC students what they most look forward to over Thanksgiving break and one motif will appear over and over: the food.
Many of us are privileged enough to have a home to go to, have an intact family and have a family that is willing and able to prepare us more food than we could possibly consume.
Many of us are also willing to forget that this practice is certainly not the norm for the sake of a conscious-free, and thereby stress-free, Thanksgiving break.
If anything is going to remind us of the meaning of this holiday, it’s the example set by Jason Brown. Brown quit a successful — and obviously lucrative — career as an offensive lineman in the NFL to grow crops in North Carolina, giving much of what he makes to the less fortunate in his community.
No one expected or asked Brown to do this — he did so out of a personal sense of responsibility toward the less fortunate members of our society.
So, Tar Heels and others, hark the sound of selflessness and consider what you can do to help the members of your home communities left hungry this Thursday.
