Amid Recall and Mosque Debate, McKinney Kind Asks Residents What They Love About Their City

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

McKINNEY, Texas – Scroll through McKinney’s social media lately and it doesn’t take long to find an argument.

The Islamic center. The recall. City Hall. Politics. Religion. Neighbors arguing with neighbors about what’s happening in their city and who’s responsible for it.

McKinney Kind is putting something different in the feed.

In a growing series of short videos, residents are being asked one question:

What do you love about McKinney?

People talk about neighbors, friendships, local businesses, churches, families and the experiences that made McKinney feel like home.

Some talk about finding community after moving here. Others talk about people with different political or religious beliefs still finding common ground.

The people behind McKinney Kind aren’t pretending the division doesn’t exist. They say it’s part of the reason the project has returned.

An Old Idea Returns

McKinney Kind isn’t new.

Maylee Thomas Fuller started the project in 2018 around a belief that kindness could strengthen a growing and changing community. After a break, McKinney Kind is back with a new page and a series of resident interviews.

“I felt like this was a good time to bring back McKinney Kind because there is so much division right now in this place I call home, as well as across our country,” Fuller said.

Instead of filling the page with her own thoughts, Fuller decided to ask other people to speak.

“I don’t want McKinney Kind to be about my voice,” she said. “I want it to be about our voices.”

The interviews are simple. Residents talk about their experiences, the people they’ve met and what keeps them connected to McKinney.

Fuller said those conversations don’t always resemble what she sees online.

“Social media can make it seem like everyone is angry and divided,” she said. “When you talk with people face-to-face, you realize that isn’t the whole story at all.”

Looking Beyond the Negativity

The people involved with McKinney Kind don’t see the current tension as something that defines the city.

Jared Tye, who is involved with the project, said he sees the current negativity as a “short-lived local trend.”

He said there are “some people who are trying to push fear and negativity.”

McKinney Kind’s videos focus instead on residents talking about what they value about the community.

The interviews don’t ask residents to choose a side in the city’s current disputes. They ask about their experiences and what makes McKinney feel like home.

Fuller said disagreement itself isn’t something the project is trying to erase.

“There are disagreements in every community, and people have every right to express them,” she said. “But disagreement doesn’t have to define who we are.”

The Recall in the Background

The timing of McKinney Kind’s return is hard to miss.

A recall effort is underway against Mayor Bill Cox and council members Justin Beller, Geré Feltus and Ernest Lynch. The filing cites a “loss of public confidence,” and the effort has fueled weeks of debate over the council, the Islamic center and other city issues.

McKinney Kind has returned in the middle of that debate, but Fuller said it shouldn’t be mistaken for an anti-recall campaign.

“I certainly recognize the contrast, but McKinney Kind isn’t about defending or attacking elected officials,” she said. “It’s about our McKinney.”

Fuller said the project isn’t funded, directed or supported by a campaign, PAC, elected official or organized group on either side of the recall.

McKinney Kind isn’t the only response to emerge during the debate surrounding the Islamic center vote and subsequent recall effort.

A Change.org petition titled “Thank You, McKinney City Council — We Stand for Religious Liberty and the Constitution” has drawn over 1,100 signatures. The petition was launched following the city council’s unanimous approval of the Islamic center site plan.

The petition is separate from McKinney Kind, but both have surfaced as some residents have looked for ways to make their voices heard amid the debate unfolding in the city.

‘Something Less Tangible’

Fuller compared the project to community efforts she has been involved with before, including helping with donations after last year’s floods.

“When there’s a flood, the need is obvious,” Fuller said. “People need food, clothing, shelter and help rebuilding their lives. You respond.”

“Sometimes a community needs something less tangible,” she said. “It needs encouragement, compassion and a reminder that we can disagree without losing our kindness toward one another.”

McKinney Kind is still looking for more voices. Tye said residents can submit 30- to 60-second vertical videos introducing themselves and talking about what they love about McKinney.

“It’s also good to admit we aren’t perfect,” Tye said.

Residents who want to participate can send their video by messaging McKinney Kind directly on Facebook.

The question remains:

What do you love about McKinney?