InterFaith Works of Central New York - 3049 E. Genesee St. - Syracuse, NY 13224 - Tel: 315.449.3552
© 2007 InterFaith Works of Central New York
Beth Broadway, Program Director
Originally aired on:
Dec 30, 2005
WCNY-TV: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
WCNY2: 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Reading for Session Five:
Interrupting Racism, by Beth Broadway
What Can You Say About Racism? By Leonard Pitts, Jr., Parenting Magazine, 1994
51 Simple Things You Can do About Racism, Prejudice, and Intolerance , MARStar Magazine, Winter, 1993
Discussion for Session Five:
The group has now been together for four weeks and has shared a great deal about their life experiences and what has led them to think the way that they do about race, racism and race relations.
Tonight they will be looking at five viewpoints that represent distinctly different ideas about what we should do to end racism. The viewpoints come from people all around the USA who were surveyed by the Study Circle Resource Center . They were asked "What should we do to make progress on race relations?" Their answers were categorized into these five viewpoints.
View 1: We must fight prejudice, and build interracial understanding.
According to this view, we must work to improve racial understanding, end prejudice, and build solid relationships among people of different ethnic backgrounds. We need to be aware of the ways race affects our lives. Whites should think about the kinds of discrimination people of color still face on a daily basis. Whites also need to recognize the many privileges they have, just because they are white. People of color also have to play an active role in building bridges between races. It's important for them to stay open-minded -- personally, in the workplace, or in the community. All of us must speak out against racism whenever we hear it or see it in action in our daily lives, among our friends, at work, or in public settings. Together, we can end prejudice by looking hard at our ideas about race, by building relationships across racial lines, and by refusing to tolerate racist behavior.
View 2: We need to work together on common projects.
According to this view, people of different racial and ethnic groups need to work as a team to improve the community. While we should not under estimate our differences, we should not make too much of them either. If we work side-by-side on issues that matter to all of us, we can move beyond stereotypes, and really learn to appreciate each other. Shared projects -- a park clean-up, for example -- remind us of the things we have in common. They show us that we can come together to make good things happen, and they remind us how much we need each other. Through neighborhood watch programs and community policing, we can help to reduce crime, get rid of drugs, and make families and business owners feel safer. Our ability to connect with each other, to build bridges across color lines, is basic to solving the problems we share. When we work on issues of mutual concern, we are doing the kind of multiracial work this country needs.
View 3: We need to address institutional racism.
According to this view, we must confront the racism in our institutions, and promote fairness and equality. Institutional racism is defined as the policies and practices that privilege some people on the basis of race and ethnicity, and that produce racial inequality, whether or not the person carrying out the practice has racist intentions. To rid our society of racism, we need to identify and expose the racial bias which exists in many organizations. We have to change more than attitudes. We also have to find ways to change the policies and power structures in our society. We can hire and promote people of color so that they can share the power to make important decisions. We need to create workplace and community environments that are inclusive and supportive of many different people.Because racism helps maintain the power and wealth of a few rich white people at the top, we should make our economic system work more fairly. If we want to destroy racism, we must look very carefully at our institutions, and make the needed changes at all levels.
View 4: People of color must overcome our doubts, stop thinking of ourselves as victims, and take responsibility for our own lives.
According to this view, we need to admit how internalized racism still affects us all, and we need to get past it. The best way to undo the effects of racism is through individual accomplishments. We will make real progress on race-related issues only when people of all races accept responsibility for our own lives, and really strive to fulfill our potential. In the end, we can promote racial equality by holding everyone to the same high standards - in school, at work, everywhere. Only then will people of color feel truly confident in our abilities. We must think about what each person can do to solve our most pressing problems - such as crime and vandalism, babies being born out of wedlock, low academic achievement, drugs, and guns. We also need to talk about right and wrong. We should turn to our families and our faiths for moral guidance and positive examples. The way we lead our lives and the kinds of choices we make will bring an end to racism.
View 5: People of color need to find strength in their own values and traditions.
According to this view, people of color make the greatest strides when we band together and pool our resources. In the past, institutions rooted in our unique traditions have nurtured and empowered us. For example, the Black church has been a great resource and inspiration for many African Americans. After much deliberation, the Onondaga Nation chose to remove all people who were not Onondagan from the Nation lands. This was done to preserve the traditional traditions, economies, and practices of the Onondaga people.
In the future, we should strive to build cultural, political, social, and economic institutions that appreciate and emphasize the richness of our own cultures. Decades of working, picketing, and praying for improved race relations have taught us that trying to educate racist people is not the best use of our energy. We should put our energy and talents to work where they are needed and valued, and where they benefit our own people. We may need to set up our own schools and businesses, and develop a new power base, so we don't have to fight racism wherever we turn. This may mean having very little contact with whites. When we focus on our own communities, we will draw strength from each other in a way that validates our heritages.
What do you think of this idea? We would love to hear about it, let us know.
InterFaith Works of Central New York - 3049 E. Genesee St. - Syracuse, NY 13224 - Tel: 315.449.3552
© 2007 InterFaith Works of Central New York