Day 25: To reform or reimagine

Dear Friends and Family.  


What if racism is so built into the fabric of what we identify as America, that in undoing racism we have to reimagine who we are as Americans and what we stand for as a country?  As we continue on our journey to understanding the depth of institutionalized racism, this is a question that has popped up for us.  Will it be enough to reform the systems in place or do we need to dismantle them and create something new.  Per Angie’s video (also see addendum below) from yesterday: What if all the vessels are built for only one kind of coffee mug, what do we need to do to make sure all the mugs can fit?  These ideas are challenging, but so is the prospect of living in a world that undermines our most basic value: that all people are created equally.  


This Ted Talk by Bettina Love illustrates the learning she saw in elementary school children when their cultures were valued and not stifled.  She posits that Hip Hop culture (which is the current projection of African and African American culture) prepares students to master standard Character Strengths: Social/ Emotional Intelligence, Improvisation and Grit.  This reimagining of what learning could look like when educators put a student’s culture first is an exciting new idea.  Today we are asking ourselves what other institutions are set up to value white culture and in so doing are ignoring the value (often evaluating it as a weakness) of other cultures and the people from the cultures.  How do we reform or recreate the vessels so that all the mugs can fit, be comfortable and positively represented without assimilating.  


“It’s been said that racism is so American that when we protest racism some assume we are protesting America.“  Whote Fragility- by Robin De’Angelo.  Consider:   Colin Kapernick’s kneeling may have been victim to this thinking,  particularly by veterans. 


“We all have a responsibility to be positive change agents (regarding racism and privilege) in our respective fields.”   - Naoli Stalomo,   Student of Social Work,  University of Houston


“ Cultures don’t melt” -Anonymous 


Please share your thoughts and if it brings you to any actions you are committing to today?   


Suggested Listening:  These are great.  

Hip Hop, Grit and Academic Success: Bettina Love at TEDxUGA

A Conversation on Race and Privilege with Angela Davis and Jane Elliott


Angie made an addition to her video post from yesterday: 

A note- Equity is not one size fits all. Every industry and every organization has to look at their own shortcomings and their own systemic and systematic biases. In my example the diverse cups fit nicely into the vessel. That is definitely not the case in many organizations or in institutions like schools. If you are considering addressing equity in your orgs or industries please hire a consultant to evaluate the needs of your org. Get feedback from existing staff and also from staff that left and highlighted issues. Equity work is uncomfortable for those in places of privilege and power. The dynamic has been unfairly stacked toward whiteness and so you "losing" power and opportunities is actually aligning things with reality and recalibrating the scales. - Angie

Venmo Angie @AngieCee415 

cashapp Angie at $artlovingaries



Peace,

Beth and Camerin




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Yesterday's Actions and Reflections from the group: 

  •  As part of the class we watched the second episode of Race: The Power of an Illusion which traces the indenturing of black prisoners to plantation owners after the emancipation act as well as the systemic victimization of native americans and those in Mexico as white americans pushed for westward expansion and continued supremacy. As my eyes are opening, my heart is getting heavier and heavier.

  • The video you suggested was a great reminder of our dual roles as allies to first, shut up and listen, do our research and learn better but second to speak out especially to our own family and friends when we hear things that are hurtful, uninformed or just plain wrong. I have a few people in my life who I consider my whisperers. They are the folks I can always count on to tell me the truth but who, at the same time, understand the need sometimes for grace, privacy, dignity so that a difficult message can be heard. I have “whispered” to a few friends, family members, and mentees over the past weeks in an effort to help them as others have helped me. I understand fragility, but I also understand that before a person can learn, grow, change their heart has to be open to hear the lesson. So thanks to whichever friend shared the video!!

  • This morning I watched Phil Vischer’s Race in America (i think I sent you the link earlier) and I wept. I wept at the purposefulness and calculation behind the system and laws put into place to keep black people down. I wept at the callousness of my ancestors conscious actions aimed at keeping white people on top. I wept at the stat that 1 in 4 black boys can expect to go to prison, and I will admit that i’m feeling a little hopeless today. How do we undo this? How, how how?

  • I sent a silent thank you to my husband as he sees the effects of systemic racism everyday in his employment business where he routinely has to remind business owners that no he can’t just send them white candidates and where he routinely has to encourage his black associates, many of whom are on the lower end of the economic spectrum, many of whom have police records, to not just give up.  

  • I virtually attended “What Does Protesting Have To Do With Our Faith?” sponsored by Candler School
     of Theology. A panelist pointed out that Jesus was an activist/organizer/protester...he looked for emergent leaders and trained them, planned and executed public actions, and held public officials accountable (plus, of course, he was much much more as well). The group also addressed practical protesting: what is my superpower to lend to the movement?

  • I recently watched the 13th film; was moved by the inequity of how the system manipulates the amendment that allowed continued near enslavement of people after the civil war, and how laws are applied and mutate to continue imprisonment as a form of slavery.  I am appalled that the US penal system and now immigrant “detention centers” exists as a for profit industry.  I was amazed that private industry was able to include requirements that jails or prisons always be full so there is now incentive for filling prisons/arresting people.  It made me want to learn more about our criminal system and social justice issues locally and nationally.

  • My choice for last night’s learning was to watch the Harvey B Gantt Center panel: Charlotte’s Fight for Police Reform. Panelists included:
     Dr. Keith Cradle, Director of Juvenile/Youth Programs for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office
     Cass Ottley, Founder/CEO, Seeking Justice CLT
     Robert Dawkins, Political Director for Action NC, Founder/State Organizer SAFE Coalition NC
     Jeffrey Estes, Deputy Chief, Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD
     My Take aways:
    1. Charlotte PD does have the 8 Can’t Wait points included in present policy.  However, activist representatives questioned gaps in how these policies are applied.  Activists questioned how was this reinforced or taught in training? How were consequences enforced in situations where the guidelines/standards of procedure were not followed?  This seems unclear currently
     2. Activists and police have frustration with procedure of working thorough and with City Council versus working directly with each other.
     3. Police Reform is an ongoing process; it never stops as our culture is constantly changing.
     4.  Informal poll during the talk revealed Charlotte residence still feel distrustful and concerned when dealing with police. And many have had bad or unpleasant encounters.
     5. All parties agree that more personal engagement and vestiture of police in the neighborhoods they work will benefit the community.
     Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2pH0-Xvfws

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