At times I ask myself: Why would I be attempting to convey the experience of many Black people when there are so many visceral testimonies already in existence? I imagine others have had the same question about these posts!
So I offer you two examples, and encourage you to take the time to watch, reflect, learn and act:
“How to Deconstruct Racism One Headline at a Time” – 16-minute TED talk.
“Message from Black America” 5-minute lesson by BK Irons.
(Note: both titles are available on Youtube in case this link doesn’t work for you.)
For your reflection:
- How did you respond to each of these accounts?
- What most surprised you in these testimonies?
- What differences did you notice in your response between the two? And to what do you attribute that difference?
- How do these inform your own involvement in a racist society? What changes do they evoke in you – toward action, toward changes in your own complicity?
And please “Leave a Reply” below with what you’ve uncovered.
Resources:
“Let’s Get to the Root of Racial Injustice” – 19-minute TED talk.
“Black Self/White World” 9-minute TED talk.
Baratunde.com: website mentioned in first video, including Living While Black references
Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon.
When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander.
Action:
Racial Equity Advocacy Leadership (REAL) Team meeting, Monday October 21, 6:00 – 8:00. Open to the public. Rochester City School District, 131 W. Broad St..
On Wednesday October 23, 7:00 p.m. a lecture on the impact of police violence in the Black communities of Chicago: “Black Cargo: An Ethnographic exploration of linked fate”. Details: 3229_2019MorganLecturePoster_v4(1).
Upcoming workshops – See details at: National Coalition Building Institute.
- Wednesday November 6, 9:00am – 4:00pm: Privilege
- Tuesday November 19, 9:00am – Noon: Controversial Issues
- Friday December 6, 9:00am – 4:00pm: Welcoming Diversity
United Christian Leadership Ministries and the Grater Rochester Police Community Partnership will host a Police Summit on November 9, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.: “Exploring NYS Diversion Programs and how they impact communities of color – arrests and mass incarceration.” Details: Forum Flyer November 9 2019 updated 10 3.
On Monday November 18, Ibram X. Kendi, author of the best-seller Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America will present on his new book: How to be an Anti-Racist. Details here.
On Thursday November 21: “Why Do We Hate: A Community Conversation” Sponsored by the Levine Center to End Hate. Lyric Theatre. Details here.
Assumption Parish in Fairport is conducting a series focused on the US Catholic Bishops’ Letter on Racism, six Wednesdays beginning October 2. Details: COTA Program and COTA, COTA, COR Racism Program — Speaker Bios.
Check out the array of events including workshops offered by 540WMain.
Frank Staropoli 