Recap of Part Two of “Eyes Wide Open,” a Dialogue Series on Racism
On Monday evening, HQB hosted the second part of Eyes Wide Open, a four part series on “racism, discrimination, prejudice and meeting the other” organized by the Saint Paul Interfaith Network (SPIN). As with the first part of the dialogue series, I was in attendance, frantically scribbling down notes and snapping photos for this blog post.
Following a greeting by HQB Executive Director Jonathan Palmer, Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs, a SPIN organizer, commented on the evening’s theme of “Invisible Wounds: Experiencing Everyday Dehumanization” by reminding us that October 10th is Columbus Day. Jacobs, an American Indian man, pointed out the white bias involved in a holiday that celebrates the “discovery” of America. In order to forgive and forget, Jacobs said he would need to see historical injustices against Native peoples acknowledged and addressed. Instead, the Dakota prairies still bear the imprint of wagon wheels from white settlers: “The land itself has not forgotten and if the land hasn’t forgotten then we who are created from it cannot forget,” Jacobs said.
Next, Rabbi Amy Eilberg, the event moderator, introduced herself and asked the panelists to discuss an aspect of systemic racism they would like the audience to better understand. Prof. Mahmoud El-Kati of Macalester College characterized race as a “modern myth. Contrary the popular caricature of the racist as “Bubba,” the beer guzzling-pickup driving-gun toting Southerner, the true racist tends to be a “man of ideas” capable of producing 500 page tracts on race. Bubba, El-Kati explained, “is a creation of white supremacy, not the source of it.” The second panelist, Jennifer Godinez of the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, discussed racial inequality in the public school system, stressing the importance of dismantling the myth that minority students “don’t care” about education. Finally, civil rights activist Lequetta Diggs contrasted the more overt racism of the slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation eras with contemporary racism — which she described as “vague,” “difficult to see,” “almost impossible to prove,” and “easy to deny.”
After having each of the panelists expand upon their responses to her first question, Eilberg posed another: “how do we confront denial?” Diggs, a former mental health professional, said that the first step is to acknowledge that we have a problem with racial disparities in such areas as homeownership, poverty, and education. El-Kati stressed the pervasiveness of racism, calling it “more basic [to America] than apple pie, baseball, or whatever you can name” and reminding the audience that even Thomas Jefferson held slaves and embraced racist ideology. El-Kati’s sharp words were tempered by his insistence that he wasn’t accusing anyone in particular of being a racist. In his words, racism is, rather, a “public evil that causes private pain.”
Eilberg’s had the panelists conclude by describe their hopes that at least some individuals of color will be able to “maintain their human dignity despite the system working against them.” Godinez spoke of her hopes for transforming the educational system, while Diggs contrasted a question her granddaughter asked her – “were you a descendent of slaves?” – with the question she hopes will someday be asked of her granddaughter – “what was it like to live when black people didn’t have equality with whites?” El-Kati stated his view that the future depends on to “what degree we liberate ourselves from a vocabulary” that cannot adequately describe reality. Black and white are mere social constructs used to advance the doctrine of white supremacy, El-Kati said, and it is up to us to choose between “genuflecting” to that doctrine and “resisting” it.
As the above summary indicates, the panelists did not shy away from strong language like “white supremacy” and “systemic racism.” While this language was, in one sense, challenging for the audience — especially for those of us who have had the good fortune not to be on its receiving end of racism — in another sense it was refreshing to see complacent attitudes called out and critiqued. Moreover, even as the panelists opened our eyes to the “invisible wounds” inflicted by contemporary racism, they sounded notes of hope and optimism, which was also refreshing. None of the panelists seemed to think that this dragon cannot be slain, provided that people of good will (of whatever color) are willing to go to battle. The subtle but consistent optimism of the panel was reflected in the lyrics of a slave song performed by the Minnesota Gospel Music Workshop’s performance at the close of the evening:
Hold on just a little while longer
Hold on just a little while longer
Hold on just a little while longer
Everything will be all right.
What I Saw at OccupyMN
By now, most Americans have heard of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Most Americans know that the protests have something to do with rising income inequality and the growing concern over corporate influence on our politics. Beyond that, however, questions linger – questions like “who are these folks?” and “what, exactly, is it that they want?”
Last weekend, I decided to investigate these questions for myself at the Government Plaza in Minneapolis, where an ongoing event is being held in solidarity with OWS. When I stepped off the light rail late Friday afternoon, I was greeted by a large sign that read “Welcome to the People’s Plaza.” Around the sign, a crowd of mostly young people gathered, some beating hand drums and others chanting familiar slogans like “we are the 99%” and “this is what democracy looks like.” Another group of protestors stood along 3rd Avenue holding signs and cheering as cars honked and bicyclists rang their bells.
Thirty or so minutes later, I noticed that a large rally had begun on the plaza. An American Indian man recounted the various injustices committed against his people by the US government. Particularly striking were the statistics he gave that 80% of American Indians are currently unemployed and that “we have been living in a recession for 200 years.” He was followed by two women from the Minnesota Nurses Association, who explained that they were taking to the streets because “it’s always worked for us,” adding that “people think solidarity is just a union word . . . but it’s all of us together.” An organizer outlined several goals for the movement, including ending all of the following: corporate personhood, the Federal Reserve, free trade, and fossil fuel and nuclear dependency. The protestors are nothing if not ambitious!
One of the more common criticisms of OWS is that it lacks focus and a cohesive message. As I listened to these speeches, I began to wonder about this myself. What did it all amount to? Talking to demonstrators did little to address my question. One demonstrator told me he wanted OWS to be a left-wing movement, and said he wished the Ron Paul supporters (of which there were many) would go home. Another, who held a sign that read “keep high tech and creative jobs in the United States,” said he had been responsible for outsourcing at a large firm, only to have his own job outsourced. For him, free trade was the issue. And then there were the anti-Federal Reserve libertarians.
A bit of online research helped clear the air. In an interview with Utne Reader, event organizer April Lukes-Streich explains why the movement’s aims have remained open ended:
…because we wish to give voice to the 99 percent of Americans who do not currently have a meaningful voice in politics and economics in America, we are unable to present a list of cohesive demands in the way that many people seem to think we should. Ordinary people of all political persuasions are part of the 99 percent; what we want is not to all agree on policy or legislative issues, but to bring voice to the people to engage in meaningful, constructive debate about these issues without moneyed interests influencing the process and manipulating ordinary citizens.
This, of course, raises the question as to whether the protestors do in fact represent the 99%, or if (as their critics would contend) they amount to little more than a motley band of left-wingers. After perusing the OWS Tumbler page in which ordinary Americans share their stories of economic woe, Ezra Klein reaches the following conclusion:
. . . what gives their movement the potential for power and potency is the masses who just want the system to work the way they were promised it would work. It’s not that 99 percent of Americans are really struggling. It’s not that 99 percent of Americans want a revolution. It’s that 99 percent of Americans sense that the fundamental bargain of our economy — work hard, play by the rules, get ahead — has been broken, and they want to see it restored.
This is consistent with what I observed. Many of the young people at the Government Plaza spoke of student loan debt and shrinking job prospects. A middle aged woman lamented that this is the first generation that will not do as well as its parents.
At the same time, there is a utopian streak to the movement that is difficult to ignore. Before leaving on Friday, I attended the General Assembly meeting at an adjacent park, where demonstrators gathered to collectively make decisions regarding finances, events, public safety, media outreach and other matters. At one point, when a facilitator explained that only selected committee members had the authority to spend money, a young man stood up and protested that this was an “authoritarian” measure. Because the GA is supposed to be a “horizontal system” in which “all share the power” the man’s comment led to a lengthy, but probably unnecessary digression.
So it would appear that Ezra Klein is mostly right: 99
% of the 99% taking to the streets are doing so because they want to see the fundamental bargain of our economy restored. Yet the past thirty years have taught us just how much power 1% of any given population can have, and it would be a shame to see legitimate grievances sacrificed at the altar of utopian fantasies.
One final observation. As many within the African American community are painfully aware, this recession has hit people of color particularly hard. According to CNN Money, “black unemployment surged to 16.7% in August, its highest level since 1984, while the unemployment rate for whites fell slightly to 8%.” One would expect these numbers to be reflected in the OccupyMN demographics, but my overall sense was that people of color were somewhat underrepresented. Further outreach and greater inclusivity are clearly needed if the movement is to acheive its desired “99%” status.
For more on OWS, check out this helpful primer from Ezra Klein. For details on OccupyMN and its activities, visit their website.
Last night, HQB hosted the opening session of Eyes Wide Open, a four part dialogue series on “racism, prejudice, discrimination, and meeting the other” organized by St. Paul Interfaith Network. While the session covered far more ground than I could possibly convey here, I would like to share a few highlights from this eye opening and at times provocative dialogue.
Following a welcome by event organizer Joan Haan and HQB’s own Linda White, four panelists representing a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds responded to questions posed by the event moderator. Each of the questions in some way reflected the session’s theme of “Becoming Personal: Sharing Our Pain.”
In response to the first question — “where have you encountered racism?” — Rev. Shawn Moore, Sr. Pastor of St. Paul Mosaic Church in the old Rondo neighborhood, described racism as a pervasive problem in our society, making it hard to pinpoint. Moore was followed by Rev. Bea Vue-Benson, a Lutheran Minister and Marriage and Family Therapist. Vue-Benson discussed ongoing disapproval for interracial marriage (she is a Hmong woman who married a white man) as well a former parking ban at the Hmong festival in St. Paul. Vue-Benson characterized racism as a “lack of curiosity and respect for the other” and acknowledged that she has herself been guilty of this at times. Native issues consultant David Cournoyer described the continuity of racism over time, while Muslim Men’s Circle leader Damon Drake drew our attention to the staggering rates of homelessness, hunger, and unemployment for African Americans. In addition, Drake urged us to listen to those directly impacted by racism, rather than relying solely on credentialed experts for information.
The moderator then asked panelists to comment on the role their faith tradition has played in their thinking on race. Drake discussed the Quran’s emphasis on standing up for justice, while Cournoyer reminded us of the painful legacy of the initial encounter between European religion and American Indians, adding that many in his community are now “finding comfort in traditional spiritual beliefs” about the interrelatedness of all life. Next the panel’s two Christian ministers weighed in, with Vue-Benson citing as inspiration the Christian teaching that “all of us are respected and loved by our creator” and Moore pointing out the limitations of traditional theology. Seconding Cournoyer, Moore insisted that “there has to be something wrong with a religion that subjects and enslaves people,” but nevertheless pointed out the potential of Christianity to foster liberation and reconciliation.
The final question had to do with the role of forgiving and forgetting in dealing with discrimination. Drake said that we must not forget about slavery if we are to rectify its injustices, adding that racism today doesn’t need to be forgiven so much as acknowledged: if most people acknowledge institutionalized racism, few are willing to identify specific individuals as racist or call out specific acts of racism. Cournoyer and Vue-Benson echoed Drake, with Vue-Benson stressing the importance of acknowledging the effects of racism, and Cournoyer pointing out that racism against American Indians is not generally acknowledged. Moore described forgiveness not as a mere “turning the other cheek,” but as an active struggle for social transformation.
One of the main things I learned from the panelists is that racism is a highly complex issue, taking different forms in different contexts, and experienced by different people in different ways. It is also an issue that is often “difficult, painful, and uncomfortable” to talk about, as the moderator pointed out. Yet it is precisely for this reason that dialogue is so important — not just for panelists, but for each one of us. It is for this reason that the small group conversations in the second half of the evening were so valuable. As Drake pointed out, it isn’t enough to sit and listen to a panel of experts; we must listen to each other. And, perhaps most importantly, we must be honest with ourselves about our own shortcomings if we are to help create lasting change.
The next session will meet at HQB on October 10th at 7 pm. Details here.
Family Fun Day Photo Recap
A great time was had by all at Family Fun Day last Saturday! We had plenty of food and games for kids, including a scavenger hunt, jumpcastle, cakewalk, and facepainting. And for their parents, we had nonprofit resource tables and a rummage sale.
Here are a few pics of the event.
Toure Asks “Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness?” in a Provocative New Book
For generations of African Americans, the struggle for civil rights and economic opportunity created a sense of common purpose — of what it meant to be black. In recent decades, however, blackness has become a much more fluid concept. That, at least, is what Toure contends in his new book, Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness?
While I haven’t read the book personally, it definitely looks worth checking out, judging from the favorable reviews. A New York Times critic writes:
For all its occasional contradictions (why the put-down of the comedian Byron Allen for his Middle American cultural fluency?) and omissions (there is no consideration of the ways immigrant blacks and mixed-race people are contributing to post-black heterogeneity), this is one of the most acutely observed accounts of what it is like to be young, black and middle-class in contemporary America. Touré inventively draws on a range of evidence — autobiography, music, art, interviews, comedy and popular social analysis — for a performance carried through with unsparing honesty, in a distinctive voice that is often humorous, occasionally wary and defensive, but always intensely engaging.
A similarly positive review in Insight News concludes:
The diversity of insights and opinions and shared in this enlightening treatise leaves no doubt that, while a monolithic Black mindset might have served a very valuable purpose from the slave days right up through the triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement, there are now as many different ways to be Black as there are African-Americans. And if that’s the definition of post-Black, there’s obviously nothing to fear about it, so it’s time to blend inside the proverbial melting pot simply as unhyphenated Americans.
Has anyone read Toure’s book? What did you think?
Update on Fall Cooking Classes
Join us from 10-11:30 am on October 6th and 20th for free cooking classes! The classes will be taught by Simply Good Eating and will be held at the Food Shelf (100 North Oxford Street) from 10-11:30 am. Whole Foods has generously agreed to donate recipes for each class.
Here are the details:
October 6: Fats. We will talk about the different fats (saturated and unsaturated) and do a hands-on activity measuring the fat in different fast foods. We will also discuss how fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories affect our body’s health. The recipe for this class is Chard with Bacon and Apple. Click here for the complete Whole Foods recipe.
October 20: Dairy and Protein Groups. We will discuss why our bodies need calcium — it is not just for our bones and teeth — and also cover osteoporosis. For the protein group, we will cover how our body uses the protein in the foods we eat and how iron helps carry oxygen to our brain and affects our daily life. The recipe for this class is One Pot Chili Casserole. Click here for the complete Whole Foods recipe.
To register, call 651-251-9015 or visit us in person.
Protecting Government Services Essential to Poverty Reduction
A Census Bureau report released today has confirmed what many of us already suspected: poverty is skyrocketing in the United States. 15 percent of Americans are living below the poverty line. To put that number into perspective, 15 percent amounts to 46.2 million people, the “highest number in the 52 years the Census Bureau has been tracking it,” according to a Census Bureau staff person quoted in the New York Times.
Other indicators point to the same overall trend. Median household income is down, especially for those at the bottom of the income ladder. Inequality is up, with the gap between the 10th and 90th income percentile now the highest on record. Nearly one in six Americans lacks health insurance.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities president Robert Greenstein helpfully reminds us that, dismal as these numbers are, “level of hardship would have been much worse if not for key federal programs such as unemployment insurance, the Earned Income Tax Credit, food stamps, and Medicaid.”
As the debate in Washington over deficit reduction intensifies, Greenstein stresses the importance of protecting programs such as these. Don’t be fooled by politicians who insist that slashing programs that help the poor is the only way to get our fiscal house in order. The truth is that, while such cuts are indeed one means of reducing the deficit, there are by no means the only effective means. Greenstein explains:
Policymakers can choose a different path, as the three major federal deficit-reduction packages of the last two decades — those in 1990, 1993, and 1997 — demonstrate. Those measures reduced poverty and inequality even as they shrank deficits substantially, as a result of increases in the EITC (in the 1990 and 1993 packages) and food stamps (in the 1993 package), the creation of CHIP (in the 1997 package), and the protection of low-income assistance generally. The United States already has higher degrees of poverty and inequality than most other Western industrialized nations. Deficit reduction need not make these problems more severe.
The complete statement from Greenstein is available here.
The Good and Bad News About Hunger in Minnesota
I’ll start with the bad news: a USDA Report recently found that one in ten Minnesota households struggle with hunger.
The good news is that the availability of food shelves and food support to people in need has helped keep our numbers below the national average. Hunger Solutions Executive Director Colleen Moriarity explains that:
“In Minnesota the fact that we’ve been able to do outreach, and that we’ve been able to get more people into the food shelves — more seniors, more families — more people enrolled in school lunch, that all helps to maintain a level of security . . . If that infrastructure wasn’t there, we would be in much worse shape than we are now.”
She said food stamps, known as Food Support in Minnesota, have been especially important. More than 500,000 Minnesotans are now on food stamps.
More bad news:
“Until the economy improves, until we see the increase in availability of funds to be able to raise the level of social security, or people are employed at a living wage, we will continue to see this need,” [Moriarty] said.
For now, Moriarty is concerned about whether food shelves can continue at this pace and wonders what will happen if the federal government cuts back on programs that currently address hunger.
At HQB, we have nearly doubled the number of clients served since 2010. The good news is that we have stepped up our fundraising efforts. In July alone, we raised nearly $7,500, enough to fully stock two shelves. Even better news: you can help support our work with a simple click of the mouse!
Reflections on MLK’s Relevance Today
Over at Insight News, AARP CEO A. Barry Rand and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation use the opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial as an opportunity to reflect upon King’s relevance today.
Rand reminds us that the path to justice requires “not only overcoming prejudice but also overcoming poverty.” According to Rand, this is especially true for African-American seniors:
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies has found that for two in five households of retired African-Americans 65 and older who receive Social Security retirement benefits, these monthly checks are the sole source of income.
This sharp drop in assets and continued heavy reliance on Social Security shows how critical it is to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare.
As AARP gears up for the next round of this battle in Washington, we’re reminded of something else that Dr. King said, “Change does not come on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”
That was true in the days of segregation. It was true in the fight for voting rights. It is just as true today when it comes to health care and retirement security and, indeed, all the efforts to assist those who are vulnerable.
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation reminds us that King’s dream has yet to be fully realized by African-Americans, who continue to be disproportionately impacted by poverty and unemployment. Committed to King’s principles, CBCF is devoted to “developing leaders, informing policy and educating the public”:
Our goal is to continue to carry his message and the torch to increase the presence of African Americans on Capitol Hill, in corporate boardrooms and in nonprofit and grassroots organizations alike and to end national and global disparities in employment, health and in other areas.
Committed to developing tomorrow’s leaders, we will honor Dr. King’s legacy by “continuing to march” under the banner iLead|iServe at this year’s Annual Legislative Conference and challenge Americans to join in our work to lead and serve in their homes, communities and on a national level.
For further reflection on King’s Legacy, check out this interview with Martin Luther King III (King’s son).
Got Wheels?
Since mid-June, HQB Food Shelf has received nearly 3,000 lbs. of fresh, local produce from Minnesota farmers!
While a few of our partners deliver directly to our doorstep, others do not. We are currently looking for volunteer drivers to assist with deliveries from drop off locations around the Twin Cities. We have opportunities available throughout the week. Our greatest need, however, is for drivers to collect farmer’s market donations on Wednesday mornings, Friday afternoons, and every other Saturday.
For details about driving opportunities, call Hannah at 651-224-4601. To learn more about our local foods drive, click here and here.
