Take the time to read this excellent piece by the Rev'd Heather Kirk-Davidoff on what makes and keeps integration happening in a community. She describes this week's talks by Rob Breymaier of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, and contrasts that with her own experiences as a resident of Columbia.
This sentence really made me think:
White people need to talk to other white people about why integration is a community value, and talk about why segregation violates that value.
It reminded me of a comment that was made at the AACR "Tipping Point" Conversation about Race held at HCC in August. One woman said, and I'm paraphrasing here, that perception of this issue was so different between blacks and whites because:
Black people have to deal with white people all the time, but it's possible in our culture for white people to be almost completely separate from blacks.
That's segregation. It colors the decisions we make.
As we ponder what Columbia is at 50, this one issue deserves a lot of thought. And some intentional action.
This sentence really made me think:
White people need to talk to other white people about why integration is a community value, and talk about why segregation violates that value.
It reminded me of a comment that was made at the AACR "Tipping Point" Conversation about Race held at HCC in August. One woman said, and I'm paraphrasing here, that perception of this issue was so different between blacks and whites because:
Black people have to deal with white people all the time, but it's possible in our culture for white people to be almost completely separate from blacks.
That's segregation. It colors the decisions we make.
As we ponder what Columbia is at 50, this one issue deserves a lot of thought. And some intentional action.
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