Item C: City Council Priority Issue - Communities of Color Meeting Debrief

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Councilor Papé asked the woman if the landlord was helpful in this situation, and she said somewhat. She said survival skills are necessary to know what the confederate flag means and it’s important to keep up on these things. Another said her girls know all these symbols and what they mean. Another said she fired a person who called her a nigger woman, and the person went after her for unemployment benefits. The person won the case to receive benefits at first, but she then solicited assistance from the NAACP, and the ruling was reversed. Another said that change won’t happen until these issues become as important to white people as people of color. If white people don’t do something, the system stays the same. It is important for all people, including well-intended white people, to understand they are part of the problem. She says that because she is not targeted, she has to constantly remind herself that she will benefit from improved race relations as well. Often white people believe that if they don’t discriminate, these issues are isolated. Another spoke of race relations activist, Tim Wise and his explanation of assumed privilege. Another said that white people fear that if they speak up, they are race traders, and/or bleeding hearts. Another said the problem is that there aren’t more white people in this room listening. She is personally contributing by allowing some tenants of color to live rent free. She said white rednecks criticize this. Another said not all white people are rednecks. Another said that her neighbors were rednecks. She asked how we reach the community. Another suggested putting on institutional white privilege trainings. After a process check in as to whether the group was following the agenda, to which the facilitator answered that this is all part of the agenda, one person suggested the group concentrate on what the City Council can do. She said that the historical perspective is circular, and we’ve been here before. The historical perspective goes away and we have the same conversation over and over. We need to leave a legacy of memory. The process is slow and painful and there is ruptured trust. She challenges the City council to develop institutional memory and that there be minimum requirements for people doing business with the city. Councilor Papé said he was speaking only for himself and he believes this is an opportunity for the city organization to make sure there are no vile discriminatory acts by employees and be proactive about diversity. He thinks the city is doing okay with this, but he realizes he is seeing this through white eyes and Councilor Ortiz sees this differently. He spoke of an active diversity hiring policy that is a model to other organizations. He said he has trouble knowing how to get local businesses to change. Communities of Color 22 July 12, 2006