Detroit Let’s Talk About Race

Let’s Talk About Race . . .

It started as an invitation to join the conversation.  We asked you to talk about race . . . and you did, the good, the bad and the ugly. It was an effort to bridge the divide by sharing our experiences and framing the conversation to include (1) acknowledgement of the past and pain of racial discrimination which still persist in this country (2) confronting individual biases which contribute to prejudices and permit discrimination to continue and (3) talking to one another respectfully and candidly about race no matter how uncomfortable the conversation.

The conversation remains vital, but it is important to move from conversation to action in effecting positive changes.  We are seeing on a national scale, just how devastating and lethal systemic racism and discrimination are to the Black community; higher rates of death from Covid-19, higher mortality rates during police interactions, higher unemployment rates, and the list is endless.  Let’s advance the conversation by transformative action; engaging one another, organizing when necessary, and influencing policy making. 

It won’t be easy, but there is growing momentum for reform.  Now is the right time to stand united in resolving the racial inequities and disparities which plague our communities across the country.  You can be part of the solution by letting your actions speak in ways which improve the quality of life for everyone.  Today, I commit to:

1. Complete and submit a census form and encourage others to do the same. Being counted brings additional money to my community for much needed resources and services.
2. Vote and encourage others to vote.  Register to vote if you haven’t already.  Never underestimate the power of your vote in determining the leaders and direction of this country locally, statewide and nationally.  
3. Volunteer, donate money and resources to addressing the problem of racial disparities in its many forms:  housing, healthcare, food insecurity, employment, education, policing.  You decide and help make a difference.  

RECOMMENDED READINGS

• Crusader for Justice by Peter J. Hammer and Trevor W. Coleman
• Racing to Justice by John A. Powell
• "And don't call me a racist!" by Ella Mazel
• Sundown Towns by James W. Loewen
• Racism without racists by Eduardo Bonilla Silva
• Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum
• The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
• How to be an AntiRacist by Ibram X. Kendi
• White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
• The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander