A frustrated student, a question suffused with anguish: “What are you trying to do to me, anyway?” - My head and heart were engaged one more time with a young white male struggling with his growing awareness of racism. Read on…
Over the years there have been attempts to get athletic teams to change names which are often offensive to Native Americans. That movement has gained new momentum in the last year, responsive to the advent of the tomahawk chop, the appearance of fans in fake Indian headdress, painted faces and behavior which mimics stereotypes of native people. Read on…
Many places I turn today I see, hear, and read about an emphasis on multicultural studies, intercultural relationships, and managing diversity. Both my head and my files bulge with the concepts those words represent. Most of what I have heard about, read, and seen has been good; I applaud those who engage multicultural and diversity issues as major foci for the emerging century.
BUT …multicultural/diversity emphases are not enough! Read on…
[Editor's Note: This is from a series of articles written for PACE, a journal for Roman Catholic educators. The third article in the series is specific to the Roman Catholic Church and, therefore, is not included here.]
What Needs to be Changed?
As was pointed out in the November PACE, racism is not a high-priority issue among white people generally-even among PACE subscribers. Read on…
Blatant racism continues to grow in strength during this twentieth century Post-Reconstruction period. The KKK conducts training for a race war, unhindered by our government. Four hundred whites in Philadelphia chant “We want them out,” when they see blacks moving into “their” neighborhood. Read on…
[Editor's note: In 1970, the YWCA of the USA adopted as its "One Imperative" the elimination of racism "wherever it exists" and "by any means necessary." Community Change was present when the Imperative was adopted and later trained national staff and board members. Each local YWCA was charged with implementing the Imperative in its work. To some individuals, however, the phrase "by any means necessary" seemed to go too far. Did the YWCA leadership really mean that members should participate in any activity opposed to racism-including violence? The following essay is a response to those concerns.] Read on…
Recently, I have noted two dreadful diseases which have attacked with devastating regularity a number of people who have said they want to work toward the elimination of racism from themselves, their institutions, and society. Read on…