 Gail's Corner
On Tuesday, January 20th, we experienced the inauguration of the first African American president of the United States. Regardless of one's political persuasion, it is a monumental accomplishment in the world of race relations. One-hundred and forty-four years after the passage of the XIII Amendment outlawing slavery; forty-five years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act outlawing separate but equal accommodations; forty-one years after outlawing discrimination in housing, we have elected a person of color - a bi-racial man of Caucasian and African parentage - to the highest office in our nation. Our nation deserves the applause it is receiving from around the world. As a nation built on the principal of equality and justice, we have taken a giant step in actualizing our remarkable vision.
But is that it? Is our work accomplished and our tasks completed in this societal dream? Are we now truly a post-racial society, as some are calling us?
The week before Mr. Obama's Inauguration, the Civil Rights Project of UCLA released a report titled: Revising the Goal of an Integrated Society: A 21st Century Challenge. Not only would we be wrong to assume that our nation has created a society where race no longer matters, but in fact the report concludes the opposite: "the U.S. continues to move backward toward increasing minority segregation in highly unequal schools; the job situation remains especially bleak for American blacks, and Latinos have a college completion rate that is shockingly low. At the same time, very little is being done to address large scale challenges such as continuing discrimination in the housing and home finance markets, among other differences across racial lines."
In addition to this sobering national report, Michigan experiences more barriers to achieving the dream and benefits of a racially inclusive region. We are the most racially segregated state in our nation - we have the MOST racially segregated schools and neighborhoods in the entire county; we have the fourth highest minority dropout rate in the country; we experienced the third highest number of reported hate crimes for the past three consecutive years. And we are failing economically.
Numerous studies report that highly diverse, culturally tolerant regions fare much better economically than their segregated counterparts. What else would one expect in a global economy which requires divergent views and varied competencies for creating new innovations?
So what can we do to move our community toward a more inclusive region, one which truly achieves the dream of justice and equality? The greatest tools for moving beyond our unintentional, learned biases and expanding our understanding of people from other racial and ethnic backgrounds are education and interpersonal relationships with others. By addressing both the cognitive (thinking) and affective (feeling) parts of our brain, we ensure the greatest return on our investment of time and energy. We are so lucky there are numerous programs in our community to achieve this new understanding and to make a difference.
Please visit our "What We Do" page to learn more about all the programs we offer. There are also several opportunities on our "Get Involved" page as well as in each of our newsletters. Whether you are interested in learning, sharing, exploring, volunteering, or giving - either long-term or short-term - we will find the right fit for you.
Learn more … join us … give us a call. Help us endeavor to reach that great American dream that we all be judged by the content of our character.
End of Year Letter Update
In late November, the Diversity Alliance sent out its annual year end letter which featured responses to "How has the Diversity Alliance impacted you the most?" [view here]
In the last newsletter, we thanked those who had generously contributed thus far, who helped us reach 66% of our goal.
Now, thanks to those who are still contributing, we have reached 91% of our goal and are hopeful to achieve 100%.
If you have not yet contributed and would like to help us reach 100%, please [click here] to view the various donation methods.
2009 Holland Social Justice Awards
Diversity Alliance Board Member Robyn Afrik was recently awarded the City of Holland's 2009 Social Justice Awarded in the Government/Community Relations category.
Diversity Alliance Board Vice President Nancy Haynes was recently awarded the City of Holland's 2009 Social Justice Award in the Housing category. |
In This Issue:
... Gail's Corner
... End of Year Letter Update: 91% of Our Goal!
... 2009 Social Justice Awards
... Programming Update
... News & Resources
Programming Update
Institute for Healing Racism
The upcoming Institute sponsored by the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance and the Holland Area Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for Thursdays 3:00-5:00pm from February 05 to March 26. Co-facilitation will be provided by Gail Harrison, Executive Director of Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance, and Fred Johnson III, Associate Professor of History, Hope College. Cost is $100; tuition scholarships are available.
To register, contact Patricia Strachan, at the Holland Area Chamber of Commerce (616) 392-2389, ext. 110 [download application]
Migrant Mentoring Program Mentoring a young migrant student has allowed me to see my own community through new eyes—seeing needs I was unaware of and obstacles that I’d never recognized—and provided me a path for making a difference in my own small way in that. Migrant Mentor, 2008
The Migrant Mentoring program has impacted me by demonstrating the importance of building authentic relationships to promote a deeper sense of connection to my community. Migrant Mentor, 2008
Currently Recruiting for 2009 Season! The Migrant Mentoring Program matches children from local migrant camps with community volunteers in a social mentoring relationship. This program is designed to build cultural bridges between the local community and the migrant worker population by developing relationships, while meeting the social and educational needs of the children.
The program goals are to increase the comfort level of migrant children and families in functioning within the local community, to increase access to community resources, to build cultural bridges between the local population and the migrant community, and to assist with the academic achievement of migrant children.
Each volunteer mentor meets with a child to provide social opportunities and academic support once a week for the duration of the migrant workers’ stay (usually late Feb to late Nov). In addition to academic help, children receive support during difficult school transitions and exposure to new experiences that create awareness of community resources and assets for the whole family. Bridges are built and friendships bonded between cultures.
For further information on becoming a mentor or to apply, please contact Program Director Sarah Salguera at program@ethnicdiversity.org or (616) 846-9074.
Calling All Colors
As Calling All Colors moves into the second half of the school year, student groups from ten high schools and twelve middle schools are implementing their action plans to create a greater awareness for diversity in their greater school communities.
Many groups are in the final planning stages and are eagerly working out details. Plans range from hosting an all school assembly with keynote speaker to sponsoring a Unity Week featuring special events each day. Outcomes of these plans will be later presented at the spring conference at Grand Valley State University. Featured School: Wavecrest Career Academy
This Calling All Colors group has shown incredible motivation this year. While schools are encouraged to meet once a week, this group has met regularly twice a week since the beginning of the year. They have shown great creativity and energy in preparing for their school-wide Cultural Fair. To create an even greater impact, the students will also be going door to door to invite people from the surrounding residential community.The fair will feature food samples and presentations on different cultures that the students researched. One of the topics is inventions from different countries, for example: color television was invented in Mexico and apple pie originates from Canada. The students were surprised to find many things part of their life in the United States originated from other countries. This experience has given them a new insight on how creativity and ingenuity of people from other countries has a direct impact on how they experience their own lives.
Beginner's Spanish Class The Beginner's Conversational Spanish class kicked off on January 20 with a full class of twenty students excited to gain new Spanish language skills. The class began with basics including correct pronunciation, nouns and adjectives. The interactive class uses a variety of activities to help students practice and solidify understandings.
If you are interested in the class and would like to be notified of future courses, please contact Sarah Salguera at (616) 846-9074 or program@ethnicdiversity.org
Rachael DeWitt wanted to build cross-cultural relationships and get involved in the community.
She decided the best way to do this was to become a mentor. Three years ago she joined the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance’s migrant mentor program.
[read full article]
Featured Report: "School Resegregation and Civil Rights Challenges for the Obama Administration" (Civil Rights Project)
Unimaginable a half century ago, the election of Barack Obama is a breakthrough and triumph of the long movement for racial justice. But the newest report in a series of CRP annual reports on desegregation trends, Reviving the Goal of an Integrated Society: A 21st Century Challenge, points out that it would be wrong to assume that our nation has realized Dr. King's dream and created a society where race no longer matters. In fact, the report concludes the opposite. The U.S. continues to move backward toward increasing minority segregation in highly unequal schools.
[read full report] |
