Initiatives of Change - The conversation that is already happening by Robert Corcoran, United States

It was inevitable that sooner or later race would insert itself into the presidential campaign. My friend Mike McQuillan, a veteran community organizer, former Senate adviser and founding member of the Hope in the Cities network, likens it to an old coffee pot that keeps percolating. Every few years something happens that brings the vexed issue bubbling to the surface, says McQuillan who lives in Brooklyn.

The chattering classes pounced on Barack Obama’s speech in Philadelphia as yet another call for a 'national conversation on race'. Many pointed to earlier unproductive attempts, such as Bill Clinton’s 1998 initiative. But many Americans, regardless of political affiliation, were moved by Obama’s vision and his sensitive analysis. He turned a moment that threatened to derail his campaign into a teachable moment for the country.

Obama accurately stated the causes of black anger and white resentment with empathy for both. He called for personal responsibility as well as policies that are fair for all. The product of a blended family, he is America’s most prominent example of the new nation that is emerging. America’s story is complex and interwoven. It defies easy stereotyping. By honoring each other’s sacred stories – learning to walk a mile in each other’s moccasins – we can heal the wounds of this country and forge something of incalculable value for a world torn by conflicts rooted in historical grievance and competing identities.

The heat of a political campaign is unlikely to provide hospitable space for truly forthright dialogue on race relations. But whether or not Obama succeeds in his bid for the White House, Americans of all backgrounds should seize this window of opportunity to reach out rather than 'retreat into our separate corners'.

'The American model is that change emanates from the bottom,' says McQuillan. He points to important progress in recent years. 'Conversation is already underway; we know what we need to do and how to do it. Ordinary people are coming together to do extraordinary things.'

McQuillan is referring to the hundred of local initiatives in communities across the US where diverse groups of citizens have taken the initiative to bridge traditional boundaries of race, class and culture. Indeed, over the past two decades much has been occurring under the radar screen. Largely ignored by the media and grossly under-funded, in towns and cities across the nation thousands of citizens have engaged in dialogue and collaborative problem solving. Organizations like Everyday Democracy (formerly Study Circles Resource Center ) and Hope in the Cities are facilitating this grassroots movement. McQuillan himself played a key role in establishing the Crown Heights Coalition in Brooklyn after confrontations between Hassidic Jews and blacks in 1991. He highlights two critical components for creating space for real dialogue:
1) Don’t point the finger of blame but extend a hand of friendship.
2) Insist on bringing everyone to the table, even those with whom we most disagree.

By approaching people as potential allies rather than branding them as enemies we can focus on solving problems instead of continuing to glare at each other from our self-righteous and isolated positions. These principles were expressed in A Call to Community, first launched by Hope in the Cities and its allies in 1996 and endorsed by a bi-partisan leadership group, representatives of major religious organizations, local elected officials, and national organizations involved in race relations and community building.

For those who claim dialogue is 'just talk', consider the case of Richmond, Virginia, a city paralyzed by racial division just 20 years ago. Dialogue laid the groundwork for a Civil War center that tells the story from the perspective of Unionists and Confederates as well as African Americans – a first in the nation. Last year 5,000 people celebrated the unveiling of a reconciliation statue in the heart of the financial district as a step in healing the memory of the transatlantic slave trade. Trust built through honest conversation enabled a woman from a privileged background to work with community leaders to create Boaz and Ruth which is rebuilding lives and neighborhoods by offering business skills to ex-felons. A newspaper notorious for supporting massive resistance to integration now hosts regular 'public square' meetings for citizens to voice their views on key issues. A senior corporate leader says he is committed to making Richmond 'a place where the economic wealth is shared proportionally by the diversity of the community.' Conservatives and liberals are learning to work together to build a just and inclusive community.

A Call to Community challenges people of all backgrounds to hold themselves, their communities and institutions accountable in areas where change is needed. What would this mean?

A good starting place might be an acknowledgment by white Americans that the historical record provides little reason for black communities to trust the motives of white leaders. They might say, 'It is true that in many communities we resisted integration for as long as possible, and when it was finally mandated we abandoned the system and placed our children in suburban or private schools. We constructed highways that tore the heart out of the established African American neighborhoods. We contributed to the concentration of poverty by concentrating public housing in specific inner city neighborhoods and refused them in the suburbs. We participated in the disinvestment of the city.'

It would be best if some senior white leaders were to say these things, but if they do not then enough ordinary citizens must say them.

How might the members of the African American community begin the conversation? They might say, 'For too long we have nursed historical grievances, played the racial guilt card, and been reluctant to acknowledge progress made. We have often blamed others while neglecting to care for our own communities and abandoning our young people to drugs and violence. We have allowed some of our leaders to put political power and patronage above the health of the community.'

It would be best if African American leaders would say these things, but if they will not then enough ordinary people must say them.

Both black and white could say, 'We have remained silent when we should have spoken out. We have been resistant to change.'

These would be difficult, courageous things to say. But a frank acknowledgment of the underlying sources of distrust might encourage the process of truly honest conversation.

Download A Call to Community