January 2013

Colorblind: How Not Seeing “Color” Actually Hinders Justice and Equality

Tuesday, January 22, 6:00–9:00 PM
Sunward Cohousing Community Common House
424 Little Lake Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48103

AND / OR (same agenda at each meeting)

Wednesday, January 23, 11:00 AM–2:00 PM
Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center (on the Sheriff’s Department Campus)
4135 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48108

We often hear people adopt an approach of “colorblindness” and try to minimize or ignore “racial” differences. “I don’t even see color. We’re all just human and I treat everybody the same.” This month, we’ll explore this approach of ignoring race. Is it possible to truly be “colorblind?” How has this played out historically in the U.S., and how does “colorblindness” currently affect systems of education, employment, and criminal justice? Could it possibly do more harm than good?

We invite community members to share their thoughts through a facilitated conversation. Please bring teens, a friend, your voice, and an open mind.

Refreshments will be served. RSVPs are not required, but appreciated for planning appropriately. RSVP to sablanks@umich.edu.

Race and Health

Tuesday, February 19, 6:00-9:00 PM

Washtenaw County Public Health Department, Room 1120, 555 Towner, Ypsilanti, MI

Why are there racial differences in health? There’s more to our well-being than genes, personal choices and medical care. Racism and social inequity can get under our skin and disrupt our biology as surely as germs and viruses. Join us for a facilitated conversation
on the connections between racism and health. Share your thoughts and learn from others. Bring an open mind and a friend!

This event is part of the Understanding Race Project and co-sponsored by the Washtenaw County Public Health Department and the U-M National Center for Institutional Diversity.  It is free and open to the public.

Dinner will be served. RSVPs are not required, but appreciated for planning appropriately. RSVP to sablanks@umich.edu.

Biases: Conscious and Unconscious

Tuesday, March 19, 6:00-9:00 PM

Eastern Michigan University Student Center - Room 352

AND/OR (same agenda at each meeting)

Wednesday, March 20, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Eastern Michigan University Student Center - Room 352

Each of us has lived lives rich with experiences which shape how we view the world and the people in it.  Some of our beliefs are conscious, and others are unconscious.  Some are "nice," others are not so "nice."  How do individual biases intersect with racism systematically?  Join us for an opportunity of deep introspection and community building.  Bring an open mind, a friend, and your voice!

This event is co-sponsored by the Eastern Michigan University Office of Urban, Community, and International Outreach and the U-M National Center for Institutional Diversity.  It is free and open to the public.

Refreshments will be served.  RSVPs are not required but are appreciated so we can plan appropriately.  RSVP to sablanks@umich.edu.

Community Conversation: Immigration

Friday, April 5, 2013

6:00 - 9:00 PM

Location: Peace Neighborhood Center, 1111 North Maple Rd., Ann Arbor

With immigration reform policies rising to the top of the national political agenda, this conversation sponsored by the Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights provides the larger community the opportunity for inter-group dialog with our immigrant community members who have been the targets of increased immigration enforcement in the Washtenaw County area.  The intersecting identities of race, national origin, immigration status, and language, as well as, social justice issues involving the criminalization of immigrant communities and the separation of families will be explored.  Come out to participate in enlightening conversation.

Community Conversations provide a safe place to talk about race with friends, neighbors, and new acquaintances. Our goal is to bring members of the community together to exchange information, share experiences, honestly express perspectives, clarify viewpoints, build community, and provide a space for racial healing and creation of equality.

We invite community members to share their thoughts through a facilitated conversation. Please bring teens, a friend, your voice, and an open mind.

Refreshments will be served. RSVPs are not required, but appreciated for planning appropriately. RSVP to sablanks@umich.edu.

May Community Conversation

Interrupting Racism: Practicing the Skills of Creative Intervention

Saturday, May 11 from 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Location: Zing Train, 3728 Plaza Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48104

We’ve all experienced times when we failed to speak up and challenge racist behaviors, remarks, or policies. The reason for our silence can stem from many sources, depending on the situation. We may not be able to find the right words or formulate an adequate response. We may feel there is too much at stake for us. We may fear that we will do more harm than good.

This facilitated conversation will provide an opportunity to explore positive approaches to confronting offensive or oppressive words, actions, and policies. In a supportive group setting, we will practice the skills of interrupting and challenging racism as well as examine the dynamics that can lead to authentic dialogue and change.

Shayla R. Griffin is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Center for the Study of Black Youth in Context in the UM-School of Education. She has designed and facilitated social justice trainings for teachers and students in Detroit, Washtenaw County, Oakland County, Taylor, and Warren. Currently, Shayla is writing a book about race relations in high schools. In August 2012, she co-facilitated the Understanding Race Summer Institute for K-12 Teachers in Washtenaw County with Melanie Morrison.

Melanie S. Morrison is director of Allies for Change (www.alliesforchange.org) and an anti-oppression educator with 25 years experience designing and facilitating transformational group process. In 1994, she founded Doing Our Own Work, an intensive anti-racism program for white allies who seek to deepen their commitment to confronting and challenging racism and white privilege. Melanie believes it is possible to grow ever more aware of the depth and complexity of injustice without surrendering our capacity for compassion, joy, and hope.
Refreshments will be served. 

RSVPs are not required, but appreciated for planning appropriately. RSVP to sablanks@umich.edu.

The May 2013 Community Conversation is made possible by support from Zingerman's Community of Businesses and the National Center for Institutional Diversity.

In It for the Long Haul:
Nurturing and Sustaining the Work for Racial Justice over Time

Saturday, June 8th
1:00 - 4:00 pm

Location: United Way of Washtenaw County
2305 Platt Road, Ann Arbor, MI

What does it take to nurture and sustain work for racial justice over time? What are the costs,
benefits, detours and possibilities if I choose to do this work for the long haul, if I identify as a
person of color, or if I identify as a white person? And is dialogue enough, or is there more that
is needed to build welcoming and inclusive environments in which all are affirmed and have the
opportunity to succeed? How does privilege inform our responses to these questions?

Through a series of interactive activities and guided dialogues, participants in this session will
explore these and other issues as we continue to move through the complex and life giving
work of racial justice at the personal, interpersonal, institutional and cultural levels.

Co-Facilitated by: Dionardo Pizaña and Aaron Wilson-Ahlstrom of Allies for Change

Refreshments will be served

This event is a part of the Understanding Race Project and co-sponsored by the United Way of Washtenaw County and the National Center for Institutional Diversity. It is free and open to the public. Visit www.UnderstandingRaceProject.org for additional events.

No Meeting

Community Leadership Meeting
Wednesday, September 12, 9:30 AM–11:30 AM
Traverwood Branch, Ann Arbor District Library, 3333 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Community Conversation: