Panel on Race Relations
Peace from Clay Street.
A few weeks ago we organized a meeting at the Parrish House on Duke of Gloucester to talk about race. In simplest terms, our panel consisted of 3 black people and 3 white people and was diversified based on age and gender, equally representative of generations (ages of 19 to the late side of 50’s). It was a private conversation and at the request of the panelists was closed to any media. We gathered around 7pm and at 8pm we began filming. What follows is some of the more pertinent points that were made. This was an exercise in true expression; the panelists should all be commended for their bravery and honesty. We believe you will be left wanting more and that was the goal.
As you watch these clips we ask you to log on and add your input and let us know how these points make you feel.
Here is a brief bio for the panelists in order of appearance:
Alderman Fred Paone (Ward 2 City Council)
-Native Annapolitan, career prosecutor (Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit), Alderman from Ward2, Visiting Professor at AACC, community volunteer, husband and father.
Wayne Taylor
-Director at the Annapolis Community Action Agency, a former Alderman City Council member, active in all facets of youth development in the Annapolis area
Kevin Beasley aka “Ogun”
-MC at the forefront of the Baltimore Hip Hop movement, works aggressively with at risk youth both on the streets and behind bars, his music and work has been featured prominently on area radio stations like 92Q and 95.5 WPGC.
Bob Nichols
-Native of Anne Arundel County, a former Marine who spent extensive time overseas in places like Somalia, lives in the Clay Street area on West Washington Street since 2002.
Raphaela Cassandra
-Junior at St. John’s College, is a director of a youth-leadership program called Epigenesis, which works to empower youth from the Annapolis area.
Zina Pierre
-President and CEO of the Washington Linkage Group, Inc. – a government relations and strategic consulting firm based in Washington, DC. WLG represents municipal and international governments, corporations and non-profits in the areas of lobbying, advocacy, grant writing, public relations, international trade. She is an ordained minister and was the first woman licensed to preach in the history of the First Baptist Church of Annapolis.
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This was started for those that live and breathe on or around Clay Street in Annapolis, Maryland but, we invite everyone who has an interest, would like to help, or wants to learn more about Clay Street to come on in and get involved..
September 9th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Encore!!
I hope there will be more clips of the panel coming. The 10 minutes put up so far are fantastic. This is a great step towards understanding each other and unifying.
September 10th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Ellis, I for one am curious as to what do some of the comments make you think? Especially in light of where you come from and your experience in dealing with racial circumstances?
September 12th, 2008 at 1:23 am
Definately sparked a thought or two!
Our nation has been built upon the fundamental basis of liberty for all right? This means all walks of life regardless of race. As soon as we start discriminating, don’t we facilitate the undermining of our rights to exercize this liberty and freedom?
There will always be ignorance, there will always be mistakes made. We are only human. We need to stop trying to speak for our groups and step up as individuals. While there may be strength in numbers there may just as easily be weakness. I feel it is our individual responsibility on a person to person level to see what is human about the people we so often group together based on one tiny percent of the whole. If we break it down to a common denominator we can see similarities and likenesses that are familiar that might be more easily understood which might lead to a more empathetic mindset.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I envision a concept that each of us has a purpose but moreover, that there is a sort of formula for which to discover what that purpose is. And that formula would lead all of us (theoretically) to a state of independence where we can all take care of ourselves. We have a job, likely one we are happy or comfortable with and we can meet all obligations (bills, work, family) in timely and mature fashion. Racial discord is like a tree with many deep roots, each root being a small contributing factor to the tree’s growth. Factors such as parenting, education, social class,and cultural influences. I believe that the common root to almost all racial groups is education. Most of us went to school, at least through high school, because we had to. If asked why we attended, we knew what to say but few grasped or believed it. When parents somehow lose sight of the responsibility they have to teach their children that they are supposed to grow up and become someone independent, the education system is supposed to back them up by educating children and showing them that they have purpose and a chance to become something. The positive pathway of educating oneself to completion, can erase the racial boundaries that have been placed in our hearts and minds. This is because ones own personal issues with racism and race will undoubtedly have to be dealt with internally somewhere along the road to success. So it is my belief that education weighs heavily in the fight to curb racism at least in the future generations. And as for those who are already adults, it is likely that if they have racist tendencies then they are probably not the successful and independent figures that we could hope for. Imagine these individuals living in your neighborhood or imagine being one, it has probably been a life of consistent diminishing. Perhaps if someone could come to them and show them that there was a way that they could become something more, that they could have the things that the never thought they could and that there is a purpose for them. It is the chance at having purpose in this life, the hope that they wont have to live in a geographical closet for the rest of their lives whether it be their neighborhood or a jail cell. And because I believe that this website, many of its users, and the numerous Clay St. residents desire to deliver that message to people…the message that they can be somebody and there is purpose in life and that we can achieve that together-I am obligating myself to get more involved.