Title: One America in the 21st Century: Forging a New Future. The
President's Initiative on Race: The Advisory Board's Report to the
President.
Published: September 1998
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One America in the 21st Century: Forging a New Future. The President's
Initiative on Race: The Advisory Board's Report to the President
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Advisory Board Members
President Clinton has called together seven distinguished Americans to
help him with this Initiative. The members of the Advisory Board are
reaching out to all Americans to talk about race, learn about our existing
perceptions and misperceptions, and recommend solutions to create One
America.
John Hope Franklin
Durham, NC
Chairman
Linda Chavez-Thompson
Washington, DC
Suzan D. Johnson Cook
Bronx, NY
Thomas H. Kean
Madison, NJ
Angela E. Oh
Los Angeles, CA
Robert Thomas
Fort Lauderdale, FL
William F. Winter
Jackson, MS
September 1998
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One America in the 21st Century
The President's Initiative on Race
The New Executive Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20503
202/395-1010
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Advisory Board, I am pleased to present you with these
observations, insights, and recommendations that reflect our work during
this past year. We hope this final submission will convey to you the
breadth and richness of our experience. We have traveled to many places,
talked with countless Americans, heard many opinions and concerns,
studied many issues related to race and race relations, and seen much that
is quite promising. None of our work would have been possible without
your strong and sustained leadership. The bold step that you, the Vice
President, and the First Lady have taken is making an enormous difference
in bringing us closer to becoming one America in the next century.
We hope that what we have learned, along with our recommendations, will
help you as you write your report to the American people and develop a
work plan to build one America in the 21st century for people of all races.
While we prepared these observations and recommendations for you, we
know that members of the public will also be interested in them. We,
therefore, included a contextual and factual background that covers much
that you already know about the legacy of race and color and the
demographic trends that signal who we will be in future years.
Mr. President, when we embarked on this endeavor almost 15 months ago,
we expected that many people would share our commitment to your
Initiative. I speak for the entire Advisory Board when I say we were not
prepared for the overwhelming support and interest we encountered at a
time when, to most people, there was no crisis and, therefore, no reason to
raise issues related to race. We were met at every event with thoughtful
people who are greatly concerned that race still divides our country and
who want to know how they can help move our Nation toward one
America in the 21st century.
We were met with challenges during the year as well. However, we did
not expect our task to be easy. Race is a complex and emotional subject.
Our experience this year reinforced our view that while there has been
much progress in eliminating racial discrimination, disparities, and
stereotypes, many challenges remain and these challenges cannot be
resolved overnight. We believe, as you do, that the measure of the
Initiative's success will be whether it made a difference for our Nation, but
this will be known only in the long-term, not in the coming weeks or
months. The country still has much work to do if we are to become "one
America respecting, even celebrating, our differences, but embracing even
more what we have in common." The Nation must focus on creating equal
opportunities to quality education for all and on giving our young people
tools to become leaders and role models able to pilot our increasingly
diverse society into the next century and beyond as one America.
It has been a great honor and a pleasure to serve as your "eyes and ears" on
issues of race this year. We wish you much success in your continuing
efforts to create equality of opportunity and justice for all Americans
regardless of race and look forward to reading your report. We pledge that
each of us will continue to work to build one America in the 21st century
and stand ready to assist you.
Yours truly,
John Hope Franklin
Chairman
-------------------------------
President's Initiative on Race
Judith A. Winston
Executive Director
-------------------------------
Acknowledgments
The Advisory Board to the President's Initiative on Race wishes to thank
the countless individuals and organizations across the country who work
to improve race relations in America. We were heartened to find so many
people striving every day to reduce disparities, combat stereotypes, and
fight discrimination. We were particularly inspired by our Nation's young
people who answered the President's call to action in so many ways and by
their commitment to carry forward this critical effort to improve race
relations as we enter the next century.
We are deeply appreciative of the organizations and individuals who gave
their time and energy to assist us with Advisory Board meetings,
community forums, conversations about race, the Campus Week of
Dialogue, the Statewide Days of Dialogue, and many other events and
activities. We are grateful to all of them, including members of the
Cabinet and Congress; State and local elected officials; people in Federal,
State, and local agencies; higher education institutions; national non-profit
organizations; foundations; the corporate and faith communities; local and
regional community organizations; and the legions of other individuals
who contributed to our efforts. In addition, thousands of people shared
articles, books, letters, and videos with us. Their contributions taught us
about what people are thinking, feeling, and doing about race. We
welcomed and learned from all of them.
We would like especially to thank the Leadership Conference Educational
Fund for producing an award-winning public service announcement on
race relations and the following organizations for their support in
producing the One America Dialogue Guide: Hope In The Cities, National
Conference on Community and Justice, National Days of Dialogue,
National Multicultural Institute, Study Circles Resource Center, and the
YWCA.
The Executive Director of the Initiative, Judith Winston, deserves a special
tribute. Her stewardship and expertise were our compass. We could not
have accomplished our work without her tireless dedication, commitment,
wisdom, insight, and assistance.
We also want to thank Erskine Bowles; Sylvia Mathews; Maria Echaveste;
Minyon Moore; Ann Lewis; Mickey Ibarra; Thurgood Marshall, Jr.; Bob
Nash; other members of the President's staff; and consultants Christopher
Edley, Jr., Laura Harris, and Sonia Jarvis, who filled in many of the details
from the President's original vision. We would be remiss if we did not
recognize their contributions to building one America.
Finally, we would like to thank everyone who--because of this Initiative--
has a better appreciation of our continuing individual and community
challenges on race and who is willing to accept those challenges as their
own. Each person who takes some action to improve race relations and
reduce racial disparities makes a difference. It is that citizen service at
home, at work, and in neighborhoods and communities that is the hope
and promise of this Initiative, the Nation, and our future. To all of you, we
urge you to continue your work, to reach out to others, and to help build
one America in the 21st century.
The members of the Advisory Board would like to thank the staff of the
President's Initiative on Race for their contributions. Whether they
provided administrative support, policy expertise, or outreach assistance,
they were a dedicated and tireless team. For all of their work on behalf of
this Race Initiative, they have our gratitude.
Bruce Andersen
Elizabeth Asher
Randy D. Ayers
Patrick Aylward
Elizabeth Belenis
Marjorie Black
A. Leland Boyle
Karen Burchard
David Campt
Rhonda Carney
Elizabeth Castle
Michele Cavataio
David Chai
Jennifer Dolan
Cedra Eaton
Grace Garcia
Danielle Glosser
John Goering
Claire Gonzales
Linda Gray
Roderick Harrison
Suzanne Hodges
Andrew Holzapfel
Audrey Hutchinson
Wanda Johnson
Diana Kappner
Allison King
D. Bambi Kraus
Stacey Ladman
Lin Liu
Ana Lopez
Jacinta Ma
Elizabeth Martinez
Tamara Monosoff
Evelina Mosby
Brent Oliver
Scott Palmer
Jane Price-Smith
Daphne Pringle
Matthew Roper
Barbara Semedo
Lydia Sermons
Katherine Sheckells
Michael Sorrell
Maria Soto
Chandler Spaulding
Brenda Toineeta
Michelle Waldron
Michael Wenger
Rob Wexler
Judith A. Winston
Executive Director
-------------------------------
Table of Contents
Transmittal Letter from Chairman Franklin
Acknowledgments
Executive Summary--
One America in the 21st Century: Forging a New Future
Chapter One--Searching for Common Ground
Chapter Two--Struggling With the Legacy of Race and Color
Chapter Three--The Changing Face of America
Chapter Four--Bridging the Gap
Chapter Five--Forging a New Future
Introduction--
One America in the 21st Century: Forging a New Future
The Advisory Board and Its Mandate
Accomplishments, Challenges, and Opportunities
Report Overview
Chapter One--
Searching for Common Ground
Americans Share Common Values and Aspirations
Dialogue Is a Tool for Finding Common Ground
Honest, Open Racial Dialogue Is Difficult
Dialogue Helps To Dispel Stereotypes
Sparking the Dialogue
A Guide to Dialogue
Leadership Counts
The Role of Religious Leaders
The Role of Corporate Leaders
The Role of Young Leaders
Supporting Community Leaders
Promising Practices Give Us Hope
Chapter Two--
Struggling With the Legacy of Race and Color
Understanding the Past To Move to a Stronger Future
Our History, Ourselves: Looking at America Through the Eyes of Others
The American Indian and Alaska Native Experience Demonstrates the
Complexity of Racial Relationships
African Americans and the Unique Legacy of Slavery
Perpetuation of the Badge of Inferiority
The White Immigrant Experience
Americans Hold Conflicting Views on Race and Racial Progress
Differing Attitudes
Moving in the Right Direction
Chapter Three--
The Changing Face of America
A Nation in Racial Transition
Racial Designations Are Growing More Complex
Searching for a New Language of Diversity
Determining the Facts of Racial Diversity
Improve Data Collection
Chapter Four--
Bridging the Gap
Civil Rights Enforcement
Recommendations
Education and Race
Recommendations
Race and Poverty
Disparities in Living Standards Continue
Concentrated Poverty and Race
Recommendations
Welfare Reform and Race: An Issue in Need of Monitoring
Race and Economic Inequality
Employment and Labor Markets
Recommendations
Race and Housing Markets
Recommendations
Stereotypes and Race
Recommendations
Race, Crime, and the Administration of Justice
Racial Profiling
Differential Rates of Arrest, Conviction, and Sentencing
Recommendations
Race and Health
Structural Inequities
Discrimination by Providers
Cultural Competency of Providers
Recommendations
Immigrants and Race
Recommendations
Chapter Five--
Forging a New Future
Mapping the Road To Racial Justice and Equality
The President's Council for One America:
Continuing the Work of the Advisory Board
Developing a Public Education Campaign
Using a Multimedia Approach
A Call To Action
Focus on Youth
Other Critical Issues
Civil Rights
Media and Stereotyping
Lack of Environmental Justice
Education
Conflicts Between People of Color
International Human Rights
Building a New Consensus
Reaching Beyond the Choir
Ten Things Every American Should Do To Promote Racial Reconciliation
Endnotes
Appendixes
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Executive Summary
One America in the 21st Century: Forging a New Future
Today, I ask the American people to join me in a great national effort to
perfect the promise of America for this new time as we seek to build our
more perfect union....That is the unfinished work of our time, to lift the
burden of race and redeem the promise of America.
--President Clinton, June 14, 1997
America's greatest promise in the 21st century lies in our ability to harness
the strength of our racial diversity. The greatest challenge facing
Americans is to accept and take pride in defining ourselves as a
multi-racial democracy. At the end of the 20th century, America has
emerged as the worldwide symbol of opportunity and freedom through
leadership that constantly strives to give meaning to democracy's
fundamental principles. These principles--justice, opportunity, equality,
and racial inclusion--must continue to guide the planning for our future.
On June 13, 1997, President William Jefferson Clinton issued Executive
Order No. 13050 (the "Executive Order"), which created the Initiative on
Race (the "Initiative") and authorized the creation of an Advisory Board to
advise the President on how to build one America for the 21st century.
The Board, consisting of Dr. John Hope Franklin (chairman), Linda
Chavez-Thompson, Reverend Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook, Thomas H.
Kean, Angela E. Oh, Bob Thomas, and William F. Winter, was tasked
with examining race, racism, and the potential for racial reconciliation in
America using a process of study, constructive dialogue, and action.
Board members have spent the last 15 months seeking ways to build a
more united and just America. They have canvassed the country meeting
with and listening to Americans who revealed how race and racism have
affected their lives. Board meetings focused on the role race plays in civil
rights enforcement, education, poverty, employment, housing,
stereotyping, the administration of justice, health care, and immigration.
Members have convened forums with leaders from the religious and
corporate sectors.
This Report, a culmination of the Board's efforts, is not a definitive
analysis of the state of race relations in America today. Board members
had no independent authority to commit Federal resources to a particular
problem, community, or organization. Rather, this Report is an account of
the Board's experiences and impressions and includes all of the
recommendations for action submitted by the Board to the President
following its formal meetings. Many have already been implemented or
are awaiting congressional action.
Chapter One--Searching For Common Ground
Throughout the year, the Board heard stories and shared experiences that
reinforced its belief that we are a country whose citizens are more united
than divided. All too often, however, racial differences and discrimination
obstruct our ability to move beyond race and color to recognize our
common values and goals. Common values include the thirst for freedom,
the desire for equal opportunity, and a belief in fairness and justice;
collective goals are securing a decent affordable home, a quality
education, and a job that pays decent wages. All people, regardless of race,
want financial and personal security, adequate and available health care,
and children who are healthy and well-educated. Chapter One discusses
these shared goals and values and also describes how the Initiative used
dialogue as a tool for finding common ground. Through One America
Conversations, the Campus Week of Dialogue, Statewide Days of
Dialogue, tribal leaders meetings, and the One America Dialogue Guide,
the Initiative was able to spark dialogue across the country. The chapter
also points to the importance of recruiting a cadre of leaders to provide
strong leadership in the corporate, religious, and youth sectors of our
society and provides examples of Promising Practices.
Chapter Two--Struggling With the Legacy of Race and Color
Chapter Two confronts the legacy of race in this country and in so doing,
answers the question of whether race matters in America. Our Nation still
struggles with the impact of its past policies, practices, and attitudes based
on racial differences. Race and ethnicity still have profound impacts on the
extent to which a person is fully included in American society and
provided the equal opportunity and equal protection promised to all
Americans. All of these characteristics continue to affect an individual's
opportunity to receive an education, acquire the skills necessary to
maintain a good job, have access to adequate health care, and receive
equal justice under the law.
Americans must improve their understanding of the history of race in this
country and the effect this history has on the way many minorities and
people of color are treated today. Each minority group shares a common
history of legally mandated and/or socially and economically imposed
subordination to white European Americans and their descendants. In this
chapter, the experiences of American Indians and Alaska Natives, African
Americans, Latinos, Asian Pacific Americans, and white immigrants are
highlighted.
The lesson of this chapter is that the absence of both knowledge and
understanding about the role race has played in our collective history
continues to make it difficult to find solutions that will improve race
relations, eliminate disparities, and create equal opportunities in all areas
of American life. This absence also contributes to conflicting views on
race and racial progress held by Americans of color and white Americans.
This is especially relevant in the context of race-conscious affirmative
action programs. Lack of knowledge and understanding about the genesis
and consequences of racial discrimination in America often make it
difficult to discuss affirmative action remedies productively. It also
obscures the significant progress made in the last two decades in
eliminating racial disparities in the workplace and in educational
institutions through the use of properly constructed affirmative action
strategies.
Chapter Three--The Changing Face of America
In Chapter Three, the Board examines the changing face of America. The
discussion of race in this country is no longer a discussion between and
about blacks and whites. Increasingly, conversations about race must
include all Americans, including, but not limited to, Hispanics, American
Indians and Alaska Natives, and Asian Pacific Americans. Statistics show
that by the year 2050, the population in the United States will be
approximately 53 percent white, 25 percent Hispanic, 14 percent black, 8
percent Asian Pacific American, and 1 percent American Indian and
Alaska Native. This represents a significant shift from our current
demographics of 73 percent white, 12 percent black, 11 percent Hispanic,
4 percent Asian Pacific American, and 1 percent American Indian and
Alaska Native.
Further complicating the discussions of race is the increasing amount of
interracial marriages. Americans are marrying persons of a different race
at consistently high rates. U.S. Census data show that 31 percent of
native-born Hispanic husbands and wives, between ages 25 and 34, have
white spouses. In the native-born Asian Pacific American category, 36
percent of the men and 45 percent of the women marry white spouses.
The complexities, challenges, and opportunities that arise from our
growing diversity point to the need for a new language, one that accurately
reflects this diversity. Our dialogue must reflect the steps being taken to
close the gap in data reporting on America's less visible racial groups--
American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and all of the
subgroups of Asian Pacific Americans and Hispanics.
Chapter Four--Bridging the Gap
Chapter Four summarizes key facts and background information that
emerged from each of the Board's formal meetings and the
recommendations made to the President on civil rights enforcement,
education, economic opportunity, stereotypes, criminal justice, health care,
and the immigrant experience. The data show that although minorities and
people of color have made progress in terms of the indicators used to
measure quality of life, persistent barriers to their full inclusion in
American society remain.
In the area of civil rights enforcement, the Board made the following
recommendations:
o Strengthen civil rights enforcement.
o Improve data collection on racial and ethnic discrimination.
o Strengthen laws and enforcement against hate crimes.
Two of the early Board meetings focused on the role of education in
helping to overcome racial disparities. These meetings stressed the
importance of educating children in high-quality, integrated schools,
where they have the opportunity to learn about and from each other. These
meetings served as the basis for the following recommendations:
o Enhance early childhood learning.
o Strengthen teacher preparation and equity.
o Promote school construction.
o Promote movement from K-12 to higher education.
o Promote the benefits of diversity in K-12 and higher education.
o Provide education and skills training to overcome increasing income
inequality that negatively affects the immigrant population.
o Implement the Comprehensive Indian Education Policy.
The Board analyzed the issue of economic opportunity through formal
meetings on employment and poverty. Information gathered showed that a
substantial amount of disparity remains between the economic prosperity
of whites and that of most minority groups. Also, the Board found clear
evidence of active forms of discrimination in employment, pay, housing,
and consumer and credit markets. The Board made the following
recommendations for correcting these disparities:
o Examine income inequality.
o Support supplements for U.S. Small Business Administration programs.
o Use the current economic boom to provide necessary job training and to
increase the minimum wage.
o Evaluate anti-poverty program effectiveness.
o Provide a higher minimum wage for low-wage workers and their
families.
o Improve racial data collection.
o Evaluate the effectiveness of job-training programs designed to reach
minority and immigrant communities.
o Commission a study to examine American Indian economic
development.
o Support the right of working people to engage in collective bargaining.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development convened a
meeting for the Board on race and housing. Active forms of racial
discrimination continue to plague our housing markets. According to
current statistics, blacks and Hispanics are likely to be discriminated
against roughly half of the time that they go to look for a home or
apartment. The recommendations for addressing the disparities in the area
of housing follow:
o Continue to use testing to develop evidence of continuing
discrimination.
o Highlight housing integration efforts.
o Support the increase and targeting of Federal funds for urban
revitalization.
o Support community development corporations.
o Promote American Indian access to affordable housing.
In one meeting, the Board addressed the issues surrounding negative racial
stereotypes, which are the core elements of discrimination and racial
division. Stereotypes influence how people of different races and
ethnicities view and treat each other. The Board's recommendations on
stereotypes, which follow, focus on using both public and private
institutions and individuals to challenge policymakers and institutional
leaders to examine the role stereotypes play in policy development,
institutional practices, and our view of our own racial identity:
o Hold a Presidential event to discuss stereotypes.
o Institutionalize the Administration's promotion of racial dialogue.
o Convene a high-level meeting on the problem of racial stereotypes with
leaders from the media.
At the Board meeting on race, crime, and the administration of justice,
experts explained how racial disparities and prejudices affect the way in
which minorities are treated by the criminal system. Examples of this
phenomenon can be found in the use of racial profiling in law enforcement
and in the differences in the rates of arrest, conviction, and sentencing
between whites and minorities and people of color. These discoveries led
to the following recommendations:
o Expand data collection and analysis.
o Consider restricting the use of racial profiling.
o Eliminate racial stereotypes and diversify law enforcement.
o Reduce or eliminate drug sentencing disparities.
o Promote comprehensive efforts to keep young people out of the criminal
justice system.
o Continue to enhance community policing and related strategies.
o Support initiatives that improve access to courts.
o Support American Indian law enforcement.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sponsored a meeting
on race and health for the Board. Disparities in the treatment of whites and
minorities and people of color by the health care system can be attributed
to disparities in employment, income, and wealth. The Board made the
following recommendations as a result of information received at this
meeting:
o Continue advocating for broad-based expansions in health insurance
coverage.
o Continue advocacy of increased health care access for underserved
groups.
o Continue pushing Congress for full funding of the Race and Ethnic
Health Disparities Initiatives.
o Increase funding for existing programs targeted to underserved and
minority populations.
o Enhance financial and regulatory mechanisms to promote culturally
competent care.
o Emphasize the importance of cultural competence to institutions training
health care providers.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Georgetown
University Law Center jointly sponsored a meeting for the Board that
explored immigration and race. Evidence showed that race is the source of
a fundamental rift in American society that affects immigrants and their
experiences with discrimination. The Board issued the following
recommendations as a result of the information it received in this meeting:
o Strongly enforce anti-discrimination measures on behalf of every racial
and ethnic minority group.
o Back programs that would promote a clear understanding of the rights
and duties of citizenship.
o Support immigrant-inclusion initiatives.
Chapter Five--Forging a New Future
Chapter Five calls for the continuation of the Initiative to complete the
work already begun. The following elements are the most critical in
developing a meaningful long-term strategy to advance race relations in
the 21st century:
o A President's Council for One America. This year's effort has been vital
in laying the foundation for the larger task that lies ahead. The creation of
a President's Council for One America speaks to the need for a long-term
strategy dedicated to building on the vision of one America. Its main
function would be to coordinate and monitor the implementation of
policies designed to increase opportunity and eliminate racial disparities.
o A public education program using a multimedia approach. A public
education program could assist in keeping the American public informed
on the facts about race in America, pay tribute to the different racial and
ethnic backgrounds of Americans, and emphasize and highlight the
common values we share as a racially diverse Nation.
o A Presidential "call to action" of leaders from all sectors of our society.
A call to action should come from the President to leaders in State and
local government and private-sector organizations to address the racial and
ethnic divides in their communities. Public/private partnerships can
demonstrate leadership by working collaboratively to make racial
reconciliation a reality in all communities across America.
o A focus on youth. Young Americans are this Nation's greatest hope for
realizing the goal of one America. Young people must be engaged in
efforts to bridge racial divides and promote racial reconciliation.
Organizations and groups that encourage the development of youth leaders
must be supported.
This chapter also includes a brief discussion of other critical issues, such
as environmental justice, media and stereotyping, and police misconduct,
that the Advisory Board believes deserve further dialogue. Among these
issues is affirmative action, which the Board believes remains an
important tool among many for overcoming racial discrimination and
promoting the benefits of diversity in education, employment, and other
contexts.
Chapter Five concludes with the 10 suggestions on how Americans can
help to build on the momentum that will lead our Nation into the 21st
century as one America.
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Introduction--One America in the 21st Century: Forging a New Future
Today, I ask the American people to join me in a great national effort to
perfect the promise of America for this new time as we seek to build our
more perfect union.... That is the unfinished work of our time, to lift the
burden of race and redeem the promise of America.
--President Clinton, June 14, 1997
America's greatest promise in the 21st century lies in our ability to harness
the strength of our racial diversity. Our greatest challenge is to work as
one community to define ourselves with pride as a multi-racial democracy.
At the end of the 20th century, America has emerged as the worldwide
symbol of opportunity and freedom through leadership that constantly
strives to give meaning to the fundamental principles of our Constitution.
Those principles of justice, opportunity, equality, and inclusion must
continue to guide the planning for our future.
Members of the Advisory Board to the President's Initiative on Race have
spent the past 15 months engaged in a process designed to examine race
relations in America. Through study, dialogue, and action we have begun
to engage the American people in a focused examination of how racial
differences have affected our society and how to meet the racial challenges
that face us. Our task was to take this necessary first step in the President's
effort to articulate and realize a vision of a more just society.
The Advisory Board and its Mandate
In June 1997, through Executive Order No. 13050, President Clinton
appointed Dr. John Hope Franklin (chairman), Linda Chavez-Thompson,
Reverend Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook, Thomas H. Kean, Angela E. Oh,
Bob Thomas, and William F. Winter to serve as members of the Advisory
Board. Each member brought to this effort the experience of having
engaged in the work of building relationships and creating opportunities to
bridge racial divides in their communities, professions, and workplaces.
This Initiative represents an example of leadership that seeks to move
America toward its highest aspirations. No other President in the history of
this Nation has had the courage to raise the issue of race and racism in
American society in such a dramatic way.
The Board struggled with the fact that there currently does not exist a
language or vocabulary that respects differences of opinion and experience
that often materialize during conversations about race and racism in this
country. The absence of such a language created tensions and
opportunities to expand the dialogue. Despite the inadequacy of our
existing language, the Board forged ahead to meet the objectives set out by
the President through his Executive Order. Those objectives included the
following:
o Promote a constructive national dialogue to confront and work through
the challenging issues that surround race.
o Increase the Nation's understanding of our recent history of race
relations and the course our Nation is charting on issues of race relations
and racial diversity.
o Bridge racial divides by encouraging community leaders to develop and
implement innovative approaches to calming racial tensions.
o Identify, develop, and implement solutions to problems in areas in which
race has a substantial impact, such as education, economic opportunity,
housing, health care, and the administration of justice.
In addition, the Advisory Board examined issues related to race and
immigration, the impact of the media on racial stereotyping, and
enforcement of civil rights laws.
We wish to make it clear that this Report is not a definitive analysis of the
state of race relations in America today. That task should be undertaken by
the many scholars and experts on race relations, only a few of whom we
had the opportunity to meet during the course of this past year. We had no
independent authority to commit Federal resources to a particular problem,
community, or organization. Rather, we were engaged in the task of
assisting with the initial stages of this new America's journey toward
building a more just society in the 21st century. It is our hope that the
information contained in this Report will present a more realistic view of
how race has affected our national unity. Ideally, we hope that it will be
used to create a more detailed blueprint for the future.
Accomplishments, Challenges, and Opportunities
The year of study and dialogue produced a number of outcomes that are
directly attributable to the President's Initiative on Race. Some of these
include:
o One America Conversations, in which approximately 17,000 people in
39 States and 89 cities participated.
o Campus Week of Dialogue in April 1998, which involved students,
faculty, and administrators on nearly 600 campuses.
o Statewide Days of Dialogue in April 1998, which involved 110
communities, governors of 39 States and 2 territories, and 25 mayors.
o Meetings between Advisory Board members and/or Initiative staff and
approximately 600 tribal leaders and members around the country to
discuss race and sovereignty. This included special meetings and
conferences with 60 tribal leaders and visits to the Standing Rock Sioux
Reservation in North Dakota and the Lummi Reservation in Washington
State.
o The One America Dialogue Guide, which was produced to facilitate
discussions about race.
o Four forums for corporate leaders and 2 forums for religious leaders that
engaged more than 1,000 leaders in the corporate and faith communities in
discussions of race, racial and cultural barriers, opportunities, and
leadership.
o Outreach to more than 30,000 young Americans in 48 States and Puerto
Rico through the President's "Call to Action" letter, the Vice Presidential
Briefing for Youth-Oriented Media, and numerous other youth activities.
o Identification of more than 300 Promising Practices--community efforts
designed to bridge racial divides.
o Two nationally televised public service announcements, including one
that received the advertising industry's honor for best public service
announcement.
o On average, approximately 1,000 "visits" per week to the One America
Web site and the receipt of more than 1,000 e-mail messages from people
around the country.
o The White House Conference on Hate Crimes in November 1997.
o More than 2,200 news and magazine articles written during the period
from June 1997 through April 1998 that made reference to the Race
Initiative.
Many challenges lie ahead. As America's racial diversity grows, the
complexity of giving meaning to the promise of America grows as well. It
is these challenges that signal where opportunities may exist. This Report
attempts to frame the challenges, identify the opportunities, and
recommend action. It provides an overview of information gathered from
communities across the Nation, including diverse points of view about
racial differences and controversial issues that are currently being debated
and ideas for how strong leadership can continue to move our Nation
closer to its highest aspirations.
Report Overview
In Chapter One, the common values and concerns that people share,
regardless of racial background, are discussed. The chapter highlights the
leadership being demonstrated in almost every sector of our Nation,
including schools, businesses, labor organizations, community-based
organizations, local government, and faith-based organizations.
Chapter Two presents a discussion on why it is important for America to
grapple with the difficult subject of race and racism at the end of the 20th
century. We present our observations on how the goal of achieving racial
justice and reconciliation requires us to deepen our understanding of
different points of view about how race affects individual and institutional
biases.
Chapter Three provides information about racial demographics in
America. It focuses on how the predicted shift in the Nation's demographic
profile will require us to expand the race relations framework to reflect
America's growing diversity.
In Chapter Four, the focus shifts to select issues addressed by the Advisory
Board in its meetings throughout the year and relevant data concerning
civil rights enforcement; racial disparities in education, economic
opportunity, housing, the criminal justice system, and health care; the
immigrant experience; and the impact of stereotypes on racial attitudes.
These data demonstrate the reality of the racial divides among us and the
need to set priorities in taking action for the future. The chapter also
includes all of the recommendations for action submitted to the President
following the formal Board meetings. Many have already been
implemented or are awaiting congressional action.
Chapter Five captures our sense of the transition to the next phase rather
than closure of this 15-month effort. It includes final observations and
recommendations as we build on the President's vision of one America in
the 21st century.[1] It also identifies other critical issues that the Advisory
Board believes deserve further dialogue. Among these issues is affirmative
action, which the Board believes remains an important tool for
overcoming racial discrimination and promoting the benefits of diversity
in education, employment, and other contexts.
Although this Report concludes our year-long exploration of race and
racism, our work is only the foundation for building one America. The
work that lies ahead cannot be accomplished by a single group. Our
experience has provided the Nation with the chance to identify leaders in
many parts of this country, working in numerous fields, who will promote
a vision of a unified, strong, and just society. The Race Initiative affirmed
the efforts of Americans who have been, are, and will continue to give
meaning to the words "justice," "equality," "dignity," "respect," and
"inclusion." We urge bold and decisive action to further the movement
toward "redeeming the promise of America."
In addition to this Report, a major report on racial disparities prepared by
the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) has been released to the
public.[2] Copies of that report may be obtained through the CEA Web
site at www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/CEA. In addition, attached to this
Report are 8 appendixes that provide supporting and clarifying material
related to the substance of our report.
-------------------------------
Chapter One--Searching for Common Ground
Although America confronts a variety of racial and cultural barriers,
common themes and concerns emerged throughout the year that reinforced
our view that we are indeed more united as a country than divided. Too
often, however, race prevents us from moving beyond our differences to
see our common interests. In this chapter, we highlight some of the
common ground we discovered, the importance of dialogue in breaking
down barriers and finding common ground, the role of leaders in bringing
people together, and the efforts in which people across the Nation came
together despite racial differences. These efforts, which we call Promising
Practices, give us hope that the Nation can make a serious commitment to
overcome our history of racism and has the will to eliminate persisting
racial disparities, allowing us to move beyond destructive myths,
stereotypes, and discrimination and its vestiges.
Americans Share Common Values and Aspirations
Some common values and aspirations that Americans share became
evident as we traveled throughout the Nation. We all share common
values--a thirst for freedom, the desire for equal opportunity, a belief in
fairness, and the need for essential justice. We all possess common
aspirations-a decent and affordable home, a good education, a fulfilling
job, financial and personal security, adequate and available health care,
and healthy and educated children whose dreams for a bright future are a
vision of reality, not a mirage. We all feel the same emotions--joy at the
birth of a child, sadness at the death of a loved one, love for our family,
fear of conditions beyond our control, anger at people who disrespect us,
hope for the future, and frustration at the daily barriers we encounter. We
all should aspire to the vision of an America in which we honor and
respect the differences that make each of us unique and celebrate the
common threads that bind us together.
Based on the common themes we heard throughout the year, a set of
fundamental principles that we believe all Americans either do or can
embrace as ideals for American society--justice, equality of opportunity,
respect, responsibility, honor, integrity, civility, and inclusion--has been
articulated. Through our work this year, we have established partnerships
with individuals, communities, businesses, schools, religious institutions,
Administration officials, and tribal governments from across the country
to promote these principles and to ensure they become a reality for all
Americans.
Dialogue Is a Tool for Finding Common Ground
One of the best tools for finding common ground and developing new
understanding among people of different races is dialogue. One goal for
this year was to spark an extensive dialogue in which people throughout
America could freely discuss how problems of race have impinged on
their lives and affected the Nation in ways that could impede progress in
other areas. We hoped that these dialogues would help refute stereotypes
and provide opportunities for people to share their individual experiences
and views, which may be different from those of others because of their
race. Although statistics on discrimination and racial disparity show
continuing inequality, it was hearing the personal experiences that had the
most effect on us. They are the most useful in bringing people closer
together to work for a Nation where people are given equal opportunities
and treated fairly regardless of race.
When the President called for a great national conversation about racial
issues, he was not calling for more debates about race, which have a long
and valued tradition in this country.[3] Today, debates on race often take
the form of politicians, experts, pundits, and the public arguing for their
positions on issues such as affirmative action, immigration, and bilingual
education. Alternatively, dialogue offers an opportunity to talk about race
and issues related to race in a way that leads to a better understanding of
differing views, experiences, and cultures. We hope the dialogue that
began this year will continue with civility and respect for each other's
views and that it will extend to all parts of the country and to all segments
of our society.
In our discussions with experts on and facilitators of racial dialogue, we
learned two important differences between debate and dialogue:
o The object of debate is to persuade others to one's point of view. The
object of dialogue is to exchange ideas and find common ground.
o In debate, the role of the average person is to observe and eventually
take sides. In dialogue, each person actually participates, offering his or
her experience and perspective regarding an issue.
Dialogue helps to illuminate the areas of disagreement and common
ground. The success of a dialogue should be measured by how well the
participants develop a tolerance for differing perspectives and a shared
insight of the issue.
One example of effective dialogue that we witnessed occurred during a
forum on race sponsored by the University of Mississippi. Ten dialogue
groups, composed of people from diverse racial backgrounds, were
convened in preparation for the public forum, which was held on the
campus on March 16, 1998. Most of these groups focused on a specific
issue related to race (such as labor, business, and education). Many
conducted several meetings in the weeks preceding the forum. During the
inspiring public forum, leaders from each group presented specific
recommendations for action and committed themselves to ongoing efforts
to implement these recommendations.
Another example of how dialogue can deepen understanding occurred
during the Annual Session of the National Congress of American Indians
in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Advisory Board members Angela Oh and
William Winter participated in a conversation with more than 20
representatives of tribal governments and American Indian organizations
from across the country. Not only was the substance of the conversation
remarkably honest, the physical format used was a reflection of the values
held by many American Indians. Sitting in a circle, without a dais or
microphones, the Board members learned that there was a divide among
tribes about the Race Initiative. Specifically, some were angry that an
American Indian or Alaska Native was not asked to serve on the Board.
Others expressed the view that it was better that way because American
Indians and Alaska Natives are not "minorities," rather they are people of
sovereign nations. Thus, any input from American Indians and Alaska
Natives should be in the form of an appropriate
government-to-government exchange.
Honest, Open Racial Dialogue Is Difficult
As we began to organize and participate in dialogues, it was apparent that
few citizens have been involved in or have organized conversations in
which genuine dialogue on racial issues has taken place. Many people are
uncomfortable examining the complexities of racial issues with those who
may see them differently. Many people fear saying the wrong thing or
being misunderstood and, therefore, being labeled a racist. Many
minorities and people of color[4] may be tired of constantly talking about
race without seeing concrete action to reduce disparities. Some may also
be concerned about being labeled as traitors to their race or too
sympathetic to the perspectives or views of those of other races. Dialogue
is not always easy; often, it is quite difficult. Yet, most of those who did
participate in these dialogues found them beneficial, insightful, and a
welcome opportunity to discuss difficult issues in an environment in
which it was safe to express their views.
For example, some Board members were able to participate in the Central
High School 40th Anniversary Observance in Little Rock, Arkansas,
sponsored by the National Conference for Community and Justice. We
were struck by the ability of the people of Little Rock--particularly the
Little Rock Nine, who were the first to desegregate Central High School-
-to share their experiences and examine a painful chapter in their lives and
in the Nation's history. It was powerful and touching to see an apology
from one who vehemently opposed and protested the desegregation to one
of the Little Rock Nine result from the dialogue surrounding the
commemoration.[5]
In fact, coinciding with our September 1997 Board meeting, the Center for
Living Democracy released its year-long study, which identified more than
80 interracial dialogue groups in more than 30 States and the District of
Columbia. The Center estimated that hundreds of thousands of Americans
were engaging in sustained dialogues.[6]
Dialogue Helps To Dispel Stereotypes
The dialogues in which the Board participated involved interaction and
communication among people of different racial backgrounds. This type of
interaction was particularly important because it served as a means for
confronting and dispelling stereotypes. One of the more formidable
barriers to bridging our continuing racial divide is negative racial
stereotypes. These stereotypes are endemic in our culture; we learn them
from our friends and family, in school, and through the media. One of the
most effective ways to confront and dispel racial stereotypes is through
continuous, meaningful interaction among people of different racial
backgrounds. Unfortunately, opportunities for such interaction are often
limited. More opportunities for these types of sustained dialogues are
necessary to build a foundation for racial reconciliation.[7]
In addition to enabling people to find common ground, we believe that
increased dialogue on race will make today's debates on race less divisive.
Debates on the effect of affirmative action on minority college admissions
will have more meaning if people also engage in dialogue on the amount
of discrimination faced by elementary and high school students and the
larger societal goals of affirmative action programs. Debates on bilingual
education will be more productive if people engage in dialogue with those
who have limited English ability about their desire to become fluent and
the best means for accomplishing that goal. Because most people are not
engaged in dialogue about the underlying perceptions of race, debates
about future strategies often become divisive or remain stagnant. Dialogue
also may be impeded by the failure to include empirical data about race
and racial disparities. Although all may not agree on the meaning of the
facts, they provide a basis for illuminating participants' opinions.
Sparking the Dialogue
Recognizing the importance of dialogue and the need to bring people
together to begin these conversations, the Board, in partnership with
Administration officials, engaged in several outreach efforts to initiate
dialogues on racial issues throughout the Nation. These outreach efforts
took the form of One America Conversations, Campus Week of Dialogue,
Statewide Days of Dialogue, and meetings with tribal leaders.
One America Conversations consisted of a grassroots outreach effort to
engage Americans across the country in the President's national dialogue
on race. Initially, Administration officials, as they traveled on routine
business, were encouraged to organize groups of 10 to 20 people at each
location to participate in conversations on race. Some Board members also
hosted One America Conversations during their travels. Since late
November 1997, Federal agency officials and representatives from the
Executive Office of the President and other Administration offices have
hosted 175 conversations across the country. Subsequently, the Initiative
has branched out beyond Administration officials to expand the One
America Conversations effort into other parts of the public and private
sectors. In total, more than 17,000 people have taken part in more than
1,300 dialogues on race.
During a meeting of college and university presidents attending an
American Council of Education and Association of American Colleges
and Universities Conference in October 1997 in Miami, Florida, Board
members John Hope Franklin, Reverend Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook, and
William Winter laid the groundwork for a larger effort at sparking
dialogue among college and university presidents, students, faculty, and
administrators. This resulted in the Campus Week of Dialogue, which took
place in April 1998.
America becomes more racially and ethnically diverse every year; it is
clear that young people, America's future leaders, are the most important
constituency in our effort to create one America. John Hope Franklin and
Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education Richard Riley asked
college and university presidents across the Nation to organize race
dialogue events, including town hall meetings, meetings between campus
leaders and community leaders, meetings of students from diverse races
and ethnicities, and other activities such as service events, film screenings,
and faculty lectures. Nearly 600 colleges and universities, including
community colleges, tribal colleges, and minority-serving institutions,
responded to the call to action by organizing activities in every State, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. (See Appendix E for a list of
participating institutions.) An example of such an activity was when
Advisory Board member Thomas Kean hosted a town hall meeting at
Drew University, where he is president.
In an effort to engage more State and local government officials and
community organizations in dialogue, we partnered with the Young
Women's Christian Association (YWCA) to sponsor the Statewide Days
of Dialogue in conjunction with the National Day of Commitment to End
Racism and Erase the Hate. To broaden the impact, make the most
effective use of limited resources, and institutionalize the process, we
worked with 110 YWCA affiliates that collaborated with local partners to
organize dialogues on race in their communities. Twenty-five mayors
participated in the local dialogues, and governors of 39 States and 2
territories issued proclamations in support of dialogues on race and/or
participated in events related to Statewide Days of Dialogue, which began
on April 30, 1998. Board members and Initiative staff fanned out across
the country to give strength and momentum to the event. Over a 3-day
period, Board members and Initiative staff had a presence at more than
100 events in every region of the country. (See Appendix F for a listing of
Statewide Days of Dialogue events.)
In recognition of the special legal and political status of tribal governments
in the United States and to ensure that American Indians and Alaska
Natives had an opportunity to participate in the conversation, Board
members made a special effort to meet with and hear from tribal leaders.
(See Appendix C4 for listing of specific meetings.) Two common issues
were raised at almost every meeting:
o American Indians and Alaska Natives face a unique challenge from
racism and ignorance in the United States; tribes are not respected as
governments because non-Indians do not understand the fundamental
principle of sovereignty and how tribal governments fit into the Federal
system.
o Participants expressed disappointment and concern that there was no
American Indian or Alaska Native Board member. American Indians often
lack representation on councils and boards and often are not part of
important discussions and policymaking decisions.
In addition, many tribal leaders expressed concern that in many instances
the United States Government fails to work with tribes on a
government-to-government basis. Other frequently expressed sentiments
included the concern that "one America" would be interpreted as a modern
form of assimilation. U.S. Government policy toward American Indians
and Alaska Natives has always been one of assimilation versus integration.
Indian country fiercely defends the right to be self-governing and to
maintain their own languages, cultures, religions, ways of life, and
traditional practices. Lastly, American Indians and Alaska Natives
expressed concern that they are an invisible community in America,
viewed as the "vanishing race" because of their depiction by Hollywood,
their relatively small populations, the remote locations of their
reservations, the lack of understanding that tribes are governments, and the
way schoolbooks do not accurately reflect the history of American Indians
and Alaska Natives.
A Guide to Dialogue
Board members supported the creation of a guide to assist in furthering
discussion about race issues. In March 1998, the Initiative and the
Community Relations Service of the U.S. Department of Justice
collaborated with six nonprofit organizations[8] specializing in race
dialogues to draft and publish the One America Dialogue Guide, a
thorough and authoritative guide to conducting discussions on race. (See
Appendix G for excerpts from the Guide.) More than 6,000 copies of the
Guide have been distributed to individuals and groups eager to conduct
meaningful discussions on race, and it is available on the Initiative Web
site (www.whitehouse.gov/Initiatives/OneAmerica/america.html).
The Guide has proved to be extremely valuable and should continue to be
distributed. The President should make direct appeals to public and private
institutional leaders in a public information campaign about the usefulness
of the Guide in sparking dialogue. The Administration should secure
long-term commitments from organizations that reach communities that
do not normally discuss race to use and distribute the Guide. Lastly, the
Administration should develop a strategy to increase the number of people
skilled in facilitating racial dialogue.
We have made a significant start in sparking the dialogue. We have
observed successful efforts involving thousands of people in Cleveland,
Ohio; Columbia, South Carolina; Hartford, Connecticut; Jackson,
Mississippi; Lincoln, Nebraska; Los Angeles, California; Providence,
Rhode Island; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Seattle, Topeka, Kansas;
Washington; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and many other cities across
the country. We hope that our efforts will have a ripple effect and
eventually touch every person in America.
Leadership Counts
Without strong leadership, finding common ground across racial lines
would be extremely difficult and slow. Leaders can encourage dialogue
and bring about action that will help bridge racial divides. Because
dialogue alone does not suffice, another prong of our strategy to achieve
racial harmony was to identify a cadre of leaders who are committed to
this work over time. We found many leaders and "local heroes" who, on
their own initiative, were mobilizing colleagues to build racial bridges in
their communities, at their workplaces, and in their houses of worship. We
sought to build on these existing efforts and recruit new leaders.
Special attention was devoted to the religious and corporate sectors by
organizing forums to engage leaders from these sectors. The religious
sector brings the strength of its moral authority and history of commitment
to racial healing efforts. The power of economic motivation makes the
corporate sector a potentially invaluable partner in building one America.
The Role of Religious Leaders
Many religious leaders are already engaged in building bridges of racial
reconciliation. At the same time, many members of the clergy could do
much more for racial reconciliation. Some in the religious community
have expressed regret at the clergy's lack of leadership and a desire for
them to become more aggressive leaders in this regard. Most agreed that,
for whatever reason, places of worship are among the least racially
integrated institutions in our society.
Board member Reverend Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook took the lead in
outreach efforts to the religious sector. On November 19, 1997, following
the President's prayer breakfast, she convened a small group of religious
leaders representing a variety of faiths to discuss the most effective ways
to reach out to the religious community. These leaders agreed that holding
forums for religious leaders to discuss race and faith would be useful.
In response to these leaders' suggestion, the Board held two forums for
religious leaders. (See Appendix C3 for more information on the forums.)
Locations were chosen because of the diversity of their faith communities.
Those who attended were primarily local religious leaders, with a small
representation of leaders from national religious organizations.
At these two forums, participants found common ground despite racial
differences. Most importantly, many who attended agreed that they had a
role to play in achieving racial harmony. The forums focused on three
areas:
o Examining the changing demography of the faith community. Leaders
explored how the demographics of their faith communities were changing
dramatically and how they need to examine the significant implications
these changes have for racial healing among their congregations.
o Exploring the key elements to success of efforts to bridge racial
divisions. Many participants agreed that crucial elements for success
include getting a significant number of white people to come to the table,
providing more student and adult education programs, and offering forums
for direct communication among community members.
o Strengthening efforts of the faith community with regard to racial
reconciliation activities. Despite the active involvement of many members
of the faith community, most participants agreed that much more can be
done. At the forums, small group breakout sessions were used to develop
plans for local efforts to narrow racial divisions.
An enormously compelling example of successful racial integration of a
religious institution was found in Glide Memorial Church in San
Francisco, which the members of the Advisory Board visited. The church
is well known for its innovative ministry, which seeks to address a wide
range of human needs, including nutrition, health care, employment
training, and spiritual nourishment through the arts and music. The
church's ability to respond to diversity among its members is reflected in
all aspects of its structure and programming.
There should be continued outreach to the religious community. A small
group of religious leaders should be convened who could engage people at
the national, local, and tribal levels and call upon religious and spiritual
leaders at all levels to use their moral authority more assertively. Our
ability as a Nation to be a credible and effective moral leader around the
globe rests largely on our ability to exercise moral leadership within our
own borders.
The Role of Corporate Leaders
Enlisting leaders in the corporate sector is vital. It is in the workplace
where people most often come into contact with people from other races.
Although corporate leaders do not always agree on the best approach to
handling race in the workplace or on the extent of racial issues in their
workplace, they repeatedly told us that diversity in the workplace was
simply good business in a global economy.
The main vehicle for reaching leaders in the corporate sector was the
convening of four forums in different parts of the country, hosted by
Advisory Board member Bob Thomas. (See Appendix C2 for more
information on these forums.) These forums offered opportunities to learn
of the commitment many corporate and labor leaders have made to
provide a fair and equitable work environment in firms, unions, and small
businesses. Company executives also clearly expressed their
understanding that their workforce needs to reflect the characteristics of
the cities and towns they serve and in which they are located.
The three primary purposes for the forums were to:
o Discuss the economic benefits of having a racially diverse workforce. As
Miami Herald publisher David Lawrence told the forum in Miami: Our
newspapers--and your businesses--need a workplace environment that
encourages and enables all employees to achieve their full potential and,
hence, produce the best results for our customers and constantly changing
communities.
o Identify and share best practices. Diverse groups of panelists shared their
companies' experiences in recruiting, hiring, training, promoting, and
retaining minority employees. Panelists also discussed how their
companies built a cohesive and productive, racially diverse workforce. For
example, during the January 1998 corporate and labor forum in Phoenix,
Arizona, a representative of Lucent Technologies described a range of
programs the corporation supported, many of which are products of
collective bargaining. He referred to scholarship and training programs;
diversity council networks and affinity groups; professional development
programs; an employee assistance program to help employees with drug,
alcohol, gambling, and family problems; and accountability measures. He
also emphasized the vital importance of leadership from the top in both
words and deeds and pointed to the diversity of the top leadership team at
Lucent.
o Strengthen networking between majority-owned and minority-owned
companies. Representatives of major corporations and minority suppliers
and vendors explored ways to strengthen the relationships between large,
majority-owned companies and smaller, minority-owned companies as an
important element in promoting entrepreneurship in minority
communities. This approach offers the promise of not only job
development but also wealth creation, which ultimately provides the
community with a more stable route to economic empowerment.
Finally, one of the many insights gained at these forums was the
realization that many minority companies are small businesses and there
are a number of small business issues that need to be addressed.
Regardless of the stimulus, any substantive progress on improving
governmental red tape issues for small business will help small companies
owned by minorities (many of whom are women) or by white men and
women.
The forums provided leaders in the corporate community with tangible
evidence that harmonious, racially diverse workforces are usually more
effective and creative at problem-solving than are homogeneous
workforces. Although building a harmonious, racially diverse workforce
takes time and effort, the experience of these corporate leaders shows that
it pays off in productivity.
The Role of Young Leaders
We also engaged in specific outreach to young leaders. The quality of
leadership that emerges from our young people will determine the future
of America; they will ultimately decide whether we achieve our goals.
Therefore, they must be at the top of our policy agenda.
Our outreach strategy comprised two phases. Phase one of this strategy,
built on direct appeals from the President, Vice President, and First Lady,
called for the direct involvement of young people interested in leading
efforts in their communities. This included a letter from the President to
25,000 high school, college, and university student leaders and leaders
from national and local youth organizations challenging them to become
involved by promoting racial reconciliation in their communities.
Phase two involved the aggressive marketing of one America to young
America. Board members personally spread the message to young people
through participation in forums, conferences, seminars, One America
Conversations, town hall meetings, and school visits.
The Student Council from Plum Senior High School in Plum,
Pennsylvania, led an effort that resulted in their school, district, and
borough declaring May 1, 1998, as "Youth Action for Diversity Day."
Students held rallies and appeared on television, speaking openly about the
value of diversity and the importance of the Race Initiative.
John Hope Franklin and William Winter participated in a children's
dialogue on race, poverty, and community sponsored by the Children's
Defense Fund as part of its 1998 annual national conference in Los
Angeles. Nearly 100 high school and college students from diverse racial
backgrounds explained how race has had an impact on their lives. They
expressed their views on the origins of stereotypes and how they are
perpetuated, gave detailed accounts of how they are often seen by their
peers and others from a stereotypical perspective, and spoke about how
stereotyping often leads to painful experiences such as racial and social
isolation, social conflicts, and self-segregation. At the conclusion of the
forum, the students committed themselves to promoting greater racial
understanding among their peers and families by, for example, rejecting
negative racial views held by family members and friends and increasing
interaction with people of other races during social activities.
Angela Oh visited the Loredo Elementary School in Los Angeles in
preparation for the December 17, 1997, Board meeting on K-12 education.
In her discussion with the students--90 percent are Spanish speaking and
10 percent are Asian Pacific American--she found that they were
interested in learning languages other than their native language. There
were Spanish speakers who wanted to learn Cantonese, and numerous
students sought out Spanish language instruction. This seemed to stem
from a fundamental desire to be able to communicate with, and among,
diverse student groups in the school. In addition, she was impressed with
the students' awareness of diversity when she joined a group of second
graders who were reading the Spanish translation of the book Amazing
Grace[9]; they discussed the theme of exclusion raised in the story and
wrote essays about the underlying feelings that they would have if they
found themselves in the protagonist's role.
The youth outreach effort is a continuing process. The views of America's
young people on race are different than those held by any generation
preceding them. Board members were surprised and heartened to learn that
young people are more willing than their elders to look at each other as
equals and friends regardless of race. When they encounter racism, it
frustrates and angers most of them. Young America is an untapped
resource for achieving racial harmony. We must find ways to channel their
considerable energies into positive action and turn instances of personal or
group intolerance into proactive inclusiveness.
Supporting Community Leaders
Community leaders--"local heroes" of all ages in all sectors--are key to
racial healing and the achievement of racial harmony. They possess the
type of commitment that cannot be manufactured and is needed to
overcome the inevitable challenges they will face. These local heroes
viewed the Initiative as a much-needed affirmation of the work they are
doing, and they told Board members that the Initiative's presence and
support has spurred many of them to do more.
On a daily basis, they are engaged in directing individual or institutional
attention to racial divisions and disparities, channeling resources toward
eliminating divisions and disparities, changing social norms toward
promoting diversity and inclusion, advocating for change in social or
institutional practices, and building coalitions across racial lines. This can
be exciting, challenging, and rewarding work; too often, however, it can
be difficult, frustrating, and dangerous as well. The quest for racial justice
can be lonely, and these leaders need the following help and support:
o Active leaders need to know there are others across the country working
toward the same goal. They need contact with other leaders, moral support
from authority figures, and recognition for their efforts from respected
institutions.
o Many potential leaders need affirmation to overcome fears of fighting
the social norm, a norm that guides many to avoid dealing with difficult
issues such as race and discrimination.
o Leaders in activities designed to affect racial attitudes need to be
formally appreciated for what they do. Often, they are discouraged when
their efforts are characterized as insignificant because they do not address
specific, important issues of disparities in educational attainment,
economic opportunity, access to affordable housing and quality health
care, and fairness of law enforcement. Addressing racial attitudes is an
equally vital task because it affects the political and social climate in a
manner that makes people more receptive to policies designed to narrow
specific disparities.
o Many potential leaders want to provide leadership, but they do not
know what to do or how to reach out to broad sectors of their community.
They need advice and support from other leaders to help them in their
efforts.
o Many active and potential leaders need to be reminded that fighting
racism often is a personal and lifelong struggle. Although there is
progress, the finish line is not yet in sight. We must have leaders in every
generation who will speak to their peers with the passion and commitment
necessary to bring each generation closer to the vision of one America.
o Many active and potential leaders could make good use of additional
funds from governments, foundations, and corporations to assist with their
activities, including wider mailings, facility rentals, dialogue materials,
and travel to provide and obtain technical assistance.
Promising Practices Give Us Hope[10]
Participation in common activities and working toward a common goal is
among the best means of reducing racial tension and promoting racial
tolerance and acceptance. One of the Board's most gratifying discoveries
was the vast number of existing efforts to improve race relations in
communities throughout the country. These Promising Practices usually
involve or result from dialogue and are products of strong leadership. (See
Appendix H for a list of the many organizations identified during the year;
refer to the One America Web site at
www.whitehouse.gov/Initiatives/OneAmerica/america.html for a full
description of these Promising Practices.)
Sometimes, these Promising Practices are informal efforts and not
institutionalized.[11] In other instances, organizers recognize that they
would better help their communities if formal programs and organizations
are created so others can join. Promising Practices represent not only
one-time events but regular sustained efforts. They are examples that can
be replicated and tailored to other communities.
Some of these efforts are large programs run by national organizations
with affiliates around the country.[12] Others are small and often involve
only a handful of people meeting regularly at a local diner.[13] These
programs range from efforts to involve multi-racial groups of people in
common service projects[14] to programs that focus on creating settings that
foster interracial dialogue,[15] to programs that concentrate on expanding
the opportunities of historically disadvantaged groups and efforts to reduce
racial disparities.[16] These efforts vary in scope, duration, and intensity of
activity, but all are making some improvement in the racial climate.
The programs demonstrate what leaders can do when they commit
themselves to making a change and finding common goals across racial
lines. Promising Practices are a source of optimism; they demonstrate that
people concerned about race relations can go beyond mere concern and
take action to improve race relations.
Although we expected to find a wide variety of programs that could play a
vital role in racial reconciliation, the vast range of existing programs was a
surprise. Following are descriptions of some of the many efforts we
discovered.
One program that is explicitly concerned with reducing minority
communities' dependence on government through entrepreneurship is the
Start-Up program in East Palo Alto, California, which Bob Thomas visited
in conjunction with the February 11, 1998, Board meeting on race and
poverty. Start-Up puts together aspiring business people from low-income
communities with students from the Stanford Business School and
provides grants. During his visit, Bob Thomas heard from East Palo Alto
residents about their difficulties obtaining capital and the importance of
Start-Up in assisting them to become entrepreneurs. General racial
discrimination issues in starting up and sustaining a new business also
were discussed.
John Hope Franklin and Linda Chavez-Thompson learned about the
programs offered by Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. (CPLC), when they
visited the corporation in conjunction with the January 14, 1998, Board
meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. CPLC is a community development
corporation that offers educational and training services designed to
promote the employment of members of the poor, largely Hispanic, South
Phoenix community. For teen parents and expectant mothers, CPLC
provides classes on child-rearing skills, health, nutrition, and occupational
skills. For adults, it provides a comprehensive educational training and
employment program, including an initial assessment, vocational
counseling and training, employment and postemployment tracking, and
support services.
Thomas Kean was particularly impressed by Two Towns: One
Community in Maplewood and South Orange, New Jersey, a program that
seeks to promote diversity and integration in those communities. It works
to increase demand from any race that is underrepresented--minority or
non-minority--in housing, schools, and civic life as well as to provide
opportunities to discuss race-related issues. The project goal is to have
communities free of segregation in housing patterns and community
involvement.
One promising program, Communities Taking Charge (which we heard
about at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace meeting on
immigrants and race), will begin this fall and is sponsored by the Los
Angeles Human Relations Commission. The executive director described
how it often is difficult to bring people together to understand that they
share similar concerns and problems because Los Angeles consists of
individuals from many different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
The program will place community organizers in racially and ethnically
diverse communities to train and assist residents in how to support or
create community-based infrastructures such as neighborhood councils
and steering committees. These infrastructures are expected to encourage
local leadership on issues that promote common neighborhood interest
across racial and ethnic lines. Because this program is just starting, it has
not been highlighted as a Promising Practice.
Other organizations such as the Healing Racism Institutes located in such
areas as Little Rock, Arkansas, and Houston, Texas, focus on reexamining
the social and psychological aspects of racism rather than on an action
agenda. John Hope Franklin spoke with some of the leaders of this
organization and learned more about their work examining the complexity
and pervasiveness of racism and prejudice. They call themselves
"recovering racists," drawing a close analogy between themselves and
drug addicts. He heard about how the institutes help program participants
change their lives to overcome racial barriers.
As these examples show, Promising Practices bring people together and
allow them to find and share common goals and activities. Although
dialogue serves as an important first step in achieving racial harmony,
Promising Practices often go beyond dialogue to stimulate and support
more active efforts to bridge racial divisions. These Promising Practices
and the leadership that makes them work must be recognized and
rewarded, nurtured and supported if one America is to become a reality.
This chapter has presented the core of the Board's work over the past year,
serving as the "eyes and ears" of the President to understand the "the
course our Nation is charting on issues of race relations and racial
diversity."[17]
These activities and efforts focus on taking the pulse of the Nation on
matters dealing with race and identifying viable means of addressing the
complex problems of race that still divide our country. While we have
much that unites us, the legacy of America's racial history, racial
disparities, and discrimination continue to plague us in our ability to
become one America.
In the remaining chapters, we share many of the lessons we learned this
year and how they led us to make recommendations about how to change
public policies and programs as well as how to improve hearts and minds
on the issue of race. These lessons also helped us understand how we can
use dialogue, an ever-growing cadre of informed and dedicated leaders,
the sharing and replication of Promising Practices, and appropriate
government policies and programs to become one America in the 21st
century.
-------------------------------
Chapter Two--Struggling With the Legacy of Race and Color
Does race matter in America? During the Initiative year, this question
arose over and over again. Time and again, the Advisory Board heard,
"Yes, race matters." It became increasingly clear that America is still
struggling with the impact of past policies, practices, and attitudes based
on racial differences--what we are calling the legacy of race and color.
During the first meeting of the Advisory Board on July 14, 1997, Board
members John Hope Franklin, Linda Chavez-Thompson, and Angela Oh
began a discussion of the legacy of race and color, its implications for the
future, and achieving the goal of one America in the 21st century. Ms.
Chavez-Thompson initiated the discussion with her comment, "[T]he
classic American dilemma has now become many dilemmas of race and
ethnicity." Ms. Oh expressed her interest in having the conversation on
race go beyond discussions of racism affecting blacks. She indicated: "We
need to go beyond that because the world is about much more than that,
and this [Initiative must look toward]...the next horizon." In response to
Ms. Oh's comment, Advisory Board Chairman Dr. Franklin remarked:
This country cut its eyeteeth on racism in the black/white sphere....[The
country] learned how to [impose its racist policies on]...other people at
other times...because [it had] already become an expert in this area.
And I think that gives us the kind of perspective we need. It's not to
neglect [others]...but it's to try to understand how it all started and how we
became so proficient and so expert in this area [of racism].
This brief discussion was perceived by many as a split in the Board over
whether the Initiative's focus would be on the past or the future and
whether the President's Initiative on Race would be confined to what many
called "the black-white paradigm." The Board did not share this
characterization of the discussion as dissension. Neither did the Board
subscribe to the view that this preliminary discussion signaled an intent to
ignore the growing racial diversity of the American people.
As the year progressed, we had numerous opportunities to read, think, and
talk about these issues. We heard from many experts and individuals about
the significance of the legacy of race and color and the way that legacy is
manifested in current attitudes and behavior by both individuals and
institutions. We have never been in doubt about the necessity of looking to
the past to understand how America's history of slavery and racial exploitation
has helped to set the stage for the framework of racial hierarchy, discrimination,
and domination with which we now contend as a Nation. Appreciating this deep,
historical root is fundamental, in our view, to understanding how the race issue
has become a seemingly intractable part of our social life. In turn, this understanding
is the platform upon which we will learn how to manage more effectively the
increasing diversity and complexity of our Nation's ethnic and cultural present and
future. In the words of Dr. Franklin at our first meeting: "The beginning of wisdom is
knowledge, and without knowledge of the past we cannot wisely chart our course for the
future." Nor was there any doubt that in looking to the future, we would
seek to include those who are neither black nor white in our work.
In this chapter, we share some of the insights gathered during monthly
Board meetings and at other events to which individual Board members
were invited. Among the lessons learned is this: The absence of both
knowledge and understanding about the role race has played in our
collective history continues to make it difficult to find solutions that will
improve race relations, eliminate racial disparities, and create equal
opportunities in American life.
This chapter is not intended to be a recitation of the full history of every
minority group in this country that has been subjected to discrimination.
Nor could it be. It is an attempt to point to some of the more egregious
examples of a long and documented history of racism and systematic
discrimination in this country. For it is our history of denying rights and
benefits on the basis of race that conditions our present and potentially our
future. This must be understood, but it is beyond this Report to provide
that lesson in the detail that is necessary. Our point is that our history has
consequences, and we cannot begin to solve "the race problem" if we are
ignorant of the historical backdrop.
If we fail to devise effective solutions, we will, in turn, undermine our
future as the world's most internally strong and globally competitive
society. Educating the Nation about our past and the role race has played
in it is a necessary corollary to shaping solutions and policies that will
guide the Nation to the next plateau in race relations--at which point race
no longer results in disparate treatment or limited opportunities and
differences are not only respected but celebrated. We understand that this
challenge is a formidable one. We also recognize the potential cost of not
going forward and are heartened by the obvious enthusiasm of the many
Americans who have participated in dialogues and meetings stimulated by
the Initiative.
Understanding the Past To Move to a Stronger Future
At the dawn of a new century, America is once again at a crossroads on
race. The eminent African-American scholar W.E.B. DuBois noted
decades ago that the main problem of the 20th century would be the color
line.[18] Indeed, at the end of the 20th century, the color of one's skin still
has a profound impact on the extent to which a person is fully included in
American society and provided the equal opportunity and equal protection
promised to all Americans in our chartering documents. The color of one's
skin continues to affect an individual's opportunities to receive a good
education, acquire the skills to get and maintain a good job, have access to
adequate health care, and receive equal justice under the law. But now,
more than ever, racial discrimination is not only about skin color and other
physical characteristics associated with race, it is also about other aspects
of our identity, such as ethnicity, national origin, language, accent,
religion, and cultural customs. The challenge for America is to ensure that
none of these factors continues to affect the quality of life choices so that
we can finally treat each other with dignity and respect regardless of our
differences.
The Board's work over the past year demonstrates that to meet this
important challenge, it is necessary for all Americans to improve their
understanding of the role of race in American history, including the
history and contributions of all minority groups and the continuing effect
of that history on race relations in America today. For example, few
Americans realize that from 1934 to 1949, the Federal Housing
Administration (FHA)[19] used clauses mandating segregation in any
housing development that used FHA financing, even after the Supreme
Court invalidated such clauses in 1948. Segregation clauses were
permitted until 1962.[20] After that, racial segregation in housing originally
financed by FHA remained entrenched based on custom and attitude. The
concentration of public housing in cities is a similar example. Although
discriminatory laws and policies may change over time, the long-term
impact of these forces has been significant. Until all people regardless of
race have equal opportunities, properly constructed and targeted programs
such as race-conscious affirmative action are necessary tools that expand
opportunity, increase diversity, as well as remedy past discrimination.
A critical component of a constructive and honest national dialogue about
race and racism is a greater public awareness of the history of oppression,
conquest, and private and government-sanctioned discrimination and their
present-day consequences. Fundamental to this historical understanding is
an appreciation of the ways in which the long history of slavery in this
country has codified the system of racial hierarchy in which white
privilege has been protected by custom and then by law. Even today many
whites view African Americans and Latinos as less intelligent and more
prone to violence than other ethnic groups.[21] In addition, presenter Dr.
James Jones, at the second Board meeting, commented:
We are influenced by our past in ways that are not always obvious. It is
too much to claim that four centuries of bigotry and bias, institutionalized
deprivation, and cultural oppression were eliminated by an act of
Congress....We have not by any means undone the legacy of racism.[22]
Knowledge of the history of suffering experienced by minorities and
people of color must also be supplemented by an understanding of their
many contributions to American society.
Our History, Ourselves: Looking at America Through the Eyes of Others
From the first contact between the indigenous peoples and colonists from
Europe to the latest hate crime reported on the evening news, our Nation
has grappled with the tensions caused by interaction between peoples of
different cultures and races. Our system of government has evolved from
one in which rights and privileges were accorded only to those men of
European heritage, whose physical attribute of white skin and whose
ownership of property connoted superiority and privilege, to one in which
a purported bedrock principle is that every American, regardless of race,
color, national origin, religion, disability, age, or gender, is entitled to
equal protection under the law.
The path toward racial progress has had a difficult, sometimes bloody
history: Our early treatment of American Indians and Alaska Natives,
followed by the enslavement and subsequent segregation of African
Americans and then the conquest and legal oppression of Mexican
Americans and other Hispanics, the forced labor of Chinese Americans,
the internment of Japanese Americans, and the harassment of religious
minorities is a history of which many Americans are not fully aware and
no American should be proud. Even the language we chose to characterize
these actions is likely viewed as too conciliatory-or kind-by those affected
groups.
However, as difficult as it may be to acknowledge the darker side of our
history, we strongly acknowledge and appreciate that at every stage of the
struggle to close the gap between the promise of our democratic principles
and our policies and practices, Americans of every race worked side by
side to move the Nation closer to the realization of that promise. From the
abolitionists of the 18th and 19th centuries to the migrant workers of the
West and Southwest to representatives and constituent members of the
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights at the close of the 20th century--all
have fought to retain and expand civil rights protections. No racial group
in America has been absent from these pursuits. Nor can they be in the
future if we are to succeed.
As we look back, we can see more than struggle and discrimination. Along
the uneven path to racial progress, we have also witnessed great courage
and extraordinary leadership by ordinary Americans. These are ordinary
men and women who have recognized that race is often at the center of our
challenge to close the gap between who we are and who we aspire to be as
a Nation. Our continuing challenge is to understand fully what the struggle
was about--making real the promise of America for all--and to identify and
harness the energy and commitment exhibited by earlier generations of
ordinary Americans of all races at critical points in our history.
Any analysis or description of a group--particularly as large a group as a
race of people--has its limits and exceptions. No group is monolithic.
Nevertheless, based on existing research and on what we heard and
learned, there are some statements and conclusions about people in
specific racial groups and their experiences in America that are valid more
often than not. It is in that context, here and throughout the Report, that we
offer our observations.
We begin the next section with a brief discussion of the experiences of the
country's native, original populations with the system of racial domination.
This is followed with a discussion of slavery and its aftermath, a
discussion of Latinos and Asian Pacific Americans, and, finally, a brief
reference to white immigrant and ethnic groups. These synopses are not
intended to substitute for the comprehensive, complex histories of misuse,
oppression, conquest, and slavery that many groups have experienced as
they have voluntarily or by force migrated to this country. It is designed to
highlight the long legacy of mistreatment that is so easy to forget, while
permitting us to the discuss the many contributions and positive changes
that have occurred as racial and ethnic groups have adapted to and been
assimilated into our society. We have all heard the story that America, as a
country, has made great progress in racial accommodation; however, it is,
we believe, essential to recall the facts of racial domination.
The events discussed are not treated in a comprehensive manner. Rather,
they are meant to be signposts of historical episodes that have greatly
influenced our attitudes about race. The very complexity of our task in this
limited context highlights the very real difficulties of those who wish to
engage constructively in racial reconciliation.
The American Indian and Alaska Native Experience Demonstrates the
Complexity of Racial Relationships
Our understanding of America's racial history and its significance within
the context of our larger history often is impeded by complex relationships
and competing, sometimes contradictory, principles and values. The
experience of American Indians and Alaska Natives is a powerful example
of this complexity and contradiction.
We had a unique opportunity to meet with and learn from American Indian
and Alaska Native tribal government leaders and members throughout the
year.[23] Board member Bob Thomas recently made this observation about
American Indians and Alaska Natives:
Their history is unique, their relationship with our State and Federal
governments is unique, and their current problems are unique. While not
large in numbers, their situation tugs at the heart. I confess to being
embarrassed this past year at my lack of knowledge of their overall
situation. Embarrassed because I actually grew up and worked much of my
life in geographic areas populated by Indian tribes, and I was oblivious to
all but the common stereotypes. I suspect that most Americans are as
equally oblivious, and believe a focused "education" initiative [for] the
American public is in order.[24]
On virtually every indicator of social or economic progress, the indigenous
people of this Nation continue to suffer disproportionately in relation to
any other group. They have the lowest family incomes, the lowest
percentage of people ages 25 to 34 who receive a college degree, the
highest unemployment rates, the highest percentage of people living below
the poverty level, the highest accidental death rate, and the highest suicide
rate.
American Indians and Alaska Natives have both a distinctive and an
extraordinarily complex status in the United States. They are the only
minority population with a special relationship with the United States--one
that has been developed over a 200-year period. It was crafted from an
enormously varied set of indigenous societies, a massive European
immigrant population, and the separate laws of each.[25] The more than 550
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes are home to people who are
both U.S. citizens and members of tribes that are sovereign nations.
Sovereignty as an independent political entity means that, like any Nation,
they have geographic, land-based boundaries. No other racial minority in
this country has a land base of more than 56 million acres in mostly
reservation land held in trust in the continental United States, with an
additional 40 million acres in Alaska. Like any other nation, the
relationship of tribal governments with the Federal Government is defined
by the United States Constitution; treaties; executive orders; congressional
acts; Federal, State, and tribal court judgments; and programs administered
by all Federal agencies.[26] Within reservation boundaries, American
Indians are subject to tribal and Federal laws, but not the laws of
contiguous States without tribal consent.[27]
The significance of sovereignty to American Indians and Alaska Natives
cannot be overstated.[28] In a statement provided to the Board, tribal leaders
of the Hualapai Indian Tribe described the importance of sovereignty and
its relationship to race and racism:
[We] wanted to touch on a few key points for an understanding of how
racism manifests itself against Indian tribes....As Indian people, we have
survived years of persecution--in what can only be understood today as a
combination of racism and greed...we have survived as a Tribe. Our
sovereign status is therefore not only a political status, recognized from
the earliest days of European settlement in the United States, it is also key
to our existence as Indians. Accordingly, the most virulent and destructive
form of racism faced by Indian people today is the attack on our tribal
sovereignty.[29]
Recently, Indian tribes have had to respond to questions about tribal
sovereignty in the U.S. Congress. During the 105th Congress, Senate Bill
1691 was introduced that would provide, among other things, a waiver of
tribal sovereign immunity.[30] One tribe, the Pueblo of Laguna, has
described this legislation as today's version of the forced marches and
allotments of years past because it attacked the foundations of tribal
sovereignty and tribal-Federal relations.[31] The resolution of this issue
promises to strain relations between the U.S. Government and Indian
nations.
Few Americans have had an opportunity to learn about the indigenous
people of America in a way that extends beyond the most simplistic,
widely perpetuated stereotypes of Indians. Based on the experiences of the
Board members during the year, it appears that little, if any, correct
information about tribal governments is taught in most schools. This lack
of understanding is particularly problematic when it involves those who
are responsible for developing and implementing government policies and
programs at the Federal, State, and local levels.
Race and racism affect American Indian and Alaska Native communities
in ways similar to their effect on other non-white and Hispanic minorities
in America. Deeply entrenched notions of white supremacy held by
European immigrants were applied to American Indians and Alaska
Natives, who were regarded as inferior and "uncivilized." Therefore,
access to opportunities has been limited, and American Indians and Alaska
Natives have experienced exclusion and isolation from rights and
privileges often taken for granted by most white citizens. They have
become America's most invisible minority.
There have been some indicators of progress in redressing the shortfalls of
history, such as President Clinton's 1994 reaffirmation of the Federal
Government's commitments to operate within a
government-to-government relationship with federally recognized
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes, and to advance self-governance
for such tribes. He also directed Federal agencies to build a more effective
working relationship with tribes, consult with them openly and candidly,
and fully consider their views prior to undertaking actions that may affect
their well-being.[32]
African Americans and the Unique Legacy of Slavery
Blacks have been subjected to long-term and systematic social and
economic discrimination since their arrival on these shores. The
African-American experience is unique because of constitutionally
sanctioned and governmentally enforced slavery and its legacy. However,
discrimination directed against blacks began even before slavery was
institutionalized. This discrimination reflected negative attitudes about
race and color that have remained in place from the 17th century to the
present.
In many respects, the plight and history of blacks has commanded more
attention than the history and treatment of other American racial
minorities. This is true for a number of reasons. African Americans have
constituted the largest American minority community for more than two
centuries. An enormous body of thought was developed and propagated to
justify their enslavement; out of this the negative stereotypes, myths, and
superstitions about race were born. The only Civil War fought in the
United States was over slavery and its economic importance to the
Southern States.
For most blacks, the period following the Civil War and Reconstruction
was a repudiation of the principles and values of the Constitution as they
applied to Americans of African descent. Even as citizens, blacks were
denied by law in the Southern States and by social custom in the North
and West practically all the rights and privileges of American citizenship
enjoyed by whites. This was accomplished in a systematic and complete
way. In spite of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments of the Constitution,
the deeply ingrained ideology of white supremacy continued to impose
upon black citizens the badge of inferiority and closed off most
opportunities for them to assimilate as equals in American society.
Throughout the Initiative year, Board members frequently were asked if
we would support a formal apology for slavery by either the President or
Congress. Advocates for an apology maintained that this is a necessary
step in the racial healing process for the country. We have given this issue
considerable thought over the course of the year. We conclude that the
question of an apology for slavery itself is much too narrow in light of the
experience of blacks over the course of this Nation's history.
Discrimination and racism directed against blacks have been unparalleled
in terms of scope and intensity, not only during the period of slavery but
also during the century following its demise. The period of slavery in this
country represents a national tragedy from many perspectives.
Unless we take forceful steps to eliminate the consequences of this awful
history of racism, they will continue to blight our Nation's future. The
apology we must all make cannot be adequately expressed in words, only
in actions. We must make a collective commitment to eliminate the racial
disparities in opportunity and treatment that characterize too many areas of
our National life.[33]
Perpetuation of the Badge of Inferiority
Latinos.[34] Every minority group in America has a distinct and unique
historical experience with racism and oppression. The early connections of
American Indians, Alaska Natives, African Americans, Asian Pacific
Americans, and Puerto Ricans and other Latinos to the United States are
fundamentally different. Latinos trace their presence in the United States
to either conquest or immigration. In 1848, with the end of the United
States' war against Mexico, thousands of people living on land that was
formerly part of Mexico became subjects of the United States. Similarly,
Puerto Ricans became part of the United States by conquest in 1898.
Puerto Ricans, like Mexican Americans, were bound by their language and
culture and, although Americans by conquest, remained native to their
geographical homeland. All groups, however, experienced marginalization
and discrimination in the United States.
Hispanics are currently the second-largest minority group in the United
States; more than 1 in 10 Americans, or 10.7 percent, are Hispanic.
Hispanics are also one of the fastest growing populations and are expected
to become the largest minority group by 2005. Hispanics are now roughly
12 percent of the labor force and are expected to become almost 40 percent
of new labor force entrants.[35] About one in three Hispanics (30.3 percent)
lives in poverty, compared with 29.9 percent of blacks and 11.2 percent of
whites as of 1990.
There have been a number of fundamental historical events which have
helped shape the course of the relationship of the white population in the
U.S. to its Mexican-American neighbors. Foremost among them was the
war against Mexico in the 1840s. In 1848, at the conclusion of that war,
the U.S. and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,[36] in which
the U.S. absorbed Texas, California, and the Southwest. The U.S.
occupied Mexico City in early 1848 and then ceded this territory for the
modest payment of $15 million to Mexico. General Winfield Scott wrote
at the time that during the war American soldiers "committed atrocities to
make heaven weep and every American of Christian morals blush for his
country."[37] The former secretary of state of the Republic of Texas
commented:
The two races, the Americans distinctively so called, and the Spanish
Americans or Mexicans, are now brought by the war into inseparable
contact. No treaties can henceforth dissever them; and the inferior must
give way before the superior race.[38]
This experience of exclusion and discrimination has continued for other
Hispanics who have come to the United States in large numbers since the
late 1950s (Cubans) to the present record levels of immigration from
Central American countries. It is critically important that the country be
committed to including the historical experiences of Hispanics and other
minorities within a comprehensive framework of our Nation's history if we
are ever able achieve one America.[39] This is especially true with Latinos;
according to the Census Bureau, they will become the largest minority
group in America in the next century.
Asian Pacific Americans--The Perpetual Foreigners.[40] The treatment of
Asian Pacific Americans as non-white, non-European immigrants was
similar to that of other non-white minority groups. For example, Native
Hawaiians, following the conquest of the Hawaiian Islands in 1893,
experienced the same type of racial and cultural subordination that Puerto
Ricans experienced.[41] Only in the past few years have the Native
Hawaiian people gained recognition as a significant force in reclaiming
their place in negotiations over such issues as land rights, cultural
preservation, health care, and education in their native geographical
homeland.
Although most Americans believe that Asian Pacific Americans are new to
this country and have only recently affected the Nation's conversation and
debate on race, Asian Pacific Americans have been shaping the discussion
since the second half of the 19th century. Those who were immigrants
were often thought of as a source of cheap labor. Discriminatory laws and
informal sanctions during those early years limited the economic
opportunities of Asian Pacific Americans and excluded them from certain
occupations.[42] They were also prevented from establishing families and
owning land in the early 1900s. The first Asian Pacific-American
immigrants thus were relegated to jobs as agricultural and factory laborers
or owners of small businesses such as laundries, restaurants, and grocery
stores that required little capital and few English language skills.
While discriminatory laws have limited economic opportunities for Asian
Pacific Americans, America's long history of limiting the ability of Asian
immigrants to become citizens and obtain the full benefits of citizenship
has had an even more significant impact.[43] These laws limiting
citizenship and naturalization worked in tandem with seemingly neutral
laws such as those that prohibited aliens from owning land to discriminate
against Asian Pacific Americans. The internment of Japanese Americans
was the most extreme of the discriminatory laws passed that treated Asian
Pacific Americans as outsiders and foreigners who should be questioned
about their loyalty.[44] Even today new immigrants, many from other
regions of Asia, such as the Phillippines, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia,
continue to feel the legacy of discriminatory laws against Asian Pacific
Americans because they continue to be perceived and treated as foreigners.
Each of the minority groups discussed above share in common a history of
legally mandated and socially and economically imposed subordination to
white European Americans and their descendants. Such subordination has
had powerful consequences for us as a Nation, which are manifested in the
racial disparities discussed in Chapter Four.
However, our interaction with thousands of Americans of all races during
the year has taught us that the blatant and egregious forms of prejudice and
discrimination that were routine even three decades ago are not as frequent
in contemporary society. Racial discrimination is still a fact of
life--although it often is subtle. What clearly remain are significant barriers
to opportunity. Barriers such as racially isolated and underfunded schools
and deeply embedded racial stereotypes about the capacity, motivation,
and ability of minorities have their roots deep in the past but have the
capacity to shape our future unless we act as a community to eliminate
them. Many Americans are searching for answers on how to achieve that
result.
The White Immigrant Experience
Another experience that is important to the building of America is that of
the white immigrant and the impact of ethnic differences on one's ability
to assimilate into American society. For immigrants from countries such
as Ireland or Poland, the process of assimilation often was fraught initially
with discrimination in employment and disenfranchisement at the polls.
After these groups gained some empowerment through the political
process, social acceptance followed. For other groups with strong religious
identification, such as those who were Jewish or Catholic, some degree of
social exclusion, discrimination, and disenfranchisement was common,
with social acceptance slower to follow. More recent immigrants, many of
them Muslim, are only now undergoing the immigrant experience, and
old-world antagonisms fueled by new-world rivalries slow the prospects
for inclusion and acceptance of these groups.
The point is that any group that enters a new country has had to face a
barrage of barriers, whether language or religion or unfamiliar customs.
The greatness of the American experience has been the opportunity for
immigrants from every other country to become active participants in our
political process. However, we also recognize that race and color have
added significantly to the difficulty of some groups to gain acceptance as
Americans with full rights of citizenship.
Americans Hold Conflicting Views on Race and Racial Progress
While most minorities and people of color recognize the role of the legacy
of race and color in their experiences, many whites do not. The Board
found that the story of race at the end of the 20th century and into the 21st
century is a story of conflicting viewpoints. Americans--whites, minorities,
and people of color--hold differing views of race, seeing racial progress so
differently that an outsider could easily believe that whites and most
minorities and people of color see the world through different lenses.
Whites and minorities and people of color also view the role of
government in extremely divergent ways, especially with respect to the
government's role in redressing discrimination.
Another element of contradiction, if not conflict, is the way in which
America functions as a Nation of great optimism, tolerance, and
inspiration focused on creating a more stable and diverse community,
although discrimination, racial and ethnic oppression, and a smaller
number of instances of outright racial evil persist. We are a country in
racial transition; some of us welcome the change, others are unaware of or
fear the change and its ramifications, while a few cling to an older order in
which racism is so comfortably ingrained that it is simply characterized as
"the way it is."
Differing Attitudes
According to numerous polls and surveys that we reviewed, most whites
believe that much of the problem of racial intolerance in this country has
been solved and that further investigation is unwarranted and
inappropriate. Polls also show that most Americans have a distorted view
of who we are as a Nation and are intolerant of some racial groups other
than their own.[45] A poll released by the Washington Post, the Kaiser
Family Foundation, and Harvard University revealed surprisingly
uninformed views on the racial composition of America and the negative
views that each minority group holds toward one another.[46] A 1997
Gallup poll pointed out, "From the white perspective, there are fewer race
problems, less discrimination, and abundance of opportunity for blacks,
and only minimal personal prejudice."[47] Another 1995 poll by the
Washington Post revealed that only 36 percent of whites believe that "past
and present discrimination is a major reason for the economic and social
problems" facing blacks.[48]
A contradictory image of race in this country is clearly held by a large
majority of blacks and Hispanics.[49] Numerous civil rights cases and social
science reports carefully document this stark difference in viewpoints.
Legal analyst Richard Delgado offered an explanation: "White people
rarely see acts of blatant or subtle racism, while minority people
experience them all the time."[50] Research by psychologists echoes that
conclusion:
[W]e [white Americans] tend to see racism as not a problem and
particularly not a problem for us....However, from the perspective...of the
people of color...[t]hey experience the consequences of...subtle biases on a
daily basis. [T]hey see a discrepancy between what we say overtly, which
is about fairness, and justice, and equality, and the subtle biases that
pervade our society, and the way whites behave....[C]reat[ing] a situation
of distrust, where they don't believe whites and where they tend to see this
bias everywhere.[51]
Evidence presented to the Board makes it clear that many whites, in
general, are unaware of how color is a disadvantage to most members of
other groups.[52] For example, at the September Board meeting, Dr.
Lawrence Bobo of Harvard University observed:
In many ways, the centerpiece of the modern racial divide comes in the
evidence of sharply divergent beliefs about the current level, effect, and
very nature of discrimination. Blacks and Latinos, and many Asian
Americans as well, feel it and perceive it in most domains of life. Many
whites acknowledge that some discrimination remains, yet tend to
downplay its contemporary importance....However, minorities not only
perceive more discrimination, they see it as more institutional in
character.[53]
A number of experts raised the sensitive issue of "white
privilege"--institutional advantages based on historic factors that have
given an advantage to white Americans. To understand fully the legacy of
race and color with which we are grappling, we as a Nation need to
understand that whites tend to benefit, either unknowingly or consciously,
from this country's history of white privilege. Examples include being able
to purchase an automobile at a price lower than that available to a
comparable minority or person of color;[54] not being followed through
department stores by clerks or detectives who seemingly follow almost all
young Hispanic and black men; being offered prompt service while
minorities and people of color are often still refused service or made to
wait.[55] White privilege can affect all aspects of life, as Dr. James Jones
stated: "While whites are generally privileged or at least given the benefit
of the doubt, too often persons of color are simply doubted."[56] One of the
lessons of our experience is the significant degree of unawareness by
whites today of the extent of stereotypes, discrimination, and racism. One
of our conclusions is the importance of educating all people of the
continuing existence of prejudice and privilege. These invisible benefits
need to be acknowledged by all as vital and consequential features of our
society.
Moving in the Right Direction
If there has been a constant theme in our meetings over the year, it is this:
Persistent racial disparities and discrimination remain.[57] Changing
America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being by Race and
Hispanic Origin, a report compiled by the White House Council of
Economic Advisers, is being released in conjunction with this Report.
These indicators of social and economic well-being by race present
evidence that although progress has been made, significant racial
disparities and discrimination continue despite more than 30 years of civil
rights laws and some progress directly attributable to affirmative action
and other programs.
Those who argue that there has been no change, however, and that racism
is an unchanging fixture in American life are, in our observation, incorrect.
Research revealed steadily improving racial attitudes, especially among
whites, over the past four decades. It is fair to say that there is a
deep-rooted national consensus on the ideals of racial equality and
integration, even if that consensus falters on the best means to achieve
those ideals. For example, local police and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation aggressively pursued the investigation of the murder of
James Byrd[58] and death threats to 60 University of California at Irvine
students with Asian surnames,[59] and there was a recent conviction
obtained in the 30-year-old cases involving Ku Klux Klan-related murders
of Medgar Evers and Vernon Dahmer.
Many tangible examples of racial progress exist, from the integration of
the military to the numbers of minority-elected officials, compared with 30
years ago. Examples range from the freedom of minorities and people of
color to use public accommodations to the reduction of racial hostility
when minorities and people of color seek to rent or buy homes, from the
growing minority middle class to the significant increase in interracial
marriages. Discriminatory treatment still persists, but it is often, although
not always, more subtle and less overtly hostile.
Too few of us have a real, or more than superficial, understanding of the
forces that have resulted in the racial disparities that exist in educational
and economic opportunity. Nor do we have a full or clear understanding of
the way societal institutions currently manifest the vestiges of past
discrimination and racist behavior. Many believe that racial discrimination
is a thing of the past--the distant past at that. Yet, many also sincerely
believe that racial inequality and racial disparities in education and
employment are the result of lack of capacity, individual failing, poor
family values, the influence of an environment in which personal
responsibility is absent, or just plain bad luck. Although all of those
factors may play a role with respect to specific individuals, the fact that
minorities and people of color experience certain life conditions far more
negatively than non-minority citizens offers powerful evidence that the
consequences of a long history of discrimination, prejudice, and unequal
treatment have not been adequately addressed in our society.
It is essential that we recognize the continuing impact of our history on
today's world. We must be equally aware of the increasingly diverse
Nation in which we live--which we discuss in Chapter Three--so proposals
for addressing discrimination and disparities reflect the issues and needs of
a changing society.
-------------------------------
Chapter Three--The Changing Face of America
With few exceptions, the challenges and issues that the Advisory Board
confronted in its meetings, dialogues on race, reports, and correspondence,
while often complex, were not new. What has changed and will continue
to change is the extent of our racial and ethnic diversity.
Thirty-three years ago, in 1965, President Johnson wrote in the foreword
to a journal exploring the state of race relations:
Nothing is of greater significance to the welfare and vitality
of this Nation than the movement to secure equal rights....
No one who understands the complexity of this task is likely to promote
simple means by which it may be accomplished. [The]...effects of
deprivation [are interlocking]--in education, in housing, in employment, in
citizenship, in the entire range of human endeavor by which personality is
formed.
If we are to have peace at home, if we are to speak with one honest voice
in the world-indeed, if our country is to live with its conscience--we must
affect every dimension of the [black American's] life for the better.[60]
President Johnson and society's focus then was almost exclusively
black-white. Sixteen years later, in 1981, President Johnson's 1965
statement about the plight of blacks was cited again in the same journal.[61]
However, in addition to confirming its continued relevance, the journal's
editor noted that the issues raised by the President had grown even more
insistent and complex. Importantly, the discussion in 1981[62] was
expanded to include not only blacks but also American Indians and Alaska
Natives, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Ricans; "four peoples--the
'victims' of conquest--men and women who did not choose America, who
have long suffered exclusion and discrimination because of their origins,
live overwhelmingly in conditions substantially different from those
common to other groups in the United States."[63]
In 1998, although we have made a great deal of progress, Americans are
still divided by racial and cultural barriers.[64] Our challenge is to see the
barriers that remain as opportunities for learning, not as obstacles to
common interests. We believe it is a challenge that can be met.
To be successful, however, we as a Nation first need to understand the
changing face of America, the implications of the changes on how we
think about race and race-related issues, and how we improve race
relations and become one American community in the new millennium.
Trends indicate that as we move into the 21st century, we can anticipate an
even more significant shift in the racial and ethnic profile of the American
population, making reconciliation even more urgent.
A Nation in Racial Transition
From before its founding, through its expansion and colonization, and
through immigration, this Nation has always had a diverse mix of races,
cultures, and ethnic groups. This diversity is greater now than at any time
in our history. America's native populations alone include more than 550
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes with distinct cultures, speaking
more than 150 different languages--only a fraction of whom the Board was
able to reach during its tenure. The Hispanic population comprises
individuals of different cultures, national origins, and colors. For example,
people with family roots in Spain, Cuba, Mexico, the Dominican
Republic, Argentina, and other Central and South American countries
(e.g., Columbia, El Salvador, Honduras, and Peru) are considered
Hispanic. Similarly, the Asian Pacific American category covers a large
number of ethnic groups that also have distinct languages. Indians,
Pakistanis, and Sri Lankans from South Asia are grouped together with
Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans from East Asia. Also included in this
group are Southeast Asians (such as Hmongs, Laotians, and Vietnamese)
as well as Pacific Islanders (such as Fijians, Guamanians, and Samoans).
The black population is equally diverse. Although a majority of African
Americans are native born, an increasing number of people who are
considered blacks are immigrants from Africa and the West Indies. Of
course, this heterogeneity within racial groups is not a new phenomenon.
Whites have always included people of diverse ethnic, language, and
national backgrounds. Europeans from different regions as well as people
from the Middle East are classified as white for the purposes of data
collection but obviously represent distinct groups.
During our meeting in September 1997, we heard from demographers who
described the current United States population and the expected future
racial composition of the population in the next 50 years. Today, as of the
1990 Census, the face of America is almost 73 percent white, 12 percent
black, 11 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Asian Pacific American, and 1
percent American Indian and Alaska Native.
Census projections indicate that in the 21st century, America's racial
landscape will continue to shift. In 2050 the population in the United
States is projected to be approximately 53 percent white, 25 percent
Hispanic, 14 percent black, 8 percent Asian Pacific American, and 1
percent American Indian and Alaska Native. (See Exhibit 1.) Almost
two-thirds of the U.S. population growth over the next 50 years most
likely will come from immigrants, their children, and their
grandchildren.[65] Both Census Bureau and Immigration Naturalization
Service (INS) statistics reveal that the overwhelming majority (almost
three-fourths) of the new immigrants to the United States are Hispanic or
Asian Pacific Islander.
According to recent Census Bureau reports, the United States now has, for
the first time, more Hispanic children under age 18 than it does black
children.[66] Hispanic children have grown from only 8 percent of the
population in 1980 to 15 percent in 1998.[67] The Census Bureau estimates
that by 2020, 20 percent of all children under 18 years of age will be of
Hispanic origin, while black children will constitute 17 percent of this age
group.[68] Another example of dramatic demographic change is that of
Asian Pacific Americans, which was less than 1 percent of the total U.S.
population in 1970. The Census Bureau estimates that this population will
grow to 8 percent in 2050, representing the greatest percentage change of
any racial group for that period.[69]
Racial Designations Are Growing More Complex
The country's growing diversity will be influenced by the increasing
number of intermarriages. Americans are marrying persons of different
races at increasing rates. While second-generation immigrants often
intermarry, third-generation intermarriage is even more frequent.
U.S. Census 1990 data for people ages 25 to 34 indicate that almost
32 percent of native-born Hispanic husbands and 31 percent of
native-born Hispanic wives had white spouses. Thirty-six percent of
native-born Asian Pacific American men married white women, and
45 percent of Asian Pacific American women espoused white men.
A majority of American Indian and Alaska Native men and women
married white spouses and had the highest rates of intermarriage. In the
25-to-34 age group, 8 percent of black men and 4 percent of black women
married individuals of another race.[70] The percentage of whites
intermarrying was smaller than that of blacks.[71]
In our view, rates of intermarriage are important for two reasons. They
measure social interaction between persons of different races and they
complicate the way the offspring of these marriages may identify
themselves by race. The U.S. Census has only recently allowed individuals
to identify themselves by race using more than one racial category. It
remains to be seen how offspring of racial intermarriage will identify
themselves.[72] This uncertainty casts doubt on whether the demographic
changes predicted by the U.S. Census, based on the trends of previous
years, will be fully realized. Indeed, the concepts of race and the language
we use to discuss our diversity today may change as fast and dramatically
as our diversity itself.
There are no easy metaphors or key slogans to describe what we are
becoming. In the travels of the Board and through discussions with people
across the Nation, it was apparent that people struggle to attach a new
metaphor to the changing demography. The metaphors of a "melting pot"
and "mosaic" are inadequate given what we know today. The melting pot
suggests a loss of identity, and mosaic suggests that people will never
come together but instead will maintain rigid separation. Instead, we are
becoming a new society, based on a fresh mixture of immigrants, racial
groups, religions, and cultures, in search of a new language of diversity
that is inclusive and will build trust.
Searching For a New Language of Diversity
The changing face of America has serious implications for how we will
talk about race in the future. We know, as Dr. James Jones stated during
an early Board meeting, that race is a "social, not a biological construct,"
and that "race is a term whose use and impact is far more consequential to
those who have been targets of hostile actions than those who have
perpetuated them or been the incidental beneficiaries of their
consequences."[73]
There is no simple way to say what race or racial groupings mean in
America because they mean very different things to those who are in and
those who are out of the target "racial" group. At a Board meeting in San
Jose, California, we were criticized for not including European Americans.
When two Board members who are white indicated that they were
descendants of Europeans, the critic denied that they were capable of
speaking for European Americans, but when questioned was unable to
explain with clarity why he felt that was so.
We have seen in our own lifetimes how social changes can influence the
way we understand and talk about race. For example, most Americans
have learned that it is inappropriate to use the terms "Colored" or "Negro"
to refer to blacks or "Oriental" to refer to Asian Pacific Americans. It is
also no longer an acceptable social norm to use derogatory racial epithets
or caricatures, even though, regrettably, some people continue to use them.
Further, many individuals want to identify themselves differently than
society does. They bear the brunt of criticism by those who believe those
individuals want to deny affiliation with particular racial groups. For
example, Tiger Woods, the dynamic young golfer and the youngest player
to win the prestigious Masters tournament, recognizes the contributions of
both his mother's (Asian) and father's (black and American Indian)
ancestors to his racial identification and has been criticized for searching
for an alternative label for himself.[74]
Racial groupings may be inadequate because individuals are
uncomfortable with the breadth of the categories. For instance, many
Americans of Asian Indian descent are uncomfortable with the use of the
category Asian Pacific American to describe themselves or are uncertain
whether the term encompasses them. Cubans do not have the same culture
as immigrants from Spain or El Salvador. Similarly, blacks who are
immigrants from Caribbean countries or who have strong roots in the
Caribbean are often more comfortable being described as Caribbean
American than African American. In many cases, Arab Americans chafe at
being labeled white, because this characterization ignores that Arab
Americans are a diverse group of people.[75] Even many members of white
ethnic groups view the use of their ethnic origin in describing themselves
(for example, Italian Americans or Irish Americans) as an important aspect
of who they are. Racial categories, although useful and necessary to track
discrimination, often get in the way of both a clear analysis of facts and a
clear-headed dialogue about what individual cultures offer to the
community and country as a whole.
The country has moved toward new, as yet unsolidified, ways of thinking
and talking about race and ethnicity. Yet there are still troublesome
examples of racist activity: racially motivated hate crimes, the continued
use of American Indians as mascots,[76] and intimidation by white
supremacist groups. The shifting characteristics of racial and ethnic
groupings and their deeper meanings make it hard to have a concrete
conversation about what race means to any one group.
Determining the Facts of Racial Diversity
In trying to develop a framework for the study and discussion of race
during the year, Board members were aware of a number of reports and
studies on the root causes of racial prejudice and its consequences. Two
notable studies, Swedish sociologist Gunnar Myrdal's An American
Dilemma[77] and the Kerner Commission's Report of the National Advisory
Commission on Civil Disorders[78] described the history and systematic
racial discrimination suffered by blacks. The Kerner Commission's dire
prediction that we are a "Nation moving towards two societies, one black,
one white--separate and unequal"[79] chronicled the deliberate exclusion of
Americans of African descent from full participation in American society.
During the early months of the Initiative, despite our best efforts to broaden
discussions and examinations of race, they seemed to veer almost inevitably
to black-white issues. Until recently, most of the data gathered on race by
government agencies compared black and white disparities. Searches on the
Internet for data about racial categories and issues produce volumes on blacks
and increasingly more on Latinos. But finding good sources of trend data
beyond the black-white paradigm and recent data beyond Latinos is
difficult. The major analytical reports on race in the past have focused
primarily on blacks.
America's history of research obscures today's racial realities and issues. In
his critique of the continuing and almost exclusive reference to the
black-white paradigm in discussions of race, Professor George Sanchez of
the University of Southern California made the following observation:
The history of white on black racism blinds Americans from recognizing
any other forms of interracial tensions. Racism against Asian Pacific
Americans and Latin Americans is dismissed as either "natural
byproducts" of immigrants' assimilation or as extensions of the
white-black dichotomy. Moreover, when African Americans perform acts
of racism, they are quickly ignored or recast except as a threat to the white
dominated society.[80]
America's racial conflict can no longer be confined to a discussion of
white versus black. The concerns of Professor Sanchez must be included
more often in the conversation on race and in the discussion of solutions.
We can approach these issues more constructively if we acknowledge that
the success of the modern civil rights movement is considered by many to
have been a powerful influence on this country's consciousness about race,
and it also helped to encourage more advocacy and activism among other
minority communities.[81] However, a more important factor influencing
the expansion of the dialogue is the growing complexity and changing
demographics of race since the 1960s.
Improve Data Collection
To understand fully the challenges we face in the 21st century, it is
essential to improve reporting on America's less visible racial groups:
American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and all of the
subgroups that make up the big umbrella categories of Asian Pacific
Americans and Hispanics. Board members often heard anecdotes about
individuals feeling "left out" of the discussion because we failed to make
appropriate distinctions and references. For example, the experiences of
most Vietnamese Americans are different from those of Korean Americans
or Japanese Americans. Yet, all fall under the category "Asian Pacific
American." Puerto Ricans have experiences that are distinct from Cubans.
Guatemalan Americans have a history different from Mexican Americans.
In this case, all are Latinos or Hispanics in the demographic tables.
Steps are being taken to close the data gap. For the first time, a fact book
has been published that documents differences in well-being by race and
ethnicity in seven broad categories: population, education, labor markets,
economic status, health, crime and criminal justice, and housing and
neighborhoods. The book Changing America: Indicators of Social and
Economic Well-Being by Race and Hispanic Origin was produced by the
Council of Economic Advisers in consultation with the Federal statistical
agencies in response to the Initiative. The information provides a
benchmark for measuring future progress and highlights priorities for
reducing disparities across racial and ethnic lines. It is only the first effort
to identify such indicators; we hope they will be improved in the next few
years. As we discuss in Chapter Five, these indicators can serve as the
basis for a periodic report card on racial progress.
In addition, the National Research Council, the research arm of the
National Academy of Sciences, will convene a conference in October 1998
to examine past and emerging trends for different racial and ethnic groups
in key areas, including health, education, employment, and the
administration of justice. Researchers will submit papers summarizing
social science evidence on these trends for whites, blacks, American
Indians, Alaska Natives, Hispanics, Asian Pacific Americans, and others,
and how the trends have been affected by public policy. The conference
also will identify key gaps in research and data that need to be filled to
promote a clear understanding of race-related issues.[82]
The story of race in America is a story of transition. That we have changed
and will continue to change is inevitable--how we make this transition is
the story to be written and is within our control. Armed with more
complete data, goodwill, and resources, we will be better able to identify
problems, focus on our challenges, and establish our policy priorities. We
also will be better equipped to learn and talk about our diversity in school,
at work, and at home. We have good reason to know about all of
America's faces because wherever we came from, and however long ago,
we are moving into the 21st century together.
The next chapter is an assessment of the challenges we face and must meet
if we are to sustain the forward movement of recent years in resolving the
"problems of the color line" in America. Those challenges are not new, but
they are more complex. As we have described, the face of America has
changed and will change even more dramatically in the next half-century.
We believe the recommendations that follow represent a downpayment on
our future success as a multi-racial, internally strong, and globally
competitive democracy.
-------------------------------
Chapter Four--Bridging the Gap
Significant progress has been made in expanding the promise of America
to members of minority groups.[83] By the same token, the legacy of race
and color continues to limit opportunities. The life chances of minorities
and people of color in the United States are constrained by this legacy and
by continued discrimination and racial disparities[84] that are often the
result of discrimination.
Summarized here are some of the key facts and background information
presented at Advisory Board meetings, which show that persistent barriers
to full inclusion in American society exist in education, employment,
economic opportunity, criminal justice, and health care. We also reiterate
many of the recommendations we made to the President throughout the
year.[85] We are grateful that the Administration has already begun to
implement some of these key recommendations and is reviewing and
considering others. Several of the recommendations are longer term
solutions that will require further study by the President and other public-
and private-sector officials.
One of our fundamental beliefs is that the creation of greater opportunities
and the reduction of racial disparities in the important facets of American
life will lead us to a more just society.
Civil Rights Enforcement
Data as well as anecdotal information demonstrate that discrimination on
the basis of race, color, and national origin is active and the source of
harmful consequences to men, women, and children who are its targets.
Discrimination contributes to alienation and further impedes our ability to
live, work, and grow together as one America, free from prejudicial,
stereotypical behavior. Much of this discriminatory behavior is illegal and
can be pursued in courts by individuals or the Federal Government under
existing civil rights laws.
However, major impediments block effective civil rights enforcement.
Two of the most significant barriers are the lack of data about some
minority groups and underfunding of civil rights enforcement agencies.
Data and research on discrimination have not been systematically
developed and maintained for minority communities other than for African
Americans and, more recently, Hispanics. Systematically developed and
maintained data on discrimination are lacking for Asian Pacific
Americans, American Indians (including Alaska Natives and Native
Hawaiians), and others protected by law from racial discrimination.[86]
In addition, since roughly 1982, Federal civil rights enforcement agencies
have lost considerable ground. Their budgets and staffing have been
notably reduced while many of their responsibilities have increased, which
has necessarily limited their ability to aggressively and effectively enforce
civil rights laws. Recent funding increases have not kept pace with
inflation, the volume of cases, or the need for careful compliance
investigations.[87]
Budget and staffing reductions make it particularly difficult for these
agencies to devote sufficient time and attention to training staff and
provide federally funded recipients with technical assistance to recognize
and prevent discrimination. This is especially true for the increasingly
subtle and complex forms of contemporary discrimination, which have
largely supplanted more blatant forms of discrimination typically found
before and immediately after the enactment of the major civil rights laws
in the 1960s.
Recommendations
o Strengthen civil rights enforcement throughout the United States. The
President has proposed an $86-million increase in funding for civil rights
enforcement in fiscal year (FY) 1999, the largest increase in nearly two
decades. We urge the President to build on the Administration's FY 1999
budget proposal and propose additional funding increases in FY 2000. The
President should enable and require Federal enforcement agencies to
create partnerships with States and localities that enforce laws comparable
to those that operate at the Federal level. The goal would be to strengthen
agencies' capabilities to effectively enforce the civil rights laws.
o Improve data collection on racial and ethnic discrimination. The
Federal Government should improve its ability to collect, analyze, and
disseminate reliable data on the nature and extent of discrimination based
on race and national origin, but not to the exclusion of data collection on
other protected classifications (for example, gender or age). A
well-designed and coordinated process of generating relevant indicators
should become part of a regular report on the extent of discrimination in
such areas as education, health care, employment, housing, and the
administration of justice. Such a report would not only assist policymakers
but also would increase cooperation among the various Federal agencies
involved in civil rights enforcement and education. The information also
will aid the public by identifying trends. Further, these reports and
indicators can be enhanced with data for local areas.
o Central to our concern is the need to significantly improve the level of
information about all minority groups and the discrimination they face.
o Strengthen laws and enforcement against hate crimes. We must take
action to eliminate hate crimes. In 1996 more than 10,000 hate crime
offenses were reported, the vast majority of which were based on racial
and ethnic bias.[88] Hate crimes are far more destructive than other criminal
acts, for each offense has many victims. "A hate crime victimizes not only
the immediate target but every member of the group that the immediate
target represents."[89]
The White House Hate Crimes Conference yielded important proposed
solutions concerning how to better address hate crime, including
enhancing data collection on hate crimes, strengthening hate crime laws,
increasing hate crime prosecutions by assigning additional FBI agents and
prosecutors to work on enforcement, establishing local working groups to
develop best practices to address hate crimes, and developing educational
materials to prevent hate crimes by teaching young people the importance
of tolerance and respect. We strongly endorse these efforts and urge
continued vigilance to prevent and punish hate crimes.
Education and Race[90]
All children in America should have the opportunity to obtain a
high-quality education in an environment that inspires the desire to learn
and grow. Education will provide future generations of Americans the
ability to compete effectively in the information-age economy. Education
will guide Americans to recognize that the racial differences among our
people can be a source of strength. Education will allow every individual
to move beyond his or her own personal experiences and understand that
the most important values we hold as a Nation require informed, active
participation of the public at large.
Our concern is that those who live disproportionately in areas of
concentrated poverty are restricted from educational opportunities and
public resources. Concentrated poverty means they face a confluence of
interlocking disadvantage. The disadvantages include ineffective schools,
where low expectations and low standards are the norm; substandard and
crumbling school facilities and housing; inadequate public transportation;
and poorly financed social services. More importantly, the restrictions are
being felt most deeply among poor children, minority children, and
children of color. The data concerning teacher preparation, early childhood
learning, high school achievement, college admission, and school learning
environments suggest that there are several steps that both the Federal and
local governments can take to broaden opportunities and level the playing
field. There also is room for community-based organizations to help create
a channel for research, public education, and access to services. In
addition, innovative partnerships with private businesses should be
considered since many private companies share a concern that the future
workforce of the Nation be prepared not only to function, but also to
compete in the information-age economy. To the extent that the
Government can encourage partnerships that reflect collaboration across
racial and ethnic lines, such partnerships should be supported through
Government programs and other privately funded programs. We must
debunk the myth that increasing the national commitment to education
means increasing national control over education rather than strengthening
the partnership between State, local, and tribal governments.
Two challenges are of primary importance. The first is overcoming racial
disparities in educational opportunity and attainment by providing all our
children with the highest quality education beginning in the earliest years
and extending throughout the education pipeline. Data show that
substantial racial disparities exist. (Students of color are less likely to have
access to such educational opportunities and resources as preschool
programs, high-quality teachers, challenging curriculums, high standards,
up-to-date technology, and modern facilities.[91] For example, a recent
study shows that 42 percent of schools with more than 50-percent minority
enrollment reported at least one inadequate building, compared with 29
percent of schools with 5 percent or less minority enrollment.[92]
Second, we must seek to educate all our children in high-quality,
integrated schools where they have the opportunity to learn together in
ways that can break down negative stereotypes and improve race relations.
Segregation remains a problem both in and among our schools, and the
situation appears to be getting worse.[93]
These goals of high-quality schools and integration are not mutually
exclusive. They are complementary goals. Simply put, high-quality,
integrated schools provide a more complete educational experience for all
students than high-quality, segregated schools. Conversely, ineffective,
racially isolated schools in high-poverty areas present our greatest obstacle
to the two goals set out above. State finance systems often shortchange
these schools where educational need is greatest--directing funds away
from poor neighborhoods to those that are more affluent. In addition,
teachers with more experience opt to teach in more affluent
neighborhoods. To a great extent, we know what to do to promote
educational equity and excellence; we just have to have the commitment
and courage as a Nation to do it. If we are successful here, fundamental
change will follow.
Recommendations
o Enhance early childhood learning. Emerging evidence indicates that a
child's development in the earliest years is crucial to his or her
development throughout life. However, data indicate that racial disparities
persist in terms of early childhood learning. For example, 1996 data show
that 89 percent of white children ages 3 to 5 were read to three or more
times per week compared with 76 percent of black children and 65 percent
of Hispanic children. White children were also more likely to have visited
a library in the past month.[94] The Federal Government should take action
to help eliminate such disparities and enhance early childhood learning
opportunities for children of all races.[95] Such efforts could include
providing training and services for parents, who must be every child's first
teachers, and expanding support for such programs as Head Start, Early
Head Start, and Even Start.
o Strengthen teacher preparation and equity. There is strong consensus
that high-quality teachers are our most valuable educational resource, and
the need for high-quality teachers is increasing; an estimated 2 million
new teachers will be hired in the next decade. However, although many of
our Nation's teachers are exceptional public servants who deserve great
respect and support, there also is a consensus that high-quality teachers are
too scarce a resource, especially in high-poverty, high-minority
communities. Many teachers in such communities are teaching without
certification and/or without a college major or minor in their primary
fields.[96] If we are serious about ensuring that all children have access to
high-quality education and high standards, the Nation must make a
national priority the task of increasing the number of high-quality teachers
with high expectation for all students.
The Federal Government should take action to strengthen teacher
preparation and professional development, to promote equity by
encouraging high-quality teachers to teach in underserved communities,
and to ensure that teachers promote high expectation for students of all
races. Such efforts could include encouraging States to strengthen teacher
certification requirements and holding colleges and universities
accountable for producing teachers who meet certification requirements.
They also could include creating incentives to both attract top students to
teaching and encourage certified teachers to teach in underserved
communities. Teachers who perform well should be rewarded, teachers
who perform poorly should receive additional training, and the
government should work with unions to establish procedures to counsel
ineffective teachers out of the profession. The President's proposed
Initiative to Get Good Teachers to Underserved Areas, which would
provide $350 million to recruit new teachers to teach in low-income
schools and create grants for colleges and universities to improve teacher
preparation, is an important step. A larger, more comprehensive effort is
necessary.
o Promote school construction. Students cannot learn effectively in
overcrowded schools with crumbling walls, old wiring, inadequate heat,
and/or no air conditioning. Poor facilities hinder teaching and learning,
limit access to technology, and dampen students' expectations and feelings
of self-worth. It is estimated that building and renovating our public
schools to adequately serve all students will cost more than $100
billion.[97] The Federal Government should take action in partnership with
State, local, and tribal governments, the private sector, and the non-profit
sector to address this need. The President's proposed School Construction
and Modernization Initiative, which would provide Federal tax credits to
pay interest on $22 billion in bonds to renovate schools, is crucial, but it
should be expanded by committing direct Federal funds and requiring
State matching funds, similar to Federal funding for highway construction.
School construction must be made a national priority.
o Promote movement from K-12 to higher education. As with elementary
and secondary school education, full and equal access to higher education
is essential. However, data show that racial disparities persist in movement
from secondary school through higher education.[98] (See Exhibit 2.)
Furthermore, in those States in which affirmative action has been made or
declared unlawful, data show a substantial decrease in the numbers of
students of color accepted at the most prestigious institutions.[99]
Efforts must be taken to ensure equal opportunity in higher education
and to strengthen the pipeline from K-12 through higher education. Such
efforts should include support for partnerships between college and K-12
schools that increase expectations by exposing students to future
educational opportunities. Programs also should help students meet those
expectations by providing vital support services, such as mentoring and
counseling, to improve academic achievement levels and reduce dropout
rates.[100] Preliminary research shows that such programs work. The
President's proposed High Hopes Initiative, which would create
partnerships between colleges and schools in low-income communities to
administer such programs, is directly on point and could be expanded in
several ways, such as continuing the student support services throughout
college. Other efforts could include increasing the availability of advanced
placement courses in high-poverty, high-minority school districts and
providing financial support, such as loans or grants, for college test
preparation courses.
o Promote the benefits of diversity in K-12 and higher education.
Emerging evidence shows that diversity in the education context,
including racial diversity, is essential to providing all students with a
complete educational experience. To varying degrees in the K-12 and
higher education contexts, diversity can promote many benefits that accrue
to all students and society. Diversity improves teaching and learning by
providing a range of perspectives that enrich the learning environment;
strengthens students' critical-thinking skills by challenging their existing
perspectives; teaches students how to interact comfortably with people
different than themselves and thereby how to function as good citizens and
neighbors; improves students' preparation for employment by teaching
them the value of different perspectives, how to function in diverse
business settings, and how to communicate effectively in our increasingly
diverse domestic marketplace and the expanding global marketplace; and
fosters the advancement of knowledge by spurring study in new areas of
concern.
To realize these benefits, we need to promote diversity in our academic
institutions and create environments that offer opportunities for students to
learn from and about persons who are different than themselves. The
Federal Government should work with the education community to
articulate and publicize these benefits of diversity. Such efforts should
include ensuring that tracking in primary and secondary schools is not
implemented in ways that improperly resegregate students, and working
with higher education leaders to share best practices that can promote the
educational benefits of diversity.
o Provide education and skills training to overcome increasing income
inequality that negatively affects lower skilled and less-educated
immigrants.[101] The high rates of Hispanic high school dropouts (some of
whom are immigrants or children of immigrants) suggest that in addition
to improved educational quality for poor children and children of color,
there is a clear need for continued English-language training to ensure that
limited-English proficient students can perform and compete in the
educational system. High-quality, bilingual education programs have
significant educational value because limited-English proficient students
can keep up with other subjects while learning English. Bilingual
education programs must be flexible. They should be implemented with
the needs of communities and their members as top priorities. However, as
a Nation we have done an inadequate job of explaining the need for and
the best characteristics of bilingual training for adults and children. We
therefore recommend that the Department of Education improve research
in this area to assess the value of well-implemented programs and to share
promising models from different communities.
o Implement the comprehensive American Indian and Alaska Native
education policy. To meet the particular needs of American Indian and
Alaska Native students, we urge that the Administration ensure the
effective implementation of the comprehensive Federal American Indian
and Alaska Native education policy outlined in Executive Order 13096.
This policy includes strategies for improving and expanding educational
opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Native students.
Race and Poverty
We heard much debate over whether "the issue" is race or poverty. Based
on our experiences, we believe it is both. Socioeconomic factors alone
cannot account for all disparities in achievement, status, and opportunity
because racial discrimination continues to play a major role in limiting
opportunities.
Disparities in Living Standards Continue
We know that building one America requires that we overcome racial
disparities--particularly those relevant to educational attainment and
opportunity and participation of minorities in the economy--whether they
are caused by socioeconomic or racial factors or both. The fact that these
racial disparities are significant and continue to exist even in a time of
relative prosperity is more troubling than whether the cause is race or
poverty.
In the 1950s the poverty rate of blacks was nearing 60 percent, while the
white poverty rate was less than 20 percent. Although this gap declined
substantially by the mid-1990s, it did not disappear. (See Exhibit 3.)
Moreover, the gap is significant not only for blacks but also for American
Indians and Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and Asian Pacific Americans as
well. According to 1996 statistics, 11 percent of whites, 14.5 percent of
Asian Pacific Americans, 28 percent of blacks, 29 percent of Hispanics,
and 51 percent of American Indians who live on reservations[102] live in
poverty. Despite the higher relative rates of poverty for minority groups, it
also is useful to recall--as many easily forget--that in terms of actual
numbers nearly half of all the poor people in the United States are
white.[103]
Concentrated Poverty and Race
Poverty is not only a matter of individuals and families living with
insufficient income. Large portions of America's cities and some rural
communities experience pockets or patterns of "concentrated poverty" in
which 30 to 40 percent or more of the residents are poor. These
neighborhoods are typically stigmatized by dilapidated housing, vacant
units with broken or boarded-up windows, ineffective and crumbling
public schools, inadequate or limited public and private transportation, and
despair. These inner-city "ghettos" and "barrios" are often many miles
from suburban and emerging job centers (that is, minorities are
disproportionately segregated or isolated in these areas of concentrated
poverty).[104] Demographic research clearly indicates that racial
discrimination and segregation tend to cause and compound the problem
of spatially concentrated poverty in our country.[105]
Today, we have a deeper appreciation for the complex relationship of race
and poverty within the web of such public policy issues as welfare,
housing, transportation, childcare, employment, and actionable
discrimination. Due to the difficulty in untangling the various causes of
poverty from overarching race issues, the solutions to these problems are
complicated and present enormous public policy challenges for the
Administration and State, local, and tribal governments.
Recommendations
o Examine income inequality. The President should initiate discussions
among senior policymakers and congressional leaders, as well as among
leaders in the private sector, on the existence of long-term patterns of
income inequality. These discussions would flesh out potential means of
reducing these patterns that so notably limit the country's ability to reduce
systemic poverty and concomitant racial disadvantage.
o Support supplements for small business administration programs. Tax
credits and other benefits that permit corporations to provide philanthropic
support for micro-credit development programs should be strongly
encouraged. Such financing is critically important; many, if not all, of the
clients for such programs have damaged or limited credit histories that
prevent them from seeking funding from regular lending institutions or
from the Small Business Administration.
o Use the current economic boom to provide necessary job training and to
increase the minimum wage. It is important to take advantage of the
current economic boom to aggressively reach out to educate, train, and
place as many people as possible in positions in the new economy. These
additional efforts would supplement the welfare-to-work transition and
should also include a commitment to a higher minimum wage.
o Evaluate anti-poverty program effectiveness. The Board recommended
the establishment of a White House task force involving Federal agencies
engaged in addressing various aspects of the anti-poverty problem. The
task force would evaluate which of these current or lapsed programs have
proven useful in reducing poverty on a sustained basis. The task force
should use available data to assess whether programs are equally effective
for all minority groups. If they are not, the task force should seek the
reasons they are not succeeding. This cross-agency evaluation would
assess how to improve coordination and integration of local level
programs so that tools managed by different agencies have a better,
cumulative impact.
Welfare Reform and Race: An Issue in Need of Monitoring
In 1996 President Clinton signed sweeping welfare reform legislation (the
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of
1996) aimed at moving persons receiving public assistance from welfare
rolls onto payrolls. The White House also launched the Welfare-to-Work
Partnership, an independent, non-partisan effort by companies nationwide
to hire welfare recipients. Welfare rolls have fallen 37 percent since the
President took office in 1993 and 27 percent since the enactment of
welfare reform in 1996. In 1 year, 135,000 former welfare recipients were
hired. Today, the percentage of the U.S. population on welfare--3.3
percent--is at its lowest level since 1969. A large part of this decline is due
to the robust conditions of the economy. What is not clear is what will
happen to this decline in welfare rolls if the economy stagnates or enters a
recession.
The fact that most States are still designing and implementing
welfare-to-work programs means that there are few good studies or data on
how well welfare reform is working and whether there are any disparate
impacts on minorities and people of color. Clearly a healthy labor market
helps enormously, but it may not help all minorities and people of color
equally. A recent Brookings Institution study, for example, reports that the
inner cities, compared with rural and suburban areas, were much slower in
reducing their welfare caseloads. Cities with larger numbers of distressed,
minority neighborhoods had even slower rates of caseload decline. Some
studies suggest that even when caseloads are reduced, the family members
do not necessarily find jobs that pay a living wage.[106]
There is also worry that because minorities typically spend more time
living in poverty than whites, they will remain longer on welfare
caseloads, resulting in higher minority representation in the total program.
Poverty data (Survey of Income and Program Participation and Panel
Study of Income Dynamics) reveal that white households typically have
shorter durations living in poverty and spend less time drawing down
welfare benefits than do black or Hispanic households. In addition, recent
evidence finds that as welfare rolls continue to plunge, "White recipients
are leaving the system much faster than black and Hispanic recipients,
pushing the minority share of the caseload to the highest level on record."
This is due in part to important differences in education: While 64 percent
of Hispanic recipients lacked a high school education, this was true of only
33 percent of whites and 40 percent of blacks.[107] It is therefore critical
that attention be paid to the impact of welfare reform on minority families
and communities to ensure that the program is administered fairly.[108]
Race and Economic Inequality
The Advisory Board believes that disparities in economic opportunity, like
education disparities, have the potential to deeply fracture America.
Although education is important for raising income and living standards,
education alone cannot eliminate income disparities among racial groups.
The gap in earnings among racial groups persists at all educational
levels.[109] Although there has been considerable progress by minorities
and people of color who have moved into the middle class during the past
40 years, significant disparity remains between the earnings capacity,
economic prosperity, and wealth of whites and most minority groups.[110]
(See Exhibits 4, 5, 6, and 7.)
Many of the experts and community members heard from over the year
presented tangible and gripping evidence of racially discriminatory
treatment; they shared, in many instances, personal accounts and written
complaints of discrimination. They alleged discrimination in employment,
pay, housing, consumer markets, credit markets, and public
accommodations.[111]
Employment and Labor Markets
In many communities, the lack of available work opportunities and the
adequacy of wages are especially acute problems. As Professor William
Julius Wilson argued, the structural transformation of our economy has
meant, and will continue to mean, decreased demand for certain types of
unskilled workers and the lack of access to jobs for many inner-city
residents who live in "jobless ghettos."[112] These major social and
economic dislocations and restructuring cut minorities off from job
networks, making it almost impossible for them to find employment.
Moreover, a recent synthesis of evidence suggests that minorities--blacks
and Hispanics--are on average likely to be denied employment at least 20 to
25 percent of the time.[113] The use of employment "testers" to establish
clear evidence of job bias, a technique that is gaining wide attention, is a
useful and cost-effective tool to uncover systemic hiring discrimination. In
one instance, a Hispanic tester was paired with a comparably qualified
white tester. When the Hispanic tester applied for a receptionist position in
a Washington suburb, she was told the company was not taking additional
applications. The white tester called shortly after and was given an
appointment for the next day. In another case, a black tester was offered
$6.50 an hour for a sales assistant position in a department store, while a
white tester was offered $1 an hour more.[114]
Professor Jose Roberto Juarez also illustrated the continuing problem with
hiring discrimination in his presentation in Phoenix:
[E]mployers are looking for a variety of skills. But some of those skills
can themselves sometimes be a subterfuge for discrimination. So that
when we talk about an employer who says, "Well, the reason that I hired
this particular person is because they had better people skills. They were
better able to relate to the other employees in the workforce."
Quite often that means, gee, the white guy got along a whole lot better
with all the other white guys and if we had this Chicano, she was going to
make us all uncomfortable and so that's why we didn't hire her. And, of
course, the employer isn't saying the last part of that, but that is, in fact,
what may be happening. Not always. And I think it is very important to
recognize that there are a number of different factors that are operating
here.[115]
Discrimination in the workplace is not limited to hiring practices;
discrimination in promotions also affects employment status and
opportunities. Minorities and people of color who are well qualified for
promotion to higher positions often find that the path to future
advancement is blocked by a "glass ceiling," informal practices or
procedures that inhibit minorities' advancement once they are hired.[116]
In addition to the glass ceiling phenomenon, at the Board's meeting in
Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. Paul Ong discussed other barriers to promotion and
advancement within the workplace. He stated, "Disproportionately, Asian
Pacific Islanders end up managing R&D [research and development]
projects and not managing the business....[R]esearch indicates that there's
a certain amount of steering that's going on."[117]
Another major indicator of disparities in economic and employment status
is the unemployment rate. (See Exhibit 8.) Since the mid-1950s, the black
unemployment rate has been roughly double that of whites and has
increased more for non-whites in recessions than for whites. Indeed, the
average rate of unemployment for blacks was more than 10 percent for
roughly two decades and fell below that point for the first time in
1997.[118] Hispanics also have had a higher rate of unemployment than
whites at 7 percent.[119] Much of this disparity persists even when
differences in educational attainment are considered. Moreover,
discrimination in hiring and few job opportunities in low-income
communities contribute to higher rates of unemployment among minority
workers. The following recommendations represent approaches that we
believe to be essential in eliminating racial disparities and promoting a
strong, vibrant economy in which every American can participate.
Recommendations
o Increase the minimum wage for low-wage workers and their families.
Current economic growth has been a major stimulus to reducing the
number of poor people in general and the unemployed poor in particular.
The worry, of course, is that if labor markets again slacken, many newly
hired workers will once again be separated from the economic
mainstream. In addition, all too many jobs--while employing an individual
full time--will not lift that individual out of poverty.[120] As stated earlier,
the Nation should take advantage of the current economic boom to reach
out to the working poor. A higher minimum wage that ensures a decent
living for low-wage workers and their families is needed.[121] More
permanent, full-time jobs paying a living wage must be created to increase
living standards and reduce poverty among minority workers. In addition,
the President should promote innovative partnerships between the public
and private sectors to explore increasing the minimum wage, developing
job training and placement programs, and using the workforce emerging
from our welfare rolls.
o Improve racial data collection. To more effectively target those
communities requiring intervention to improve the economic and
employment status of their members, private and public institutions must
receive accurate and adequate data about existing disparities and
opportunity gaps. Federal agencies that currently gather information about
racial disparities should cooperate to improve data collection by race. The
annual data gathered by the Current Population Surveys should provide a
starting point. Every effort should be made to create statistically
meaningful population samples, even if this means over-sampling certain
populations, including Asian Pacific Americans, American Indians and
Alaska Natives, and Hispanics.[122]
o Evaluate the effectiveness of job-training programs designed to reach
minority and immigrant communities. The President should direct the
Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services to evaluate and
identify elements that appear to predict successful job placement. This
evaluation should also identify elements of the training programs that
address the specific needs of these populations so they can be replicated.
In addition, the Department of Labor should collaborate with other
agencies to create a strategic plan to address the anticipated growth in the
Hispanic and Asian Pacific-American populations. These populations are
projected to more than double and triple, respectively, in the next 50 years.
There are enormous opportunities to diversify job-training programs that
promote the use of this emerging workforce in innovative international
public- and private-sector collaborations.
o Commission a broad study to examine American Indian and Alaska
Native economic development. We urge the President to address the
growing concern among American Indians and Alaska Natives about their
ability to engage in community economic development programs and to
address technology infrastructure needs in Indian country. The President
has already asked the Small Business Administration, the Department of
Interior, and the Department of Commerce to provide a report on the
development of a plan to coordinate existing economic development
initiatives that includes private-sector involvement.[123] Other agencies
with relevant programs should be encouraged to build on this effort.
o Support organized labor and its outreach efforts to minority and
immigrant workers. Organized labor has demonstrated its ability to protect
job security, reduce wage disparities, and provide necessary benefits to
working people. It is important that there be increased recognition of the
benefits of collective bargaining and the role of unions in ensuring
employment equity. At the same time, the Board encourages organized
labor to continue its outreach to minority and immigrant workers who
commonly face exploitation in the workplace.
Race and Housing Markets
Active forms of racial discrimination in housing continue to infect our
housing markets. That discrimination--whether in renting an apartment,
buying a home, or obtaining a mortgage--is among the key causes of racial
segregation and isolation of poor minority families. Housing, more than
almost any other factor in life, helps shape who we are as individuals and
affects our future life chances. The denial of a fair chance to own a home
is a denial of access to the most basic American dream. Homeownership
has been shown to be an essential first step in the American dream's
promise of accumulating assets and wealth.[124]
We must address this lack of opportunity for homeownership through
better mortgage loan products, better training of industry personnel on fair
lending requirements, counseling of clients about their rights and the risks
associated with predatory lending behavior, and the continued creativity of
the government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.[125]
The Board learned at the Newark, New Jersey, meeting on housing issues
that although there are fewer virulent and blatant acts of racial and national
origin discrimination, currently blacks and Hispanics are likely to be
discriminated against roughly half of the time when they look for a home
or apartment.[126]
In both 1977 and 1989, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) funded national audits of discrimination in both the
rental and sales markets. The studies examined a wide range of behavior
associated with renting or purchasing a home. These two studies reveal a
"gross" measure of discrimination in which black or Hispanic auditors
experienced some form of differential treatment about 50 percent of the
time. The more conservative net figure is that discrimination occurs 25
percent of the time. The Fair Housing Council of Greater Washington
reported that in 1997, discrimination occurred 35 percent of the time a
black or Hispanic tester tried to rent an apartment; higher levels occurred
in suburban jurisdictions.[127]
Many poor, minority residents live in segregated, isolated, and stigmatized
neighborhoods. Racial segregation, limited job opportunities, and
discrimination continue to serve as bases for persistent minority poverty.
As a result, efforts to remove these barriers to prosperity are important,
although not easy, and will require commitment from government,
business, the non-profit community, and local communities.[128]
All of the evidence we received about housing and housing markets was
not gloomy. The results of recent research on the practices of some
mortgage lenders in various parts of the country indicate that they are
trying hard to increase their lending to minority and low-income
neighborhoods. These innovations involve lenders advertising and
promoting their loan products in areas they usually do not serve, offering
more flexible underwriting, and helping higher risk borrowers to ensure
that they can maintain their mortgage and avoid risk of default. There is
reason for "tempered optimism" that increasing numbers of lenders are
helping to change our housing finance system so that it more aggressively
assists minority and poorer communities.[129]
Recommendations
o Continue to use testing to develop evidence of continuing
discrimination. Federally funded testing programs have played an
important role in combating overt and subtle forms of disparate treatment.
The Board supports HUD's decision to double housing-complaints
processing by 2000 and urges continued attention to increasing the fair
housing enforcement budget and related education and outreach efforts
within the department.
o Highlight housing integration efforts. Through the efforts of innovative
lenders and strengthened fair housing enforcement operations, a number of
communities throughout the United States have become racially and
ethnically diverse and integrated. In the President's report to the American
people, some of these housing integration efforts should be highlighted.
Many of these efforts promote integration through non-race-based
outreach strategies.
o Support the increase and targeting of Federal funds for urban
revitalization. Housing development funding is an essential ingredient for
the rebirth of many older, inner-city communities. We agree with the
conclusion of the recently released report by The Milton S. Eisenhower
Foundation, The Millennium Breach: Rich, Poorer and Racially Apart, in
which the foundation recommends that Federal funds match private funds
to support private, non-profit organizations to rebuild the core of inner-city
neighborhoods, many of which are home to minority and low-income
families.130 We also recommend continued support for the type of
targeting in HUD's HOME Investment partnership program and the Loan
Guarantee Program, which permits funding of non-profit developers who
wish to rehabilitate older housing units or construct new housing. We
further recommend an increase in overall levels of funding to meet the
needs of such programs.
o Support community development corporations. The Board is convinced
that local neighborhood community development corporations offer key,
sensible, cost-effective, and locally legitimate programs that can improve
conditions in minority communities in our inner cities. The Local
Initiatives Support Corporation is one such program that has identified
Promising Practices in this area. These are the types of programs that we
recommend be highlighted in the President's report to the American people
as important and successful community efforts to improve race relations
by reducing racial isolation and the barrier of racial stereotyping that exists
in both white and non-white communities.
o Promote American Indian and Alaska Native access to affordable
housing. The President should direct HUD to facilitate a meeting between
tribal government representatives and major lending and investment
companies so that discussions concerning the development of financial
products and strategies to build home equity and individual savings can
take place.[131]
Stereotypes and Race
The issue of racial stereotypes is a core element of discrimination and the
racial divisions and misunderstandings that stand as barriers to one
America. The task of combating racial stereotypes is a formidable one,
because these stereotypes are taught to us so early in life and are
reinforced by so many different societal sources that they find a way to
seep into our subconscious minds, even though we might be committed to
racial equality. Because many of us have deeply ingrained beliefs that
associate some racial groups with positive qualities and others with
negative ones, our behavior toward people in other groups (as well as
toward those in our own group) are often not based on the content of a
person's character but rather on the color of their skin.
Thus we are all affected by racial stereotypes, though in different ways and
at different times. Virtually everyone can think of a time when they have
been seen through the prism of a negative racial stereotype, and most
people have also experienced the benefits of additional trust or warmth
when someone associates our racial group with positive qualities. Perhaps
because the issue of stereotypes is so intensely personal and
simultaneously so important to race relations between groups, the
discussions held by the Advisory Board on this subject were sometimes
very emotional, but ultimately quite enlightening.
The challenge is to accept that people cannot help but be influenced by
society's pervasive racial stereotypes, and to commit to paying attention to
how such stereotypes can insidiously affect our behavior and that of our
loved ones and our institutions. Both public and private institutions and
individuals should challenge policymakers and institutional leaders to
examine, understand, and implement measures to change the role that
racial stereotypes play in policy development, institutional practices, and
our view of our own racial identity and that of others.
Recommendations
o Hold a Presidential event on stereotypes and what can be done about
them. As the Nation's leader, the President is in a unique position to
underscore the link between racial discord in society and the stereotypes
that lurk in the very private realm of our hearts and minds. A Presidential
event--whether a speech, fireside chat, or other format--would need to
include a call to action. This call to action would remind people that all of
us-especially local leaders--are in a position to advocate for changes in the
ways that stereotypes become unconsciously institutionalized into
virtually every organization in society.
o Institutionalize the Administration's promotion of racial dialogue. In a
variety of ways, the Race Initiative promotes involvement in small-group
racial dialogue. In addition to helping Americans learn more about racial
issues, these efforts help reduce stereotypes by creating interdependencies
and a common mission between people of different racial groups. The
President should continue his commitment to racial dialogue so that it is
institutionalized.
o Convene a high-level meeting on the problem of racial stereotypes with
leaders from the media. The primary purpose of the meeting would not be
to assign blame, but rather to focus Presidential and public attention on the
role of the media in both helping and hindering societal progress on the
issue of negative stereotypes. During the meeting, the President could
encourage participants to pursue a number of strategies so that the media
could play a more positive role.
Race, Crime, and the Administration of Justice[132]
Racial disparities exist in both the realities and the perceptions of crime
and the administration of justice. Minorities and people of color often
absorb a disproportionate amount of the social, economic, and personal
costs of crime. These groups want and need strong law enforcement.
Building one America requires building a criminal justice system that
serves and treats Americans of all races fully and fairly. To do so, we must
build trust in our criminal justice system and reduce crime by and against
minorities and people of color.
Substantial challenges remain to achieving these criminal justice goals.
First, criminal victimization rates are significantly greater for minorities
and people of color than for whites, especially with regard to violent
crime.[133] Second, studies indicate that minorities and people of color
have less confidence and trust in law enforcement than do whites.[134]
Several factors probably contribute to this mistrust. According to
participants in our May meeting, these factors include negative
interactions between minorities and people of color and law enforcement
personnel (which may range from unjustified police stops to improper use
of force), racial disparities in the administration of justice (including
disparities in incarceration rates, sentencing, and imposition of the death
penalty), and the lack of diversity among law enforcement personnel (for
example, police, prosecutors, and judges).
Racial Profiling
Of particular concern is the use of racial profiling in law enforcement.
Racial profiling refers to the use of race by law enforcement as one factor
in identifying criminal suspects. Some in law enforcement may see racial
profiling as a necessary, legitimate practice given limited law enforcement
resources and evidence of racial disparities in criminal behavior. Some
commentators urged the Board to note that racial profiling is based in part
on the higher incidence of criminal activity by some minority offenders.
But racial profiling also imposes costs on innocent persons, perpetuates
and reinforces stereotypes, creates situations that can lead to physical
confrontations, and contributes to tensions between persons of color and
the criminal justice system. During the May meeting, Dr. William
Wilbanks spoke about this issue with the following example:
[T]o argue that we should consider age, sex, or race when we know, for
example, in terms of arrest rates that the level of offending may be 1,000
[times] greater for a young black male than an elderly white female....In
my eyes if [you're] a police officer you're suggested to say, 'Well, that's
irrelevant. I'll just look at everybody alike.' People don't operate that way.
I think what you have to do is not let the police officer operate in a
vacuum....He needs somebody in the department to say, "Look. Here are
the problems with profiles. If you see, for example, only young black
males, you're never going to find any elderly white females on I-95. They
get a free pass."...You need to educate that officer. Right now, we're
leaving him alone with this decision because we don't want to deal with
the issue.[135]
But racial profiling also imposes costs on innocent persons, perpetuates
and reinforces stereotypes, creates situations that can lead to physical
confrontations, and contributes to tensions. Furthermore, scholars and
practitioners at our May meeting universally agreed that racial stereotypes
are being used in ways that inappropriately target minorities and people of
color and that law enforcement personnel must receive training to avoid
acting based on racial stereotypes.
For example, we discussed a study of Maryland State Troopers and the
rates at which they searched motorists of different races for drugs
following traffic stops along Interstate 95. Evidence suggests that black
motorists composed approximately 17 percent of all motorists and of those
violating traffic laws in 1995, but they composed 77 percent of those
searched for drugs by Maryland police following traffic stops (409 of 533
searches).[136] Why were black motorists searched so much more often?
Mr. Stone explained it as follows:
The police explain that blacks are more likely to be carrying contraband.
And the statistics show this to be true: [T]he police found contraband in 33
percent of the searches of black motorists, and in 22 percent of the
searches of white motorists. But the mischief in this practice is quickly
exposed. Blacks had a 50-percent higher chance of being found with
contraband, but were searched more than 400 percent more often. The
result is that 274 innocent black motorists were searched, while only 76
innocent white motorists were searched. The profiles apparently used by
the Maryland State Troopers make 17 percent of the motorists pay 76
percent of the price of law enforcement strategy, solely because of their
race.[137]
Differential Rates of Arrest, Conviction, and Sentencing
Data show that disparities exist throughout the criminal justice process.
For example, a majority of all Federal, State, and local prison and jail
inmates are non-white. Data show that blacks compose approximately 50
percent of State and Federal prison inmates, four times their proportion in
society, and Hispanics compose approximately 15 percent.[138] These
disparities are probably due in part to underlying disparities in criminal
behavior. But evidence shows that these disparities also are due in part to
discrimination in the administration of justice and to policies and practices
that have an unjustified disparate impact on minorities and people of color.
The most controversial example of a policy with an unjustified disparate
impact is the present 100:1 disparity in sentencing for possession of crack
versus powder cocaine, which was discussed at length at our May meeting.
Under current Federal law, possession of 5 grams of crack cocaine triggers
a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence; it takes possession of 500 grams
of powder cocaine to trigger the same sentence. This 100:1 ratio has been
widely criticized, in part because of the resulting racial disparity in drug
sentencing--black defendants are 86 percent of those convicted for crack
cocaine offenses (compared with 35 percent of those convicted for powder
cocaine offenses).[139]
Several efforts at eliminating racial stereotypes and discrimination and
reducing crime in communities of color have shown signs of success; they
include community policing strategies, which have the potential to
improve relations between law enforcement and communities of color,
enhance confidence and trust in law enforcement, and reduce crime.
During the past year, the President announced several initiatives designed
to further these goals, including an initiative to provide $160 million in
additional Community Oriented Policing Services grants to underserved
areas. These grants would fund 620 new community police officers in 18
cities with the greatest need, many of which are communities of minorities
and people of color. In addition, the President proposed a $182-million
initiative to strengthen law enforcement in Indian country.
Recommendations
o Expand data collection and analysis. As in other subject areas, one
point that clearly emerged from our readings and discussions was the lack
of existing data for some racial groups with regard to issues of criminal
justice. For several reasons, much existing criminal justice data are
restricted to blacks and whites, with little data available on issues affecting
Hispanics, Asian Pacific Americans, or American Indians and Alaska
Natives. The Administration should develop appropriate mechanisms to
collect and analyze more complete criminal justice data for all racial and
ethnic groups, so that issues of race can be better assessed and addressed.
o Consider restricting the use of racial profiling. We understand that the
U.S. Department of Justice is examining the issue of racial profiling. We
strongly endorse this effort and recommend that the President and the
Attorney General consider restricting and developing alternatives to racial
profiling in Federal law enforcement and encourage State and local
governments to do the same. Such actions would send a powerful message
that the Federal government does not sanction the disparate application of
policing powers by race.
o Eliminate racial stereotypes and diversify law enforcement. The
Administration should develop and support efforts to combat stereotypes
through intense training and education for law enforcement personnel.
Furthermore, it is crucial to promote diversity throughout the criminal
justice system by increasing the number of minorities and people of color
serving as police, prosecutors, judges, and other criminal justice
practitioners.
o Reduce or eliminate drug sentencing disparities. Although there may be
some justification for the different treatment of crack versus powder
cocaine offenders, all participants in our May 19 meeting agreed that the
present 100:1 sentencing disparity is morally and intellectually
indefensible. The Administration has recommended reducing the disparity
to 10:1 by raising the amount of crack cocaine and lowering the amount of
powder cocaine that triggers a minimum sentence. We strongly support
this action.
o Promote comprehensive efforts to keep young people out of the
criminal justice system. Many communities of minorities and people of
color face conditions of concentrated disadvantage, including high
poverty, low-performing schools, high unemployment, low-quality health
care, and absence of stable families. These conditions are linked to high
rates of crime, including juvenile crime. Reducing crime and keeping
young people out of the criminal justice system probably requires a
comprehensive approach to law enforcement--one that involves all sectors
of the community and includes education, economic, and criminal justice
programs. We support several Administration efforts to prevent and
address youth crime in communities of color, including the enhancement
of afterschool programs and support for community partnerships. The
Administration should further support coordinated efforts to address issues
of concentrated disadvantage and keep young people out of the criminal
justice system.
o Continue to enhance community policing and related strategies. As
discussed above, community policing strategies have the potential to
improve relations between law enforcement and communities of color,
enhance confidence in law enforcement, and reduce crime. The Federal
Government should continue to support community policing efforts in
communities of color.
o Support initiatives that improve access to courts. The Administration
should support initiatives to increase understanding of the way our
criminal justice system operates and improve access to our courts. At a
minimum, all judicial systems should provide limited-English proficient
users to access both the criminal and the civil courts in their communities.
Strategies that may be implemented include providing grants to
community-based organizations for outreach and public education,
providing training for law enforcement personnel (including judges) about
the changing demographics in the communities they serve, and making
available court-certified interpreters.
o Support American Indian and Alaska Native law enforcement. There is
strong consensus that more resources are needed to adequately support the
unique needs of criminal justice in Indian country, which has its own tribal
court system. We were pleased that the President's FY 1999 budget
proposal includes more than $180 million to strengthen law enforcement
in Indian country. The Federal Government should continue to take action
to strengthen tribal law enforcement and justice systems in a manner that
respects tribal sovereignty and preserves traditional tribal justice practices.
Race and Health
The gaps in longevity and health care access for minorities and people of
color are well documented and merit Presidential attention. On the most
basic measure of fairness, America should not be a society in which babies
of different racial backgrounds have significantly different life
expectancies. If our Nation is committed to the proposition that all people
are created equal, our most basic indicators of life and health should
reflect this principle.
The continuing gap in health care access undermines the vision of one
America. A higher portion of minorities and people of color than of whites
are medically uninsured and/or live in medically underserved areas.
Purposeful or even unintended discrimination by health care providers can
result in unnecessary suffering and/or death. Providers often do not
understand the ways that cultural influences affect them and their patients
as they deliver medical services. At the same time that we confront these
formidable challenges, the medical establishment is disproportionately
white and becoming more so. For example, the percentage of first-year
medical students who are black, Latino, or American Indian is dropping,
even as these groups' percentage of the total population is growing.[140]
These trends and their negative effects on the lives and health of minorities
and people of color are barriers in our path.
Structural Inequities
Difficulties accessing the health care system are largely related to
disparities in employment, income, and wealth; these difficulties often
mean that minorities and people of color receive medical treatment less
frequently and in the later stages of health problems than do whites. Such
inequities in access affect rates of sickness, disease, suffering, life
expectancy, and death among different racial groups.[141] Furthermore,
studies indicate that racial disparities in health and health care are
interrelated and often persist even when controlling for socioeconomic
status. In addition, because of poverty, minorities are more likely to be
insured by Medicaid, which often affects the terms of care provided to
them by managed care organizations, and they are more likely than whites
to live in areas that are medically underserved.[142]
Discrimination by Providers
Racial issues also may affect relationships between health care providers
and patients of color in ways that lower the quality of health care. Health
care providers, like other persons, are subject to racial stereotypes and may
lack the language skills to fully serve patients of color. Health care
providers--doctors, nurses, clinical attendants, and others--can either
purposefully or unintentionally discriminate against patients based on
stereotypes. This can result in differences in care, such as medical
treatment being denied or delayed without reason and being inadequate,
prescribed unnecessarily, or cursory.
Cultural Competency of Providers
In addition to structural inequities and provider discrimination, racial
disparities in health care access are also affected by differences in
language and/or culture between the provider and the patient. Providers
need to be more culturally competent so they can deliver effective medical
care to people from different cultures. In many health care settings,
patients are confronted with providers who do not recognize or respect
their patients' culturally influenced values and beliefs, which often affect
their attitude toward the provider's advice. Often, these cultural differences
undermine the necessary cooperation between providers and clients, which
results in less effective medical services. To some extent, cultural
competency also means addressing the barriers in language between
providers and clients, not merely working around them or soliciting the
assistance of untrained (and sometimes non-adult) interpreters. However,
it is important to recognize that cultural competence is relevant not only
when providers and clients speak different languages, but also when they
both speak the same language but come from different cultural
backgrounds.
The President's recently announced effort to eliminate longstanding racial
disparities in infant mortality, cancer screening and management, heart
disease, AIDS, and immunizations by 2010 is a bold and significant step,
yet the Board believes that more must be done to eliminate disparities in
other key areas of health care and access.
Recommendations
o Continue advocating for broad-based expansions in health insurance
coverage. We recommend that the President continue his vigorous efforts
to expand medical insurance coverage to all Americans. To the extent that
he is successful, his efforts to expand coverage generally will help close
racial disparities because minorities and people of color tend to be
disproportionately represented in demographic groups with limited or no
insurance. For example, universal health insurance coverage could be
thought of as disproportionately helping Latinos, blacks, and American
Indians and Alaska Natives, since these groups are overrepresented in the
ranks of the uninsured.
o Continue advocacy of increased health care access for underserved
groups. Programs aimed specifically at increasing health care access of
underserved groups also have the potential for closing health disparities in
minority communities. For example, because minority groups make up a
higher portion of the child population than the adult population, a
successful effort to increase children's access to health care would likely
help close the gaps in access between whites and minorities and people of
color. The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is an excellent
example of a strategically targeted effort that will close the gap in racial
disparities in health care access. In addition to supporting full funding for
CHIP, we encourage consideration of other efforts to target specific
populations with major gaps in health care access. For example, a
similarly targeted effort toward public housing tenants or migrant farm
workers would have a similar effect.
o Continue pushing Congress for full funding of the race and ethnic
health disparities initiative. The President announced a new Federal
initiative to eliminate racial health disparities by 2010. The health
initiative includes several innovative components, such as the outreach
campaign led by the Surgeon General; a national conference co-hosted by
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and
Grantmakers in Health (an educational organization); and a commitment
to develop national health goals for 2010 in cooperation with public health
groups, medical and minority organizations, and the private sector. This
year's commitment to full funding should be regarded as an important
foundation for the future. As the program grows in future years, the
Administration should consider including efforts to gather data on local
health disparities. A number of panelists told us that having better
community-based data about racial disparities in health would greatly
assist their efforts to bring greater local resources to bear on minority
health concerns.
o Increase funding for existing programs targeted to underserved and
minority populations. In addition to broadening the health initiative to
eliminate disparities, there are opportunities to strengthen programs that
are dedicated to helping the underserved increase their access to health
care. To close racial disparities in health care access, we recommend
significant increases in funding for the Indian Health Service, community
heath centers, the National Health Service Corps, and other HHS programs
with a track record of placing health care providers in underserved areas.
o Enhance financial and regulatory mechanisms to promote culturally
competent care. There are some existing controls that influence the
delivery of health services that may affect efforts to provide culturally
competent care. We recommend that the appropriate agencies review the
Medicaid reimbursement procedures and community health clinic funding
mechanisms with the specific goal of changing regulations that unduly
impede the expansion and increased understanding of culturally competent
services.
o Emphasize the importance of cultural competence to institutions
training health care providers. HHS should strongly encourage medical
training institutions and accrediting associations to require that students
receive some training in cultural competency.
Immigrants and Race
In response to the President's call for a national dialogue, the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace and the Georgetown University Law
Center jointly sponsored a meeting, in which Board members participated,
to explore immigration and race. Historical and contemporary contexts for
thinking about how immigrants help transform the race discussion beyond
the black/white paradigm were provided and examples of promising
programs were presented. There also was a general roundtable discussion
by scholars, researchers, journalists, Government officials, and
representatives from community organizations.
At this meeting, evidence was presented to show that race is the source of
a fundamental rift in American society that affects many--but not
all--immigrants and their experience with discrimination. At times, press
stories suggest that issues surrounding immigrants' social, economic, and
political position in America can aggravate already existing racial
tensions. However, as several conference panelists noted, race, and not
immigration, is the fundamental source of division in this society.
Historically and currently, immigrant adjustment and degrees of
"American-ness" have been measured using whiteness as a yardstick. Skin
color, more than culture or language, influences the way immigrants and
their offspring become incorporated into our society. Sociologists call this
a process of "segmented assimilation" in which immigrants who are white
or identify as white have different and better opportunities than do
immigrants of color, such as Haitians, Jamaicans, and non-white
Hispanics.[143]
Many of the panelists who have worked with or studied different
immigrant and racial groups described varying magnitudes of color-based
discrimination and levels of prejudice against them. For example, West
Indian, Haitian, and African immigrants are more likely to be identified or
treated like blacks[144] and concomitantly experience comparable levels of
discrimination and exclusion. Thus color, usually more than ethnicity,
plays a major role in how these immigrant groups are perceived.
The panelists noted, however, that there are also clear examples and
evidence that stereotypes, alien status, language, and other factors can
create boundaries for Asian and Latino immigrants, leading to a perception
of their status as "outsiders."[145] Their racial and ethnic distinctiveness
sometimes results in significant discrimination in areas such as
employment, housing, and education. In the case of Arab Americans,
many of whom are Christian, the uninformed public image of them as all
being Muslim subjects them to religious as well as racial discrimination.
Stereotyping also comes into play, as many Arab Americans are
mislabeled as members of terrorist organizations because of presumed
political sympathies.
Recommendations
Although we did not seek explicit policy recommendations from the
panelists, we make the following recommendations on strategies to
include immigrants of color into the American community and foster a
greater degree of community cohesion. These fall into three main
categories: (1) policies that orient newcomers to U.S. society and history;
(2) policies that foster empathy and respect among groups; and (3) policies
that support educational advancement, which were discussed in the
"Education and Race" section earlier in this chapter.
o Anti-discrimination measures must be strongly enforced on behalf of
every racial and ethnic minority group. Active enforcement of existing
civil rights laws needs to continue to provide safeguards to all affected
people. It is therefore important for the civil rights agencies to increase
their sensitivity to newer forms of mistreatment and to develop education
and outreach campaigns, in multiple languages, that inform newly arrived
immigrants and citizens of foreign birth of their civil rights. This is a
fundamental and, we believe, uncontroversial part of the American ideal.
Congress needs to think seriously about fully funding the President's
proposed FY 1999 civil rights budget requests, as many immigrants and
other minorities and people of color continue to experience significant
discrimination.
o Promote programs, for both immigrants and those born in the United
States, that would promote a clear understanding of the rights and duties of
citizenship. These types of programs would help to promote national
identity and cohesion. We recommend that our educational institutions pay
increased attention to the education needed by newcomers so that they
may learn U.S. history and values while, concurrently, ensuring that
native-born citizens will learn to appreciate America's ideals of welcoming
and integrating immigrants. This education should also include a
discussion of the periods in which we did not live up to those ideals and
rejected or attempted to exclude certain immigrant groups because they
were not "like us." While we are not suggesting national curriculum
standards for citizenship training, we believe that the Federal Government
can play a significant role in promoting a vision of our shared values based
on history and our hopes for the future. We therefore recommend that, as
part of the millennium celebration and beyond, the President appoint a
group of prominent advisers to establish a broad-based study to provide the
Nation a civic lesson that will strengthen us all.
o Support local-level immigrant-inclusion initiatives. We urge that
Federal agencies champion local government programs that foster
collaborative efforts to cross racial, ethnic, and immigrant group
boundaries in pursuit of common goals. Some of these policies should be
targeted at newcomers while others should be more general; all
communities should be encouraged to try to foster their own version of
these efforts. A mediation and community-building function, as
exemplified by the Community Relations Service (CRS) in the U.S.
Department of Justice, is an essential means of reducing and possibly
eliminating forms of racial and ethnic group tension that have and will,
unfortunately, arise again in many communities. We therefore recommend
that the functions of the CRS in community tension reduction on issues of
race and immigration be reconsidered as a major, critical part of program
operations at the national level until State and local governments are better
able to offer the independent mediation services. At a minimum, CRS'
funding for the next 5 years should be increased significantly.
In June 1997 the President committed this Race Initiative to a study,
dialogue, and action agenda. He indicated that he did not want the Board
to wait until the end of the Initiative year to recommend action steps. The
President intended, and has acted, to implement many of the proposals
described in this chapter, which the Board submitted to him throughout the
year. The other recommendations are being reviewed and considered
further by the President and his staff.
In the following chapter, we describe the essential elements of a long-term
strategy for continuing the work of the Race Initiative. We also briefly
discuss critical issues that we did not have the opportunity to examine
fully and recommend that they be given serious attention and rigorous
review as we continue to build one America.
-------------------------------
Chapter Five--Forging a New Future
The recommendations in this Report to the President are intended to
preserve the integrity of the principles that lie at the core of our
democracy: justice, equality, dignity, respect, and inclusion. It is with
these principles in mind that the Advisory Board acted on behalf of the
President in this year-long effort. At times, we were met with doubt,
distrust, and even disbelief. The negative reactions often seemed to draw
more attention than the positive responses to our work. However, in most
instances, our efforts were met with both enthusiasm and appreciation for
the leadership and the willingness of the President to undertake this
unprecedented initiative.
Literally tens of thousands of Americans shared in dialogues to weave our
different, and common, experiences together so that paths toward deeper
understanding might emerge. While many of the conversations allowed for
greater insight and a shared sense of commitment to find ways to advance
race relations, some conversations ended without resolution. But that is the
nature of dialogue--a process that invites differing points of view and is
open to possibilities yet unrecognized. Regardless of the outcome, we
learned that there exists a genuine recognition by many people that the
challenges presented by racial and ethnic divides in the country must be
met.
This Nation has the capacity to meet these challenges affirmatively and the
capacity required to incorporate positively the growing racial and ethnic
diversity of its people into the planning for our future well-being and
prosperity. We have the capacity to communicate with each other faster
and over greater distances using the latest electronic technologies. Factual
information about our history, race, and race relations can be accessed
with ease, making possible a more constructive dialogue.
The Board further recognizes that the key to our ability to coordinate this
communications and problem-solving effort is our capacity to harness the
emerging technological advances to ensure that all Americans can
participate fully in this unprecedented undertaking.
Mapping the Road To Racial Justice and Equality
If we are to succeed in the mission to create a more just Nation, the
Initiative's work must continue. Not only must it continue in name,
but it must continue in the spirit with which it began. This year's effort has
been vital to laying the foundation for the larger task. We now describe the
essential elements we believe must be considered in developing a
meaningful long-term strategy to advance race relations in the 21st
century. These elements include the following:
o A permanent structure to continue the work of the Initiative.
o A public education program using a multimedia approach.
o A Presidential "Call to Action" to leaders in community, corporate,
religious, and government sectors.
o A focus on youth.
All Americans can and should have a role in building on the vision for one
America in the 21st century. As part of our final observations and
recommendations, we have identified 10 ways that people can participate
in this national effort to strengthen our communities and bring all
Americans closer together. The final observations that follow address the
need for an approach that can capitalize on the work accomplished this
year.
The President's Council for One America:
Continuing the Work of the Advisory Board
The goal of creating a more just and unified society requires continued
leadership from the Office of the President. The momentum that has been
created must be guided by the vision of the President as public discourse
about race relations continues to expand and public policy
recommendations are put into action. The need for such leadership can be
most effectively asserted by establishing the President's Council for One
America.[146]
Establishing this Council will demonstrate a long-term commitment to the
mission of the President's Initiative on Race and will ensure that the work
that lies ahead will be coordinated, focused, and productive. Creating a
system of accountability in connection with these efforts is of concern to
all those who have expressed interest in, and support for, the Initiative. In
light of the fact that literally tens of thousands of people across the Nation
have been involved in this first year of study and dialogue, with hundreds
of programs having been identified as Promising Practices, the
establishment of the Council will send a message that the Initiative has
been a genuine beginning to a larger, more extensive and ambitious
program with respect to the whole matter of race, racial reconciliation, and
bridging racial divides.
No one viewed a 1-year timeframe as sufficient to begin this conversation;
to study race relations; educate the Nation; take action; and achieve
concrete, long-lasting results. The more extensive and ambitious program
that should be created will be multifaceted and will preserve certain
aspects of the initial effort. For instance, future plans should support
opportunities for sustained dialogue at all levels, continue to identify
leadership being demonstrated in local communities, expand research to
include the experiences and analyses of increasingly diverse populations,
and continue to educate the public about the facts and myths surrounding
racial disparities and the value of our racial diversity.
One way of accomplishing these objectives is to publish a "White House
Monograph on the State of Race Relations in America at the End of the
20th Century." We envision the monograph as a set of volumes containing
work from a wide range of disciplines. What will make this effort valuable
is that it will continue the dialogue and build on the social science research
that is currently underway.[147] It will invite deeper examination about the
possibilities of racial reconciliation and will permit the commitment and
dedication of many individuals to contribute to the creation of an
unprecedented, single piece of work. The White House Monograph could
be presented to the American people at the end of this term, in the year
2000. It would be a unique, enduring, and unprecedented contribution to
the body of literature concerning America's conversation about race
relations at the turn of this century. It would also become the basis for
public policymaking as we enter the 21st century.
The Council can be responsible for identifying contributing sources and
coordinating the selection, review, and editing of the articles to be
included in the series. The final product will be of value to future
generations of Americans who wish to study, understand, and gain insights
into how race has influenced our history and the development of public
policy, and will become a guide to future actions.
Although a substantial amount of the Council's work would be associated
with the process of publishing the monograph, it would have several
critical ongoing functions. The Council would coordinate and monitor the
implementation of policies designed to increase opportunity and eliminate
racial disparities, and would be authorized to propose policies that
recognize the enormous impact that improving educational and economic
opportunity will have on easing racial tensions. There is a tremendous
need to continue dialogue about expanding opportunities because there are
so many useful but underutilized strategies that can be pursued. The vital
cross-sections among race, education, and economic status were
emphasized by members of the public and experts who appeared before
the Board during the year. Clearly, there is a need to support innovative
and new research that takes into account our diverse population mix and
the cost to the Nation of untapped and underutilized human resources
because of discrimination and the vestiges of past discrimination.
Another primary function of the Council would be to promote and expand
the work associated with Promising Practices, which includes the dialogue
that is so critical to racial reconciliation. Many local efforts need
assistance to find resources; to replicate, expand, or improve their
programs; and to share their experiences with other communities.
Moreover, the thirst for more and better dialogue about race must be met
with a substantial effort to increase the number of people to conduct
dialogues in other settings. The Council can play a valuable role by
outlining a national plan that would expand racial reconciliation activities.
Those activities would include identifying resources, providing bridges to
other Federal agencies, motivating community and sector leaders to
become engaged, and helping to replicate successful models in different
regions of the Nation. In pursuing the goal of expanding the number of
people actively engaged in racial dialogue and other racial reconciliation
activities, the Council can focus on creating greater opportunities to bring
public, private, and non-profit partnerships together. The desire to pursue
more collaboration in this regard was heard frequently throughout the
year.
Cabinet members, as well as public members who are not part of the
Administration, should be asked to serve. Bipartisan participation, similar
to the model offered by the Glass Ceiling Commission,[148] should be
sought in selecting public members. Public members would be drawn from
a wide range of sectors, including but not limited to: local governance
associations, philanthropic groups, faith-based organizations, private
businesses, education organizations, and advocacy groups.
The priorities of the Council would differ dramatically from those of the
Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Commission on Civil
Rights, units that already study, monitor, and ensure compliance with our
anti-discrimination laws. In contrast, the nature of the Council's work
would be to expand on the process started in 1997-1998. This work would
include coordinating the White House Monograph; working with the
White House and other Federal agencies charged with implementing
policies disproportionately affecting racial minorities and carrying out
comprehensive civil rights policies; taking the next step with Promising
Practices identified over the past year by convening a national meeting;
responding to the continuing requests for information about what the
Federal Government knows about race in America; and initiating
opportunities for greater inclusion in the dialogue that was started. The
unique role that the President's Council for One America could play would
almost certainly provide added value to the work already being done at the
Federal level and would further stimulate the creation of new partnerships
between government and non-governmental entities.
Developing a Public Education Campaign Using a Multimedia Approach
The role of print and electronic media in shaping public attitudes, beliefs,
and opinions about race is enormous. Despite having only one formal
opportunity to discuss media and racial stereotyping, the Board had the
benefit of a study conducted by Robert M. Entman on media images of the
major racial and ethnic groups in the United States.[149] Additionally, the
Board heard repeatedly that more attention should be given to using media
strategies in promoting greater understanding about racial diversity in
America. Not only should there be a focus on news media, there should
also be a focus on entertainment media, in which depictions of
protagonists and situational vignettes can be developed in more inclusive
and nonstereotypical ways.
A media campaign that has the capacity to effectively disseminate factual
information and inspire creative expression should be explored. In
addition, it is critical to develop a coordinated media campaign. Its focus
should be to pay tribute to the many contributions of Americans from
different racial and ethnic backgrounds to emphasize our common values
and principles as a Nation and to highlight facts about our racial diversity.
A national "report card" on the progress we make toward improving race
relations should be part of any media campaign. This effort could build on
the publication of the Council of Economic Advisers' Changing America
on behalf of the Initiative. Many Federal agencies already gather
information that illuminates areas where we have succeeded in reducing
racial disparities and where improvement is needed. The report card would
provide a single reference for the data that demonstrates our progress. The
data that are most compelling can be distributed and easily incorporated
into local or regional campaigns involving public service announcements,
street flags/signs, airport terminal signs, and so forth. A separate strategy
should be delivered to target our new citizens who, during their
swearing-in ceremony, often view a film about becoming an American.
That film should be updated to include a message about the strength of our
Nation being derived from our diversity and commitment to principles of
our democracy. Presidential authority throughout this campaign, along
with bipartisan support, would ensure a broad reach for this effort.
A Call To Action
The Board has only begun the process of advancing our commitment to
embrace the multi-racial and multicultural reality of our Nation. An
essential part of any future plan must include, and perhaps even build on,
leadership and commitment at the local level. A call to action should be
sent from the President to the National Governors Association, U.S.
Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, and National
Association of Counties. That call should seek input on how local
governments can address the racial and ethnic divides in their
communities. The local plans should include approaches that are being
currently utilized, the identification of institutional efforts aimed at
bridging the racial divide, and recommendations for appropriate Federal
action to complement local action.
Because funding almost certainly will be one of the suggestions for
appropriate Federal support, the call should incorporate a framework that
invites recommendations that outline innovative ways in which grants or
matching funds can be made available. Priority should be placed on
promoting public/private/non-profit partnerships that seek to close racial
divides. The Council should consider designing a research project that
documents and positively reinforces the different ways in which local
governments have institutionalized their efforts to improve relationships
across racial and cultural divides and, to the extent possible, measure the
effectiveness of the different approaches.
As we have stated earlier, there is no single strategy, group, organization,
political party, or religion that can single-handedly make racial
reconciliation a reality. A more just society must result from the
collaborative efforts of many and from the public will of our populace to
give true meaning to the values we espouse. The Federal Government is in
a position to promote coalitions that transcend racial and ethnic
differences; to address complicated issues related to both our domestic and
our international obligations; to provide moral leadership concerning the
need to find common ground among diverse people; and to facilitate
collaboration between innumerable organizations, agencies, and
individuals working in both the public and the private sectors. This call to
action should be expanded further to build on the outreach efforts to
educational, corporate, and religious leaders described in Chapter One.
Focus on Youth
Young people represent our greatest hope for realizing America's promise
in the next century. The next step in this process should include a plan to
address the many opportunities to work with youth. We urge the President
to identify entities that have a commitment to youth leadership
development, violence prevention, educational achievement, and the
creative arts. Special attention should be given to making sure that the
experiences of young people with disabilities, immigrant youth, and
high-poverty populations are included.
Other Critical Issues
Throughout this Report, we have made a series of recommendations on
many important topics. In addition, there are many other difficult and
challenging issues of race that we have been unable to address in the depth
that is appropriate to their importance. These are the issues that we now
discuss briefly to demonstrate why the dialogue begun by President
Clinton must continue. Some of these issues arose during the course of our
meetings. Other issues were raised by the public in correspondence
received by the Initiative staff. Still others were identified by experts as
issues that continue to divide Americans and on which common ground
remains elusive.
Civil Rights
Affirmative action retrenchment. As a number of polls have shown,
Americans of all races agree that equal opportunity is an important
principle of our democracy, but that agreement breaks down over what
further actions, such as affirmative action, we should take to resolve the
problem of discrimination.[150] Affirmative action, perhaps more than any
other contemporary civil rights issue, continues to divide Americans. From
its beginnings as an executive policy to level the economic and
educational playing fields following civil rights legislation of the 1960s, to
its current status as a policy that generates resentment by many whites
who believe their children are victims of reverse discrimination or by
minorities who feel stigmatized by the policy, affirmative action has been
controversial.
Public opinion polls show that a majority of Americans of all races still
support affirmative action when it is described as a tool to reduce racial
discrimination. Yet that support drops significantly when affirmative
action is described as racial preferences or a racial spoils system. More
recently it has been used as a political wedge to polarize public opinion.
The concept is rarely defined in neutral terms and thus generates
inaccurate and misleading discussions of what type of affirmative action
programs are still permissible under the U.S. Constitution.
Higher education affirmative action. Recently the courts have sent
conflicting messages on the permissibility of affirmative action in higher
education. Since 1978 most colleges and universities have followed the
Supreme Court's decision in Regents of University of California v.
Bakke[151] in designing their affirmative action programs to increase
minority admissions: Programs could use race as one factor to promote the
educational benefits of racial diversity on campus. In 1996, however, the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in Hopwood v. Texas[152]
that the University of Texas School of Law could not use race as a factor
in admissions to law school when white applicants with higher test scores
than minority applicants were denied admission; the Supreme Court
elected not to review this decision on appeal. Before California voters
approved Proposition 209 in 1996, the Board of Regents for the University
of California system had voted to end all race-based affirmative action
programs in those colleges and universities. When asked to repeal legacy
admissions to the State university system (that is, students admitted
because their parents were alumni), the Board of Regents refused to do so.
On the other hand, a Federal judge in Boston recently upheld an
affirmative action plan at a popular magnet public school with a highly
competitive admissions policy, which used racial diversity as one of its
factors for admission to promote the educational benefits of diversity.[153]
A disappointed white applicant's challenge to the University of Michigan
affirmative action plan also is expected to further cloud the issue of how
race may be used to enhance the educational experience. The Michigan
case and other appeals will help clarify whether the Bakke decision is still
good law. The Board is alarmed by the significant drop in black and
Latino admissions in elite graduate programs in California and Texas and
urges the development of a public education campaign to build a deeper
understanding of the value of diversity in higher education.
Voters in Houston voted this year to retain affirmative action by the city
government when they voted for Proposition A; a judge in Texas ordered a
new vote after a challenge was raised to the language that was used in
Proposition A. Voters in the State of Washington will vote later this year
on whether to retain affirmative action by the State government. Similar
challenges can be expected in other States. The U.S. Court of Appeals for
the District of Columbia recently overturned an affirmative action policy
maintained by the Federal Communications Commission to ensure racial
diversity in the workforce of media outlets; an appeal is expected.[154]
Many media firms responded by stating that they would voluntarily
continue their affirmative action programs in light of that decision.
This is an area clearly in flux. Board members were repeatedly asked
about our views on affirmative action. We support affirmative action as
one of many vehicles to identify qualified minority candidates for
admission into the Nation's colleges and universities. Affirmative action
continues to be a critical and necessary tool for overcoming past
discrimination, eliminating disparities in education, and moving us toward
the goal of one America. During our November Board meeting, we
discussed the value of diversity in higher education, recognizing
affirmative action as one tool among many being implemented to promote
such diversity on campus. In our corporate forums, we discussed
affirmative action in the context of employment and contracting practices.
We found that many believed diversity in both the classroom and the
workplace to be vital to America's future, especially given the growing
racial diversity of the Nation. However, we found disagreements over the
best ways to promote equal opportunity and to achieve more racial balance
in higher education and the workplace.
Critics of affirmative action argue that 30 years of civil rights laws have
leveled the playing field and that policies such as affirmative action are no
longer needed.[155] Still others argue that non-racial factors such as class or
poverty should be used instead of race. However, the data we have
reviewed demonstrates that for far too many minorities, a level playing
field remains a mirage. It is for these reasons and others that the Board
supports the Administration's current policy regarding affirmative action.
In sum, affirmative action will continue to serve as a proxy for the
Nation's continuing debate over equality and racial reconciliation.
Leadership is needed to forge public consensus on affirmative action. The
challenge is to develop public understanding of its value as a tool to
achieve racial diversity and improve the public discourse on affirmative
action programs. Significantly, a comprehensive study was recently
published that presents empirical data on the long-term consequences of
considering race in college and university admissions.[156] This represents
an opportunity to dispel the myths and misinformation that often dominate
the debate and make constructive dialogue difficult. This type of
disciplined research must be encouraged in other areas as well. The
President and the Council should support, encourage, and facilitate such
efforts.
Federal-sector employment. Since the 1960s the Federal Government has
had a more representative workforce than many sectors in private
industry.[157] More recently, a number of Federal agencies have developed
model programs for the recruitment, training, and promotion of their
minority workers. They are experimenting with alternative dispute
resolution methods to identify and resolve problems before they rise to the
level of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
complaint.[158] On the other hand, the high number of complaints of racial
discrimination in Federal agencies suggests that the fact or perception of
employment discrimination continues to hamper the career prospects of
minority workers.[159] To the extent that additional resources for the EEOC
would allow more prompt resolution of such complaints, the
recommendations we have made previously will assist in this process. The
Federal Government must ensure that it models the conduct we are
encouraging other public and private employers to demonstrate. This issue
requires serious consideration, study, and action.
Police misconduct. One of the more emotional issues we confronted
during the year was police-community relations. From California to New
York, from the Southeast to the Northwest, we heard far too many
harrowing stories from minorities and people of color about police
misconduct. At the same time, we recognize that the vast majority of
police officers perform their jobs with dedication and a commitment to
protect all citizens with equal vigor. However, actions by those officers
who abuse the civil rights of minorities overshadow the positive actions of
dedicated public servants and poison police-community relations. Too
often, minorities and people of color view police officers as their enemies
rather than as their protectors.
Clearly, this Administration's efforts to institutionalize community
policing programs have been extremely helpful in improving relations
between the police and minority communities, but more must be done.
Police officers need to understand better the communities they serve, and
community residents need an opportunity to get to know the police
officers who pledge to serve and protect them. Police-community
dialogues on a broader scale would help to build a sense of mutual respect
and understanding and would help to isolate those police officers who
dishonor their badges with their racist behavior.
Dialogue alone will not reverse years of mistrust and violent
confrontations. Minorities and people of color demand that law
enforcement agencies take more drastic disciplinary action against those
officers who consistently violate their civil rights. If officers may routinely
abuse minorities in their custody without fear of any real punishment for
their actions, then this situation will continue to undermine efforts to
improve police-community relations.
Media and Stereotyping
Negative racial stereotyping emerged as a central issue to reducing racial
tensions and divisions in America. As the Kerner Commission recognized
three decades ago, the media as an institution has the power either to
exacerbate such stereotypes or to eradicate them through its work. That
Commission exhorted the media to undertake an immediate
self-examination of its coverage of the black community and the lack of
racial diversity at every level of media. While the media has certainly
improved the number of minority reporters, newscasters, producers, and
filmmakers since then, a major problem still remains regarding the
representation, coverage, and portrayal of minorities on the news, on
television, in film, and in other forms of media.
A major study on race and media by a noted expert[160] on this issue made
many important observations on the media's treatment of whites, blacks,
Latinos, and Asian Pacific Americans that demand further attention,
especially in light of the constraints of the First Amendment and the
government's ability to address these concerns. We believe it is essential,
however, to pursue strategies that could increase public understanding of
the media's role in race relations and on racial attitudes.
Two other studies on media and race focused our attention on this area of
inquiry. The Center for Living Democracy published a survey showing
that the respondents felt that while the national media frequently
contributed to the racial polarization in this country, those same media
outlets were seldom initiators or supporters of interracial dialogue.[161] In
March 1998 Children NOW released its survey of 1,200 racially diverse
children titled A Different World: Children's Perceptions of Race and
Class in the Media, in which young people demonstrated their
sophisticated view of media images. These children indicated their desire
to see all races portrayed "more often, more fairly, more realistically, and
more positively."[162] If youngsters, who already watch more television
than their elders and receive more political news and current events from
television or the Internet than their elders, are not given the tools to
distinguish between the transmitted images and reality, then the process of
reconciliation will take much longer. These studies, taken together,
demonstrate the importance of educating the public about the impact of the
role of the media in race relations and on racial attitudes.
Lack of Environmental Justice
Communities of color generally experience increased incidence of health
threats associated with toxic pollution and other environmental sources of
risk. A 1993 report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
documented significant disparities in exposures to toxics and pollutants,
particularly with respect to lead and air pollution.[163] These patterns of
environmental risk are correlated with compelling data concerning public
health threats to communities of color. For example, the occurrence of
childhood asthma, which is closely linked to air quality, is almost twice as
high for blacks and three times as high for Puerto Rican children as it is
for whites.[164] Further research is needed to understand the precise role of
environmental risks as distinct from other risk factors, such as access to
health care, prevalence of tobacco use, or other health factors, in these
communities.
Perceived and actual disparities in environmental conditions may be part
of a more general exclusion from the governmental processes by which
environmental priorities, policies, and standards are set. Pursuant to
Executive Order 12898, Federal agencies have made a concerted effort to
understand and address these types of disparities, and the White House
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has undertaken a series of
meetings with communities to respond to the conditions that generate
environmental justice concerns and develop better models of community
participation in environmental decision making.
Angela Oh represented the Board at an environmental justice meeting on
July 10-11, 1998, which was convened by CEQ and the Race Initiative.
This meeting, which served as the main vehicle for the Board to learn
about environmental justice issues, was held in South Central Los Angeles
and focused on concerns in that community. It included presentations from
community members as well as small-group meetings with senior policy
officials from the EPA and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture,
Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, and
Transportation.
Community leaders and citizens presented compelling examples of
environmental justice concerns and demonstrated that there are often
divergent views among the relevant government agencies and even within
affected communities about the nature of the problem and the appropriate
response. These debates highlight the need for better models for involving
communities of color in the process of setting environmental and public
health priorities, policies, and standards. In many cases, Federal
jurisdiction to address these issues directly will be limited, but Federal
leadership to compel State and local governments to pay attention to these
issues will be essential.
Education
Bilingual education. During the past year, the State of California, which
has the largest population of non-English speaking residents, voted to end
bilingual education. To the extent that this issue becomes further
politicized, other States with large immigrant populations may elect to
follow California's lead. The Board heard from parents in a number of
communities with large populations of students with limited-English
language proficiency who were concerned about the ability of their
children to receive an education if bilingual educations programs are
curtailed.
In many instances, students from first-generation immigrant homes still
need help in acquiring the English language. Almost every survey
conducted among immigrant families reveals that acquiring English is a
high priority.[165] They understand that language proficiency is the key to
success in America. Yet in too many political campaigns, voters are led to
believe that immigrant families are reluctant to learn English. Bilingual
education, when properly implemented, is a valuable tool that permits
limited-English proficient students to study math, science, and other basic
subjects in their native language. The Board is concerned that the rejection
of bilingual education is another indicator of the growing backlash against
newcomers to America and, as such, requires a closer examination of how
to promote continued support for bilingual education.
This issue should not be about whether new immigrants should learn
English. There is little disagreement about that. The issue is how they will
learn it and whether we will leave it to the educators to determine the most
effective way of teaching English to children of immigrants. Another way
we can support English language acquisition is to provide more classes for
immigrant adult students, given the long waiting lists for such classes.
Tracking. During our June 1998 meeting, the issue of tracking in public
schools emerged as an important issue affecting race relations within
multi-racial school settings. This is the practice in which children are
evaluated during the early years of elementary school in terms of their
academic abilities and placed on an academic "track" such as gifted,
average, or learning disabled. Parents of minority students believe that
their children are not receiving fair evaluations of their abilities, but
instead are disproportionately placed in lower tracks to the detriment of
their academic careers. Some suspect that the ulterior motive behind
tracking is not merely to teach children who are at the same level in
separate classes (so that slower children do not hamper higher achieving
students), but to maintain separate schools within integrated settings. This
is an old problem that demands renewed attention and resolution.
Emerging technology issues. Technology can be enormously useful in
bridging the gaps between disparate communities, but it can also widen
them if we fail to acknowledge the gaps in access to new technologies.
The information now available and the rapidity with which it can be
transmitted across the country (and around the world) can facilitate
dialogue on race. Chat rooms on the Internet that allow people to
communicate without ever knowing each other's racial backgrounds are
but one example of how new technologies can overcome negative
stereotypes. At the same time, however, the ease of communication also
makes it easy for those who would instigate racial hatred to spread their
poison as well.[166]
Moreover, the speed with which information technologies are incorporated
into every sector of American business and society suggests that the
disadvantage minority children currently face will increase in the near
future. Minority children who attend schools without computers already
are behind their more fortunate counterparts before they even graduate
from school. Being competent in math and sciences as well as knowing
how to operate computers are just some of the skills high school graduates
in the 21st century will be expected to possess. Those without such skills
will be left behind in the information revolution.
The key to facilitating constructive dialogue, furthering education about
race, and sharing Promising Practices in a coordinated, dynamic way is
our capacity to harness these technological advances in communications.
We recognize, however, that the issue of technology and race is one that
clearly requires more study. We must develop ways to ensure that our new
technology becomes an instrument to narrow racial disparities and unify
people across racial lines rather than becoming another tool of racial
division.
Conflicts Between People of Color
The perpetuation of negative racial stereotyping is not solely within the
province of white America. The ability of the dominant society to translate
negative racial attitudes into policies and behaviors that adversely affect
minorities and people of color has been well documented. However,
people of all races tend to feel prejudice toward and harbor negative racial
stereotypes about people who are different than themselves. Focusing all
of the attention on stereotypes held by whites and on racist behavior
engaged in by certain elements of white America certainly tells only half
of the story. Negative racial attitudes between members of different
minority groups are just as damaging to racial harmony as those between
whites and minorities. However, we will not be able to overcome these
negative attitudes no matter whom they are directed against until we are
willing to confront prejudice wherever it appears.
International Human Rights
Other countries that are grappling with the challenges posed by
increasingly diverse populations are looking to our Nation for leadership.
In 1994 the United States ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), which embodies international
standards against racial and ethnic discrimination that are consistent with
American laws, values, and goals. Promoting respect for CERD's
principles can strengthen America's global leadership and help eliminate
racial discrimination on a global basis. The Council should look for
opportunities to reference this recognition of the international dimensions
of racial and ethnic non-discrimination in resolving domestic race relations
problems.
Building a New Consensus
As we noted in Chapter Two, one of the barriers to improving race
relations is our lack of knowledge about our collective past. As Board
Chairman John Hope Franklin told us at our first meeting, "The beginning
of wisdom is knowledge, and without knowledge of the past we cannot
wisely chart our course for the future." A common base of knowledge is
essential to genuine racial healing. We do not presume to tell teachers how
to teach history, but we believe it is vital to our future that the history we
teach accurately reflects our history from the perspective of all Americans,
not just the majority population.
Teaching a more inclusive and comprehensive history is just one of the
ways we may begin to become more comfortable about our Nation's
growing diversity. Today, too many people fear the demographic changes
that are occurring and too few people understand the strength that our
diversity has always provided. On the other hand, minority communities
continue to grapple with issues of inclusion or exclusion, which are often
expressed in terms of identity politics that seem to reject the notion of
common values and ideals. During this delicate period of redefining the
American policy, we must exercise extra caution so that we may better
understand and value our differences and understand that those differences
do not signal disunity but instead reflect an enhanced strength.
Reaching Beyond the Choir
We were quite successful, we believe, in energizing people who are
already involved in activities designed to bridge racial divisions--the
so-called choir. We do not minimize this accomplishment because we
believe that even the choir needs reinforcement, recognition, and
inspiration to sustain its efforts. At the same time, even stronger efforts
must be made to reach beyond the choir to the vast majority of Americans
who are people of goodwill, but who fail to recognize the importance to
their lives and the lives of their children of overcoming racial divisions
and narrowing racial disparities. If America is to achieve her full potential
and if our children are to have an opportunity to achieve the same standard
of living we have achieved, we must, as Executive Director of the Race
Initiative Judith Winston warned:
Acknowledge the fact that most Americans are not, and do not consider
themselves racist, but they have responses to people who are different than
they on the basis of race that suggest that they have internalized-we have
internalized--these racist concepts and stereotypes....We have to find a way
of engaging people, helping people to become engaged in conversations
that are not confrontational and that are constructive.
In the past 15 months, we have planted seeds of racial healing, seeds that
can erase "the fault line of race." We have traveled to communities in
every region of the country to discuss issues of race. While these issues are
often laden with emotion, we have tried to move the discussion beyond the
polarizing impact of debate to the unifying impact of reasoned dialogue.
For it is reasoned dialogue, and not divisive debate, that ultimately will
ease the fault line caused by race and strengthen our resolve to work
together to build an American community worthy of the principles and
values we espouse.
Ten Things Every American Should Do To Promote Racial Reconciliation
One of the most striking findings from our work is that many Americans
are willing to accept that racial prejudice, privilege, and disparities are
major problems confronting our Nation. Many of them told us that they
would welcome concrete advice about what they should do. To fill that
need, we offer a brief list of actions that individual Americans could take
that would increase the momentum that will make us one America in the
21st century.
(1)--Make a commitment to become informed about people from other
races and cultures. Read a book, see a movie, watch a play, or attend a
cultural event that will inform you and your family about the history and
current lives of a group different than your own.
(2) --If it is not your inclination to think about race, commit at least 1 day
each month to thinking about how issues of racial prejudice and privilege
might be affecting each person you come in contact with that day. The
more that people think about how issues of race affect each person, the
easier it will be for Americans to talk honestly about race and eliminate
racial divisions and disparities.
(3) --In your life, make a conscious effort to get to know people of other
races. Also, if your religious community is more racially isolated than
your local area, encourage it to form faith partnerships with racially
different faith groups.
(4) --Make a point to raise your concerns about comments or actions that
appear prejudicial, even if you are not the targets of these actions. When
people say or do things that are clearly racially biased, speak out against
them, even if you are not the target. When people do things that you think
might be influenced by prejudice, raise your concerns that the person or
institution seriously consider the role that racial bias might play, even
unconsciously.
(5) --Initiate a constructive dialogue on race within your workplace,
school, neighborhood, or religious community. The One America
Dialogue Guide provides some useful ideas about how to construct a
dialogue and lists some organizations that conduct dialogues and can help
with facilitation.
(6) --Support institutions that promote racial inclusion. Watch television
programs and movies that offer racially diverse casts that reflect the real
world instead of those perpetuating an inaccurately segregated view of
America. Support companies and non-profit organizations that
demonstrate a commitment to racial inclusion in personnel and
subcontracting. Write the institutions to let them know of your support for
what they are doing.
(7) --Participate in a community project to reduce racial disparities in
opportunity and well-being. These projects can also be good ways of
getting to know people from other backgrounds.
(8) --Insist that institutions that teach us about our community accurately
reflect the diversity of our Nation. Encourage our schools to provide
festivals and celebrations that authentically celebrate the history, literature,
and cultural contributions of the diverse groups that make up the United
States. Insist that our children's schools' textbooks, curricula, and libraries
provide a full understanding of the contributions of different racial groups
and an accurate description of our historic and ongoing struggle for racial
inclusion. Insist that our news sources--whether print, television, or
radio-include racially diverse opinions, story ideas, analyses, and experts.
Support ethnic studies programs in our colleges and universities so people
are educated and critical dialogue about race is stimulated.
(9) --Visit other areas of the city, region, or country that allow you to
experience parts of other cultures, beyond their food. If you have an
attitude that all people have histories, cultures, and contributions about
which you could benefit from learning, it is usually not difficult to find
someone who enjoys exposing others to their culture.
(10) Encourage groups you can influence (whether you work as a
volunteer or employee) to examine how they can increase their
commitment to reducing racial disparities, lessening discrimination, and
improving race relations. Whether you are a member of a small
community group or executive of a large corporation, virtually everyone
can attempt to influence a group to join the national effort to build one
America.
-------------------------------
Endnotes
1. There has been some criticism of the use of the term "one America."
Some have said the term is misleading and, even worse, hypocritical. We
urge that the term continue to be used. Because we are all proud of, and
celebrate in word and song, the geographic diversity of our Nation's
mountains, rivers, deserts, and plains, we should celebrate equally the
diversity of our people. Black, white, red, brown, yellow, and multi-racial
people are as much a part of the landscape of this country as its geography.
We are thankful for the resources and talents Americans provide and look
with pride and appreciation on the bounty of our human resources to
match the bounty of our natural resources. We strive to be one America
and call this America our America.
2. Council of Economic Advisers, Changing America: Indicators of Social
and Economic Well-Being by Race and Hispanic Origin, Washington, DC:
Executive Office of the President, Council of Economic Advisers, 1998.
3. The Constitutional Convention in 1787, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates in
1858, and the debates about civil rights in the 1960s are well-known race
debates. More recently, debates about affirmative action have become
frequent.
4. Despite recognition of the failure of current language or terms of art to
render fully the many issues with which we have wrestled, we must still
rely on much of the inadequate language to present our findings. It is
based on this qualification that, for purposes of this Report, we use the
term "minorities and people of color" to refer to the collective group of
principal American minorities.
For purposes of uniformity, we use the race and ethnicity categories
established in Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting
Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity, issued by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) on October 30, 1997 (Federal Register Document
97-28653; 62 Fed. Reg. 58789). OMB developed these standards to
provide a common language for uniformity and comparability in the
collection and use of data on race and ethnicity by Federal agencies. The
standards have five categories for race: American Indian or Alaska Native;
Asian; black or African American; Native Hawaiian or other Pacific
Islander; white or non-Hispanic white; and Hispanic or Latino.
The Advisory Board will use the race and ethnicity categories set forth in
the OMB directive with one exception: The broad category of Americans
who trace their ancestry to any part of Asia or the Pacific Islands will be
referred to by the Advisory Board as "Asian Pacific Americans."
5. This apology occurred during a dialogue organized by the National
Conference for Community and Justice (formerly the National
Conference) on September 26, 1997, in Little Rock, Arkansas. The
National Conference for Community and Justice organized these types of
dialogues across the country.
6. Du Bois, Paul Martin, and Jonathan J. Hutson, Bridging the Racial
Divide: A Report on Interracial Dialogue in America, Brattleboro, VT:
The Center for Living Democracy, 1997.
7. While dialogue on race is vital, the call for a national conversation on
race was not without challenge. The challenges the Board encountered
included:
o How to define the conversation.
o How to engage in such a conversation without duplicating ongoing
activities.
o How to reach those who do not traditionally see race as an issue of
interest.
o How, with limited resources, to respond to the many requests for
assistance in promoting the conversation in local communities.
o How to address the skeptics who argue that dialogue is of little value
and action speaks louder than words.
8. The organizations are Hope in the Cities, Richmond, Virginia; National
Multicultural Institute, Washington, D.C.; YWCA, New York, New York;
National Days of Dialogue, Washington, D.C.; Study Circles Resource
Center, Pomfret, Connecticut; and National Conference for Community
and Justice, New York, New York.
9. Hoffman, Mary, and Caroline Binch, Amazing Grace, London,
England: Magi Publications, 1995.
10. In many fields, people use the term "best practices" to call attention to
programs that should be models for others to replicate. The Board uses the
term "Promising Practices," indicating that the Board has no
predetermined understanding of what an ideal program should look like
but that based on preliminary criteria, these efforts show promise. Because
some of these efforts have been developed to address specific local issues,
communities in different regions or locales should modify programs to suit
their needs.
11. For example, see Community Cousins, Encinitas, California.
12. For example, see the National Multicultural Institute and the National
Conference for Community and Justice, New York, New York.
13. For example, see The Club, Kosciusko, Mississippi.
14. For example, see Public Allies, Washington, D.C.
15. For example, see Study Circles Resource Center, Pomfret,
Connecticut, and Multicultural Collaborative, Los Angeles, California.
16. For example, see Bridging the Gap, Atlanta, Georgia; American Indian
Science Technology Education Consortium, Las Vegas, New Mexico; and
Higher Ground, Boston, Massachusetts.
17. Executive Order 13050.
18. "The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color
line--the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and
Africa, in America and the islands of the sea." DuBois, W.E.B., The Souls
of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches, New York: Blue Heron Press, 1953:
13. See also Franklin, John Hope, The Color Line: Legacy for the
Twenty-First Century, Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 1993.
A voluminous library of material discusses the history and current practice
of racism affecting African Americans. Among the suggested relevant
texts are: Clayton, Obie, ed., An American Dilemma Revisited: Race
Relations in a Changing World, New York: Russell Sage, 1996; Hacker,
Andrew, Two Nations: Black and White: Separate, Hostile and Unequal,
New York: Charles Scribner's, 1992; Oliver, Melvin, and Thomas Shapiro,
Black Wealth/White Wealth: A New Perspective on Racial Inequality,
New York: Routledge; Feagin, Joe, and Melvin Sikes, Living with
Racism: The Black Middle-Class Experience, Boston: Beacon Press,
1994; Jaynes, Gerald and Robin Williams, A Common Destiny: Blacks
and American Society, Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1989;
and Sniderman, Paul, and Thomas Piazza, The Scar of Race, Cambridge:
Harvard University
Press, 1993.
19. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is a division of the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. FHA was created in the
1930s as a means of bringing stability and security to housing markets by
providing foreclosure insurance to lenders. FHA offers 100-percent
coverage against the loss of the principal loan amount and focuses on
newly emerging and underserved markets. FHA helps make housing
affordable for those unable to get assistance in the private mortgage
market. See Bradford, Calvin, "The Two Faces of FHA: A Case of
Government-Supported Discrimination Against Minority and Racially
Changing Communities," Chicago, IL: Chicago Fair Housing Alliance
Policy Paper, March 1998.
20. See Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 U.S. 1 (1948); and Norquist, John O., The
Wealth of Cities: Revitalizing the Centers of American Life, Reading,
MA: Perseus, 1998.
21. See testimony of Larry Bobo, Advisory Board meeting on racial
demographics, surveys, and attitudes on race, September 30, 1997,
Washington, D.C.
22. Dr. James Jones, Advisory Board meeting, September 30, 1997,
Washington, D.C.
23. "Indian tribe" means an American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band,
pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior
acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe pursuant to the Federally
Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 24 U.S.C. 479a.
24. Letter to the President from Bob Thomas, Advisory Board member,
August 21, 1998: 4.
25. Dorris, "The Grass Still Grows, the Rivers Still Flow: Contemporary
Native Americans," Daedalus (Spring 1981): 43.
26. See the U.S. Constitution, Article I, section 8, clause 3 (Indian
Commerce Clause), which states, "The Congress shall have Power . . . to
regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States,
and with the Indian Tribes."
27. Ibid.
28. Dorris, Michael A., "The Grass Still Grows, the Rivers Still Flow," 44.
See also Deloria,Vine, Jr., American Indian Policy in the 20th Century,
Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1992, and Red Earth, White
Lies: Native Americans and the Myth of Scientific Fact, Golden, CO:
Fulcrum Publishing, 1997; Fixico, Donald, ed., Rethinking American
Indian History, Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press,
1997; and "Statement of the Hualapai Indian Tribe on Racism,
Stereotypes, and Recent Attacks on Tribal Sovereignty," remarks
presented to the Advisory Board on March 23, 1998, Denver, Colorado,
Office of the Chairman, Hualapai Nation.
29. Written statement presented at a meeting with tribal leaders, Denver,
Colorado, March 23, 1998.
30. Indian tribes, like other sovereigns, cannot be sued without an
"unequivocally expressed" waiver of sovereign immunity (Santa Clara
Pueblo v. Martinez, 436 U.S. 49, 1978). Additionally, S. 1691 would have
fundamentally changed the way the Federal Government deals with Indian
tribes on torts, contracts, property rights, taxation, and civil rights--issues
central to the concept of tribal sovereignty.
31. Written statement of Pueblo of Laguna to the President's Initiative on
Race, June 10, 1998.
32. Executive Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and
Agencies, "Government-to-Government Relations with Native American
Tribal Government," April 29, 1994; see also Annual Report of the
Administration Working Group on American Indians and Alaska Natives,
August 1996.
33. See Chapter Four for the Advisory Board's recommendations on
eliminating disparities in education, economic opportunity, the
administration of justice, and health care. See also Chapter Five for how to
expand this effort to other critical areas.
34. The terms "Latino" and "Hispanic" are used interchangeably
to describe residents of the United States who belong to Spanish-speaking
ethnic groups (that is, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban
Americans, Dominicans, South Americans, and Central Americans).
Novas, Himilce, Everything You Need to Know About Latino History,
New York: Penguin/Plume, 1994: 3.
35. Yzaguirre, Raul, "A Hispanic Perspective on Employment
Discrimination in the Federal Workplace," testimony before the Civil
Service Subcommittee on Government Reform and Oversight, U.S. House
of Representatives, September 10, 1997.
36. Novas, Everything You Need To Know About Latino History, p. 83.
"By a single stroke of the pen, Mexico lost 50 percent of its national
territory, and the United States acquired a large group of new citizens who
remained in their homeland and yet found themselves smack in the middle
of a country whose laws, political and social institutions, and
fundamentally WASP traditions were alien to them."
37. Quoted in Takaki, Ronald, A Different Mirror: A History of
Multicultural America, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1993: 175.
38. Ibid, p. 176.
39. For example, most Americans are unaware that the Supreme Court
recognized that the racial segregation of Mexican-American children in the
public schools demonstrated one of the elements of a suspect classification
of race in violation of the U.S. Constitution 2 weeks prior to the landmark
case of Brown v. Board of Education. See Hernandez v. Texas, 347 U.S.
475 (1954) (case involving exclusion of persons of Mexican descent from
the jury pool).
40. The term "Asian Pacific American" is used in this report to describe
residents of the United States who have origins in the Far East, Southeast
Asia, South Asia, and Pacific Islands. See U.S. Commission on Civil
Rights, Civil Rights Issues Facing Asian Americans in the 1990s,
Washington, DC: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1992: 1.
41. Hawaii became a United States territory in 1893 and was annexed as a
State in 1898. See U.S. Public Law 103-150. But see Report on the
Culture, Needs, and Concerns of Native Hawaiians, Native Hawaiians
Study Commission 102-104 (1983); David Stannard, Before the Horror:
The Population of Hawaii on the Eve of Western Contact, Honolulu, HI:
University of Hawaii Press (1989).
42. For example, in 1852 California imposed a foreign miner's tax, in 1862
California passed a head tax of $2.50 per month on most Chinese
residents, and in 1873 San Francisco passed an ordinance adding an
additional tax targeted at Chinese laundries.
43. Congress passed a law in 1790 limiting naturalization to "free white
persons," and in 1870 Congress extended naturalization rights to African
Americans, but not to Asian Pacific Americans.
44. In 1942 President Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 authorized the
evacuation and relocation of Americans of Japanese descent to internment
camps in isolated, interior locations in the country. Individuals and
families lost property and businesses because they generally were forced
to relocate with less than 7-days notice. They were not officially released
until 1945. In contrast, although America was also at war with Germany
and Italy, those of German or Italian descent were never evacuated or
relocated.
45. For example, an October 1995 Washington Post, Kaiser Family
Foundation, and Harvard University survey revealed that whites believe
that the U.S. population is roughly 50 percent white; it is 74 percent. At
the same time, blacks believe the country is roughly 45 percent white and
26 percent black; the black population is 11.8 percent. In the poll, 68
percent of blacks said that racism "is a big problem in our society today";
only 38 percent of whites agreed. Morin, Richard, "A Distorted Image of
Minorities: Poll Suggests that What Whites Think They See May Affect
Beliefs," Washington Post, October 8, 1995: 1, 27, 28.
46. Brodie, Mollyann, "Four Americas: Government and Social Policy
Through the Eyes of America's Multi-Racial and Multi-Ethnic Society,"
Washington Post, December 1995.
47. Gallup Poll Social Audit, Black/White Relations in the United States:
1997, Princeton, NJ: The Gallup Organization, June 1997.
48. Gallup Poll Social Audit, Black/White Relations in the United States.
See also Hochschild, Jennifer L., Facing Up to the American Dream:
Race, Class and the Soul of the Nation, Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University Press, 1995; and testimony of Dr. Lawrence Bobo, September
30, 1997.
49. We were able to find little survey data on the views of American
Indians, Alaska Natives, and Asian Pacific Americans. Therefore, most of
the polls that the Advisory Board reviewed were focused on the attitudes
of blacks and whites.
50. Delgado, Richard, "Rodrigo's Eighth Chronicle: Black Crime, White
Fears--On the Social Construction of Threat," Virginia Law Review
(March 1994): 503-548.
51. Dr. John Dovidio, Advisory Board meeting, September 30, 1997,
Washington, D.C.
52. Statement of Dr. Lawrence Bobo, Advisory Board meeting, September
30, 1997, Washington, D.C. See also Delgado, "Rodrigo's Eighth
Chronicle," and Dovidio, Advisory Board Meeting.
53. Statement of Dr. Lawrence Bobo, Advisory Board meeting,
September 30, 1997, Washington, D.C.
54. Ayres, Ian, and Peter Siegelman, "Race and Gender Discrimination in
Bargaining for a New Car," American Economic Review 85 (June 1995):
304-321.
55. Feagin, Joe, and Melvin Sikes, Living with Racism: The Black
Middle-Class Experience, Boston: Beacon Press, 1994; see also Scanlon,
Kerry A., and Marc Bendick, "Racial and Ethnic Discrimination in
Restaurant Franchising," testimony before the House Committee on Small
Business, June 30, 1993.
56. Dr. James Jones, Advisory Board meeting, September 30, 1997,
Washington, D.C.
57. By discrimination, we mean unfavorable treatment of a person solely
on the basis of their membership in a protected class. These protected
classes are defined under current U.S. civil rights laws; see Banton,
Michael, Discrimination, Philadelphia: Open University Press, 1994.
58. In June 1998 James Byrd, an African-American man, was tied to a
truck and dragged, which resulted in his death and decapitation in Jasper,
Texas.
59. In September 1996 a former University of California at Irvine student
sent threatening messages through e-mail and was the first to be
prosecuted for a Federal hate crime committed in cyberspace. National
Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium, 1996 Audit of Violence
Against Asian Pacific Americans, Washington, DC: National Asian
Pacific American Legal Consortium, 1997: 17.
60. Graubard, Stephen R., ed., "American Indians, Blacks, Chicanos, and
Puerto Ricans," Daedalus: Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences 110 (2) (Spring 1981): v, quoting President Johnson's 1965
statement.
61. Ibid, v.
62. In 1993 the U.S. Government finally acknowledged the illegal taking
of the Nation of Hawaii in 1893. The conquest of that nation and the
annexation of the islands as a State produced the same kind of
discrimination, disenfranchisement, and exclusion that American Indians,
Alaska Natives, and Puerto Ricans experienced. The movement aimed at
gaining Hawaiian sovereignty has emerged as a significant nexus between
the mainland and Pacific Islander attitudes, beliefs, and opinions
concerning race relations and culture.
63. Graubard, "American Indians, Blacks, Chicanos, and Puerto Ricans,"
vii.
64. We discuss these divides more fully in Chapter Four.
65. Council of Economic Advisers, Changing America: Indicators of
Social and Economic Well-Being by Race and Hispanic Origin,
Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President, Council of Economic
Advisers, 1998, 6; and U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of
the United States: 1997, Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census,
1997.
66. See Bryson, Kenneth, "America's Children: Key Indicators of
Well-Being, 1998," U.S. Bureau of the Census press release, July 16,
1998. Dr. George Vernez of The RAND Corporation has estimated that by
the year 2005, persons who describe themselves as Hispanic will
constitute the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. See also
U.S. Bureau of the Census projections.
67. Ibid.
68. Ibid.
69. Shepard, Paul, "Census May Allow for Mixed Races: Designation
Worries Some Groups," Detroit Free Press, April 3, 1997.
70. Lind, Michael, "The Beige and the Black," New York Times
Magazine, August 16, 1998: 38 (citing data from Reynold Farley's
analysis of the 1990 U.S. Census).
71. See Council of Economic Advisers, Changing America, 10.
72. On August 28, 1998, Advisory Board member Angela Oh discussed
this issue with fathers of children who were biracial or multi-racial and
living in Hawaii. All the fathers who agreed to be a part of this
conversation were white and self-identified as Hawaiian locals. When
asked about how their offspring identify themselves, all the fathers
acknowledged that their children did not identify themselves as white.
Rather, they explained that identity was connected to whether someone
was "local" or not. Despite this explanation, it appeared that being white is
not considered to be a positive attribute in a State where whites are in a
minority. One father illustrated this point with the following story: His son
came home one day and expressed surprise that a friend from school had
parents who forbid dating whites. The father asked his son how he felt
about himself and his friend after learning about the prohibition. The son,
looking directly at his white father, responded with surprise that he was
not white. Another father observed that when it comes to expressions of
racial identity, like on the mainland, his son and other teenagers in the
community identify with black sports professionals, musicians, rap, and
hip hop music and dress.
73. Dr. James Jones, statement at the Advisory Board meeting,
Washington, D.C., September 30, 1997.
74. Shepard, "Census May Allow for Mixed Races."
75. Shaheen, Jack G., Arab and Muslim Stereotyping in American Popular
Culture, Washington, DC: Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding,
The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Washington, DC:
Georgetown University, 1997: 5-6.
76. "A mascot which is offensive or demeaning to groups of people should
quite simply not be permitted. That principle is not subject to adjudication
by referendum, any more than any fundamental human right is; unfairness,
even to a small minority, cannot be sanctified by majority vote." Stanford
University President Donald Kennedy, Stanford University News Service
Press Release, October 1, 1980.
77. Myrdal, Gunnar, Richard Sterner, and Arnold Rose, An American
Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy, New York:
Harper and Brothers, 1944.
78. Kerner Commission, Report of the National Advisory Commission on
Civil Disorders, New York: E.P. Dutton, 1968.
79. Ibid., 1.
80. Sanchez, George I., "Face the Nation: Race, Immigration, and the Rise
of Nativism in Late Twentieth Century America," International Migration
Review 31 (3) (Winter 1997): 1,009-1,030.
81. Efforts by organizations such as the Rainbow Coalition and the
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights are evidence of this point. See also
Meyers, Samuel L., ed., Civil Rights and Race Relations in the
Post-Reagan-Bush Era, New York: Praeger, 1997.
82. In addition, the White House Office of Science Technology Policy and
the American Sociological Association sponsored a major conference on
racial trends and patterns of causality in April 1998 to establish a
state-of-the-art assessment of racial disparities and diversity in America.
The conference was convened to assist the Race Initiative.
83. We base the discussion of disparities in this chapter on information
provided to us during our Advisory Board meetings by experts in the field
and other venues and by background reading done in preparation for these
discussions. We do not purport to provide you with a definitive study of
these issues but with a summary of the information on which we base our
recommendations. We further suggest that additional efforts be undertaken
by the Administration to understand and communicate in a fuller and more
definitive way the nature of the disparities that exist and how we, as a
Nation, can most effectively eliminate them.
84. "Racial disparity" is defined as a systemic difference between racial
groups in defined measurable areas such as employment rates, high school
graduation rates, wage-earning differentials, and homeownership.
85. Although this is the Advisory Board's Report to the President, we
thought it important for others who will read it to know that the Initiative
year has been one devoted not only to dialogue and study, but to action as
well.
86. Federal civil rights laws also protect against discrimination on the
basis of gender, disability, religion, and age.
87. There were, for example, 2,850 full-time staff at the U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission in 1990 at a time when the agency
was receiving roughly 62,000 cases a year. In 1997 there were only 2,680
staff (170 fewer) at a time when the number of charges had risen to nearly
100,000. Similarly, the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of
Education had 815 staff in 1990 to handle roughly 3,400 cases; in 1997
there were 134 fewer staff but more than 5,200 complaints. Even with the
use of technology, more cannot be done effectively with so much less.
88. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hate Crime Statistics 1996,
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, 1998: 7.
89. Bureau of Justice Assistance, A Policymaker's Guide to Hate Crimes,
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice
Assistance, 1997: x.
90. For a good overview of racial disparities in educational opportunity,
see Darling-Hammond, Linda, "Inequality and Access to Knowledge," in
Handbook of Research on Multicultural Education, ed. James A. Banks
and Cherry A. McGee Banks, New York: MacMillan Publishing
Company, 1995: 465-483.
91. Disparities in opportunity undoubtedly are linked to disparities in
achievement. Students of color often trail white students in test scores,
high school graduation rates, and college graduation rates. For example,
although there is evidence of recent improvements in test scores for
students of color, the National Assessment of Educational Progress
average scaled-reading proficiency scores for 17-year-old black and
Hispanic students in 1996 were lower than the average scores for
13-year-old whites (265 versus 267 out of a possible 500, respectively; the
average scores for white 17-year-olds was 294). Wirt, John, and Thomas
Snyder, The Condition of Education 1998, Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1998:
indicator 16, chart 1; online publication
http:/nces.ed.gov/pubs98/condition98.
92. U.S. General Accounting Office, School Facilities: America's Schools
Report Differing Conditions, Washington, DC: U.S. General Accounting
Office, June 1996.
93. For example, a recent study reports that 34 percent of black students
and 35 percent of Hispanic students attend schools with more than 90
percent minority enrollment. Orfield, Gary, Mark Bachmeier, David R.
James, and Tamela Eitle, Deepening Segregation in American Public
Schools, Cambridge, MA: Harvard Project on School Desegregation, April
1997: 11. Most dramatically, 88 percent of those schools with greater than
90-percent minority enrollment are predominantly poor (p. 19). These
rates of segregation are worse than the rates of segregation from more than
15 years ago for blacks and 25 years ago for Hispanics (p. 11).
94. See Council of Economic Advisers, "Participation in Literacy
Activities with a Parent or Family Member by Children Aged Three to
Five," Changing America, citing National Center for Education Statistics;
see also Wirt and Snyder, The Condition of Education 1998,
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs98/condition98.
95. In 1997, for example, the President announced his Initiative to Reduce
Class Sizes in Early Grades, which will provide $12.4 billion over 7 years
to help reduce class size in grades 1-3 from a national average of 22
students to 18 students. This proposal will help overcome the modest
racial disparities that exist in class size. Data from 1993 show that the
average class size has approximately one to three more students in schools
where the majority of students are of color than in schools where students
of color make up less than 10 percent of the student population. National
Center for Education Statistics, America's Teachers: Profile of a
Profession, 1993-94, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education,
National Center for Education Statistics, 1997. In addition, this proposal
will help improve learning for all students. Studies show that students
learn more effectively when the class size is reduced and there is evidence
that this return is greater for students of color than for white students. See,
for example, Word, Elizabeth, John Johnston, Helen Pate Bain, DeWayne
Fulton, Jane Boyd Zaharias, Charles M. Achilles, Martha Nannette Lintz,
John Folger, and Carolyn Breda, The State of Tennessee's Student/Teacher
Achievement Ratio (STAR) Project: Technical Report, 1985-1990, 1990:
166-169.
96. In 1993-94, for example, 39 percent of math teachers at public
secondary schools with more than 50-percent minority enrollment had not
been math majors, compared with 25 percent of math teachers at schools
with less than 5-percent minority enrollment. Wirt and Snyder, The
Condition of Education 1998, supplemental table 58-2,
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs98/condition98.
97. U.S. General Accounting Office, School Facilities: America's Schools
Reports Differing Conditions.
98. For example, of those students who were in eighth grade in 1988 (and
would graduate on time in 1992), 79 percent of Asian Pacific American
students went on to some form of post-secondary education compared
with 66 percent of whites, 53 percent of Hispanics, 52 percent of blacks,
and 38 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Mathtech Inc.,
Factors Related to College Enrollment, prepared for the U.S. Department
of Education, Office of the Under Secretary, 1998: 16.
99. For example, in 1998, according to university officials, the University
of California at Berkeley had to reject more than 800 highly qualified
black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native applicants who had
4.0 or higher grade point averages and scored 1200 or higher on the SAT.
Sanchez, Rene, "With Ban on Preferences, UC Will Enroll 12% Fewer
Blacks, Hispanics," Washington Post, May 21, 1998, A10.
100. Although the percentage of white and black persons ages 25 to 29
who have completed high school are approaching parity at 88 percent and
86 percent, respectively, the percentage of Hispanics ages 25 to 29 who
have completed high school remains considerably lower at 62 percent.
Day, Jennifer, and Andrea Curry, Educational Attainment in the United
States: March 1997, Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1998: 3.
This high Hispanic dropout rate is explained in part by the increasing
number of Hispanic immigrants in the population for whom the high
school dropout rate for 18-to-21 year olds was 47 percent in 1990, but the
dropout rate for native-born Hispanics remains high as well at 23 percent.
Council of Economic Advisers, Economic Report of the President,
Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President, Council of Economic
Advisers, 1998: 134-135.
Data from 1990 also indicate that the percentage of American Indians and
Alaska Natives age 25 and older who have completed high school is also
lower at 66 percent. U.S. Bureau of the Census, Population Profile of the
United States, 1995, Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1995:
51.
The overall percentage of Asian Pacific Americans ages 25 to 29 with
a high school diploma is 90 percent. Day and Curry, Educational
Attainment in the United States: March 1997, 3. That figure, however,
masks substantial variation in graduation rates within the population,
which ranged from approximately 31 percent for Hmong Americans to 88
percent for Japanese Americans in 1990. U.S. Bureau of the Census,
Population Profile of the United States, 1995, 49.
101. This recommendation is based in part on the meeting on immigrants
and race, which is discussed later in this chapter.
102. U.S. Bureau of the Census, "We the American People," September
1993, page 10, figure 18; see also New York Times, "Tribal Garden Helps
to Ease Pain of Cutbacks in Welfare," August 23, 1998, 24.
103. See also Dr. Manuel Pastor, Advisory Board meeting on race and
poverty, February 11, 1998, San Jose, California. According to 1996
statistics, non-Hispanic whites constitute 45.1 percent of the Nation's poor
while blacks constitute 26.5 percent and Hispanics 22.4 percent. Poverty
and unemployment often affect approximately 40 to 50 percent of
American Indians living on reservations or tribal lands and represent a
major continuing source of frustration for all Federal agencies charged
with delivering housing, development, and social services to Indian
country.
Poverty data (Survey of Income and Program Participation and Panel
Study of Income Dynamics) reveal that white households typically spend
less time living in poverty and have shorter durations living in poverty
then do blacks or Hispanics. White households also spend less time
drawing benefits from Aid to Families with Dependent Children.
In addition, recent evidence indicates that as welfare rolls continue to
plunge, "white recipients are leaving the system much faster than black
and Hispanic recipients, pushing the minority share of the caseload to the
highest level on record." This is due in part to important differences in
education: While 64 percent of Hispanic recipients lacked a high school
education, this was true of only 33 percent of whites and 40 percent of
blacks. DeParle, Jason, "Shrinking Welfare Rolls Leave Record High
Share of Minorities: Fast Exodus of Whites Alters the Racial Balance,"
New York Times, July 27, 1998, A1, A12.
104. Jargowsky, Paul. Poverty and Place: Ghettos, Barrios, and the
American City. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1997.
105. Massey, Douglas, and Nancy Denton. American Apartheid:
Segregation and the Making of the Underclass, Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press, 1993.
106. Katz, Bruce, and Kate Carnevale, The State of Welfare Caseloads in
America's Cities, Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, Center for
Urban and Metropolitan Policy, 1998: 6.
107. See DeParle, Jason, "Shrinking Welfare Rolls Leave Record High
Share of Minorities."
108. Ellis, Virginia, and Ken Ellingwood, "Job Quest for Welfare
Recipients Could Cost the Working Poor," Los Angeles Times,
February 8, 1998, A1.
109. A study by the Economic Policy Institute indicates that in 1997, black
males with a high school degree earned 80 percent of what their white
counterparts earned, and black males with a college degree earned only 77
percent of what comparable white males earned. Mishel, Lawrence, Jared
Bernstein, and John Schmitt, The State of Working America 1998-1999,
Economic Policy Institute Series, Ithaca: Cornell, forthcoming.
110. The differences in the weekly earnings of whites, blacks, and
Hispanics from the late 1960s to the present reveal two important issues:
(1) the median wages, after adjusting for inflation, actually declined
between the late 1970s and 1990s (but have risen somewhat in recent
years) except for white women; and (2) whites still have higher average
earnings than blacks or Hispanics. Council of Economic Advisers,
Changing America, table on Median Family Income, p. 35. The earnings
gap between whites and minority workers continues to persist, and is
greater today than it was in 1979. In 1997 the weekly earnings of a typical
black worker were only 77 percent of the earnings of a typical white
worker, compared with 80 percent two decades earlier. (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Median Weekly Earnings Table, unpublished data.) The average
family income of blacks, for example, has been less than 60 percent of that
of whites for the years 1967 to 1997. Asian Pacific Americans have even
higher average household incomes than whites. However, there are great
differences among the ethnic groups in the Asian Pacific-American and
Hispanic categories. Council of Economic Advisers, Changing America,
p. 35.
111. Claudia Withers, Advisory Board meeting on race in the workplace,
Phoenix, Arizona, January 14, 1998. Cross, H., et al., Employer Hiring
Practices: Different Treatment of Hispanic and Anglo Job Seekers.
Washington, DC: The Urban Institute, 1990 (discussion of an auditing
project in the late 1980s in Chicago that showed clear signs of
discrimination against Hispanics and immigrants).
In 1990 the Urban Institute conducted a major audit using matched pairs
of comparably qualified job applicants who differed only in their race.
This study concluded that black and Hispanic males were three times as
likely as an equally qualified white male applicant to be turned down for a
job. This report also states, "Hispanics were more likely to experience
unfavorable treatment at the application and interview stages than were
blacks;" that is, Hispanics appear to encounter even more discrimination in
certain labor markets. Turner, Margery, Michael Fix, and Raymond
Struyk, Opportunities Diminished: Racial Discrimination and Hiring,
Urban Institute Report 91-9. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute Press,
1991: 56.
There are recognized limitations to some of this auditing research as
discussed by Heckman, James, and Peter Siegelman, "The Urban Institute
Audit Studies: Their Methods and Findings," in Clear and Convincing
Evidence: Measurement of Discrimination in America, ed. Michael Fix
and Raymond Struyk, Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press, 1993.
112. Wilson, William Julius, When Work Disappears, New York: Vintage
Books, 1997.
113. Fix and Struyk, Clear and Convincing Evidence: Bendick, Marc,
"Measuring Employment Discrimination Through Controlled
Experiments," The Review of Black Political Economy, (Summer 1994):
25-48.
114. Claudia Withers, Former Executive Director of the Fair Employment
Council of Greater Washington, D.C., Advisory Board meeting on race in
the workplace, Phoenix, Arizona, January 14, 1998; Bendick, Marc,
"Measuring Employment Discrimination Through Controlled
Experiments," 25-48.
115. Jose Roberto Juarez, statement at the Advisory Board meeting on
race in the workplace, January 14, 1998, Phoenix, Arizona.
116. The Glass Ceiling Report reveals that in 1989, 97 percent of top male
executives were white. U.S. Census data from 1990 reveal that black men
who hold professional degrees and top management positions earned only
79 percent of what white men earn. Good for Business: Making Full Use
of the Nation's Human Capital: A Fact-Finding Report of the Federal
Glass Ceiling Commission, Washington, DC: Federal Glass Ceiling
Commission, March 1995: 12-13.
117. Dr. Paul Ong, Advisory Board meeting on race in the workplace,
January 14, 1998, Phoenix, Arizona.
118. Council of Economic Advisers, Changing America: 36.
119. Ibid.
120. Blacks and Hispanics are much more likely to work in jobs paying
poverty-level wages, meaning that working full-time, year- round will not
lift a worker and his or her family out of poverty. Work should be a bridge
out of poverty, but for many it is not. In fact, 30 percent of all workers were
in jobs paying poverty-level wages in 1995. Minorities and people of color
are much more likely than whites to work in poverty-wage jobs. Four in 10
blacks and almost half of all Hispanic workers were paid poverty-level wages.
Mishel, Lawrence, Jared Bernstein, and John Schmitt, The State of Working
America 1996-1997, Economic Policy Institute Series, Armonk, NY: M.E.
Sharpe, 1997.
121. Furthermore, more and more jobs require non-standard work
arrangements, with little job security and no income stability. A
non-standard work arrangement typically includes working without
benefits, working irregular hours, working as a temporary employee or
contractor, and working fewer than 40 hours a week, as well as other
activities designed to adjust employment policies.
122. Over-sampling would occur over periodic intervals, such as every
3 to 5 years, so that national estimates could be produced for major
sub-populations on critical areas of demographic and economic behavior.
The Council of Economic Advisers has indicated, in Changing America,
some of the types of data limitations that need to be addressed in such
supplementary sampling.
123. President Clinton's Memorandum for the Secretaries of Commerce,
Housing and Urban Development, Interior, and Treasury, and the
Administrator of the Small Business Administration, August 6, 1998.
124. Research suggests the consequences of systemic denial of access to
home equity and wealth accumulation that homeownership has brought to
so many white Americans: "[w]hites possess nearly 12 times as much
median net worth as blacks, or $43,800 versus $3,700. In even starker
contrast...the average white household controls $6,999 in net financial
assets while the average black household retains no...nest egg
whatsoever." Oliver, Melvin, and Thomas Shapiro, Black Wealth/White
Wealth, New York: Routledge, 1997: 86.
125. Fannie Mae, formerly the Federal National Mortgage Association,
was founded in 1938 to ensure a consistent supply of mortgage funds for
homebuyers by investing in mortgages from the institutions that originate
them. In 1996 Fannie Mae purchased or guaranteed $218 billion of home
mortgages. Freddie Mac, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation,
was founded in 1970 as a stockholder-owned corporation chartered by
Congress to create a regular flow of funds to mortgage lenders, and is
comparable in size to Fannie Mae.
126. Yinger, John, Closed Doors, Opportunities Lost: The Continuing
Costs of Housing Discrimination, New York: Russell Sage Foundation,
1995; see also, Goering, John, and Ron Wienk, eds., Mortgage Lending,
Racial Discrimination, and Federal Policy, Washington, DC: The Urban
Institute Press, 1996.
127. Fair Housing Council of Greater Washington, "The Fair Housing
Index: An Audit of Race & National Origin Discrimination in the Greater
Washington Real Estate Market: 1997," Washington, DC: The Fair
Housing Council of Greater Washington, 1997. On credit market
discrimination see Smith, S., and C. Cloud, "The Role of Private,
Nonprofit Fair Housing Enforcement Organizations in Lending Testing,"
in Mortgage Lending, Racial Discrimination, and Federal Policy.
128. See brief discussion of "Concentrated Poverty", Chapter Four.
129. Dr. David Listokin, Advisory Board meeting on race and housing,
April 23, 1998, Newark, New Jersey.
130. The Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation and the Corporation for What
Works, The Millennium Breach: Richer, Poorer and Racially Apart,
Washington, DC: The Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation and the
Corporation for What Works, 1998: 130-140.
131. The Administration took a promising step to assist the American
Indian community by holding the conference on August 5-6, 1998,
"Building Economic Self-Determination in Indian Communities," in
Washington, D.C. All American Indian tribes and Alaska Native
community villages were invited to attend. The conference encouraged
economic development on American Indian lands; provided accurate and
current information about the Administration's commitment to American
Indians; announced Federal policy developments focused on Indian
country issues; and built bridges to different sectors of the American
Indian community, tribal leaders, and tribal and non-tribal businesses.
132. For a good overview of issues of race in crime and the administration
of justice, see Sampson, Robert J., and Janet L. Lauritsen, "Racial and
Ethnic Disparities in Crime and Criminal Justice in the United States," in
Ethnicity, Crime, and Immigration, ed. Michael Tonry, 1997: 311-374.
133. For example, at our May Advisory Board meeting, Christopher
Stone, Director of the Vera Institute of Justice, reported that the homicide
rate for white males is approximately 5 per 100,000, while the homicide
rate for males of color is approximately 8 per 100,000 for Asian Pacific
Americans, 18 for American Indians and Alaska Natives, 25 for Hispanics,
and 58 for blacks. In general 1994 victimization rates for violent and
property crimes were approximately 65 per 1,000 for blacks, 63 for
Hispanics, 52 for whites, and 49 for others (which includes Asian Pacific
Americans and American Indians and Alaska Natives). Bureau of Justice
Statistics, Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1994, Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, May 1997:
viii.
134. For example, in a 1995 Gallup poll only 40 percent of minorities and
persons of color reported having confidence in the ability of police to
protect them from violent crime, compared with 52 percent of whites.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics,
1996, p. 129. Furthermore in 1996, only 32 percent of minorities and
persons of color rated the honesty and ethical standards of police as high
or very high, compared with 51 percent of whites (p. 126.) (There is
contrary data on issues of trust toward the criminal justice system, but
most of the data we reviewed and discussions we held indicate that
substantial disparities in trust persist.)
135. Dr. William Wilbanks, statement at Advisory Board meeting on race,
crime, and the administration of justice, Washington, D.C., May 19, 1998.
136. Russell, Katheryn K., The Color of Crime: 41-42.; Christopher Stone,
Advisory Board meeting on race, crime, and the administration of justice,
Washington, D.C., May 19, 1998.
137. Christopher Stone, Advisory Board meeting on race, crime, and the
administration of justice, Washington, D.C., May 19, 1998.
138. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Correctional Populations in the United
States, 1996, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of
Justice Statistics (forthcoming). Weitzer, Ronald, "Racial Discrimination
in the Criminal Justice System: Findings and Problems in the Literature,"
Journal of Criminal Justice, 24 (4), 1996: 316; Prison and Jail Inmates at
Midyear 1997, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of
Justice Statistics, 1998: 6 (reporting that 42 percent of local jail inmates
are black and 16 percent are Hispanic).
139. Christopher Stone, Advisory Board meeting on race, crime, and the
administration of justice, May 19, 1998.
140. Association of American Medical Colleges Databook: Statistical
Information Related to Medical Education, January 1998. People of color
are underrepresented within the ranks of physicians, the most senior level
of the health provider hierarchy. This underrepresentation has significant
implications for health care access, largely because physicians of color are
more likely to treat Medicaid or uninsured patients. For this and other
reasons, it also appears that minority physicians are more likely to see
patients of color than other physicians. (Komaromy, et al., New England
Journal of Medicine, May 16, 1996) The gaps in minority enrollment in
medical schools has a negative effect not only on health care for minorities
and people of color but also on the racial inclusivity of the topics,
methodologies, and patients involved in health research. The gaps are
likely to continue and expand in the face of State and court "rollbacks" of
affirmative action and continued deficiencies facing public education
systems in our poorest communities.
141. For example, in 1995 the black infant mortality rate was 15 per 1,000
births, more than twice the rates for whites, Hispanics, and Asian Pacific
Americans, which are between 5 and 6 per 1,000 births. The infant
mortality rate for American Indians and Alaska Natives is also higher at 9
per 1,000 births. Changing America, Council of Economic Advisers, 43,
from National Linked Files of Live Births and Infant Deaths, National
Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 1998 with
Socioeconomic Status and Health Chartbook, Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health
Statistics, 1998, and previous annual editions. Also, the alcohol and
substance abuse in Indian country have harmed generations of American
Indians and their communities, with the pattern continuing to this day.
Statistics show that alcohol is an important risk factor associated with the
top three killers of American Indian and Alaska Native youth--accidents,
suicides, and homicides. Another example is the rate of AIDS among
blacks over the age of 13, which is seven times the rate for whites. Black
children contract AIDS at 19 times the rate of whites. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB
Prevention, unpublished chart, 1996. Public health officials must pay more
attention to these disparities and their effect on the physical and
psychological health of the affected communities.
142. Changing America, Council of Economic Advisers, 43, from
National Linked Files of Live Births and Infant Deaths, National Center
for Health Statistics, Health United States 1998 with Socioeconomic
Status and Health Chartbook and previous annual editions. Although only
14 percent of white adults are medically uninsured, 21 percent of
African-American adults and 35 percent of Hispanic adults are uninsured.
National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey,
1994-1995. Most Americans gain access to affordable health insurance
through their employer or the employer of a family member. However,
blacks and Hispanics are less likely to work in jobs with health insurance
coverage. In 1996, 66 percent of whites in the private sector had
employer-provided health insurance, while 60 percent of blacks and only
45 percent of Hispanics had employer-provided health insurance. Mishel,
Lawrence, Jared Bernstein, and John Schmitt, The State of Working
America, 1998-1999, Economic Policy Institute Series.
143. See Portes, Alejandro, The Economic Sociology of Immigration:
Essays on Networks, Ethnicity, and Entrepreneurship, New York: Russell
Sage Foundation, 1995 (in which he discusses the segmented assimilation
that forces many immigrants of color to select racial patterns of
adaptation).
144. Here, of course, we are using the term "black" as a social construct to
refer to American blacks who are the descendants of slaves in the United
States and not to skin color or relationship to the continent of Africa. See
Portes, Alejandro, The Economic Sociology of Immigration: Essays on
Networks, Ethnicity, and Entrepreneurship.
145. See the work of Rumbaut, Ruben, "Assimilation and Its Discontents:
Between Rhetoric and Reality," International Migration Review, 31, 1997:
923-960.
146. We want to distinguish this entity from existing civil rights
enforcement agencies and departments. The purpose of the Council would
be to enhance the work of agencies such as the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S.
Department of Education, and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S.
Department of Justice. Moreover, the nature of the work of the Council
would not conflict with that of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
147. On October 15-16, 1998, the National Academy of Sciences and the
National Research Council are sponsoring a conference on racial trends in
the United States that will provide a forum for discussion of the most
important research and available facts on race.
148. Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, Good for Business: Making Full
Use of the Nation's Human Capital: A Fact Finding Report of the Federal
Glass Ceiling Commission, Washington, DC: Federal Glass Ceiling
Commission, 1995.
149. This study examined the implicit and explicit messages transmitted
by the media and how those images help to shape the attitudes,
assumptions, anxieties, and hopes that people in each group have about
themselves and those belonging to other groups. Entman, Robert, Barbara
Hanson Langford, Debra Burns Melican, Irma Munoz, Simone Boayue,
Anita Raman, Brian Kenner, and Charles Merrit, Mass Media and
Reconciliation, a report to the Advisory Board and staff of The President's
Initiative on Race, March 4, 1998.
150. Brodie, Mollyann, "The Four Americas: Government and Social
Policy Through the Eyes of America's Multi-Racial and Multi-Ethnic
Society," Washington Post, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard
University, December 1995, 47; and Schuman, Howard, Charlotte Steeh,
Lawrence Bobo, and Maria Krysan, Racial Attitudes in America,
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997.
151. 438 U.S. 265 (1978).
152. 116 S.CT 2581 (1996).
153. Wessman v. Boston School Committee, et al., CA No. 97-119231,
USDC, Mass., (1998).
154. See Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod v. FCC, 329 U.S. App. D.C.
382 (1998).
155. See Thernstrom, Stephan, and Abigail Thernstrom, America in Black
and White: One Nation Indivisible, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997.
156. Bowen, William G., and Derek Bok, The Shape of the River,
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1998.
157. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,
"Employment Discrimination and Abuses in the Federal Workplace,"
Washington, DC: NAACP Federal Sector Task Force, 1997.
158. The U.S. Department of Education has implemented a dispute
resolution center for this purpose.
159. See Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC Federal
Sector Report on EEO Complaints, Processing, and Appeals by Federal
Agencies for FY '96, Washington, DC: Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, 1996.
160. Professor Robert Entman of North Carolina State University directed
a study that resulted in the publication of Mass Media and Reconciliation,
a report to the Advisory Board and staff of The President's Initiative on
Race, March 4, 1998. Professor Entman makes several important
observations:
o While the continuing racial and ethnic prejudice and tension are not the
media's fault or responsibility alone, the media could change a number of
practices to enhance racial and ethnic harmony.
o Local newscasts treat black suspects and victims of crime differently
than whites in the same categories and may cultivate an exaggerated sense
of conflict between blacks and whites in the political arena.
o With respect to network news images, all three non-white groups are
underrepresented in roles as experts, while whites are significantly
overrepresented as on-air reporters.
o By not providing more contextual and fully balanced news
presentations on racially relevant topics, the media are not educating the
public on the continuing complexities of democracy in a society of
growing ethnic diversity.
o With respect to ethnic images conveyed by the entertainment industry,
real progress in including more black characters is offset by more subtle
stereotyping, distancing, or exclusion of blacks, a pattern even more
severe with respect to Latinos and Asian Pacific Americans by sheer
neglect and near invisibility.
o A public awareness campaign is needed to make the media's racial
images and their impacts an important object of public attention and
discourse.
161. Du Bois, Paul Martin, and Jonathan J. Hutson, Bridging the Racial
Divide: A Report on Interracial Dialogue in America, Brattleboro, VT:
The Center for Living Democracy, 1997.
162. Children NOW, A Different World: Children's Perceptions of Race &
Class in the Media, 1998: 14. The results from the survey revealed that
children were aware of negative images and stereotypes on the news and
television but were more interested in shows that had more people of all
races interacting with each other.
The children in this study all agreed that the news media tend to portray
African Americans and Latinos more negatively than whites and Asian
Pacific Americans, a finding consistent with the research detailed in the
Entman study, Mass Media and Reconciliation (p. 12). They also agreed
that authority roles on television programs (boss, cop, doctor, etc.) are
usually played by whites, while the roles of criminals and maids and
janitors are usually played by African Americans; Latino and Asian
characters are never the dominant people in those roles (Entman et al.,
Mass Media and Reconciliation, p. 10).
163. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Equity: Reducing
the Risks for All Communities, vol. 1, Washington, DC: Environmental
Protection Agency, June 1993.
164. American Lung Association, "Lung Disease in Minorities 1998,"
Online publication, http://www.lungusa.org (April 21, 1998).
165. Rumbaut, Ruben, "Coming of Age in Immigrant America," Research
Perspectives on Immigration, Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, July/August 1998; "Transformations: the
Post-Immigrant Generation in an Age of Diversity", unpublished paper
presented at the Eastern Sociological Association meeting, Philadelphia,
March 21, 1998.
166. Anti-Defamation League, The Web of Hate: Extremists Exploit the
Internet, Washington, DC: Anti-Defamation League, 1996.
-------------------------------
Appendixes
A. Executive Order 13050
B. The Advisory Board to The President's Initiative on Race
C. Advisory Board Meetings and Other Activities
--C1. Advisory Board Meetings
--C2. Corporate Leader Forums
--C3. Religious Leader Forums
--C4. Meetings With American Indian Tribal Governments
--C5. Other Advisory Board Events and Activities
D. One America Conversations
E. Campus Week of Dialogue
F. Statewide Days of Dialogue
G. One America Dialogue Guide Excerpts
H. Promising Practices
--H1. Summary Descriptions of Promising Practices
--H2. Index of Promising Practices by Sector
--H3. Index of Promising Practices by Region
-------------------------
Appendix B
The Advisory Board to The President's Initiative on Race
JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN, of Durham, North Carolina, Chair of the
Advisory Board, is the James B. Duke Professor of History Emeritus at
Duke University. President Clinton awarded Dr. Franklin the Presidential
Medal of Freedom in 1995. Dr. Franklin's scholarly work has focused on
the Civil War and Reconstruction era and includes the 1946 landmark
study From Slavery to Freedom. Dr. Franklin received his A.B. degree
from Fisk University in 1935, an M.A. from Harvard University in 1936,
and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1941.
LINDA CHAVEZ-THOMPSON, of Washington, D.C., is Executive Vice
President of the AFL-CIO. Ms. Chavez-Thompson has 29 years of
experience in the labor movement. She joined the American Federation of
State, County and Municipal Employees in 1971 and became the first
person of color to be elected to one of the top officer positions at the
AFL-CIO.
SUZAN D. JOHNSON COOK, of Bronx, New York, is Senior Pastor of
the Bronx Christian Fellowship. She was also the first female chaplain of
the New York City Police Department. In 1983 the Reverend Cook
became the first African-American woman to serve as Senior Pastor at
Mariner's Temple Baptist Church, the oldest American Baptist Church in
New York City. From 1993 to 1994, Dr. Cook was a White House Fellow,
working for the White House Domestic Policy Council. Dr. Cook received
a B.S. from Emerson College in 1976, an M.A. from Columbia University
Teachers College in 1978, an M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary in
1983, and a D.Min. from Union Theological Seminary in 1990.
THOMAS H. KEAN, of Madison, New Jersey, is the former Republican
Governor of New Jersey. Governor Kean currently serves as President of
Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. He is Chairman of President
Clinton's Campaign to Reduce Teenage Pregnancy. He also served on the
U.S. Delegation to the Women's Rights Conference in Beijing in 1995.
Governor Kean received a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.A.
from Columbia University Teachers College.
ANGELA E. OH, of Los Angeles, California, is formerly a partner in the
Los Angeles law firm of Beck, De Corso, Daly, Barrera and Oh, and
specialized in State and Federal criminal defense. Following the riots in
Los Angeles, she served as Special Counsel to the Assembly Special
Committee on the Los Angeles Crisis. She currently travels the country
speaking on race and will soon be a lecturer at the University of
California, Los Angeles. Ms. Oh received a B.A. and an M.P.H. in 1981
from the University of California and a J.D. in 1986 from the University of
California.
BOB THOMAS, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is Executive Vice President
for Marketing for Republic Industries. He is the former President and CEO
of Nissan Motor Corporation, U.S.A. In that capacity, Mr. Thomas created
a partnership with the Los Angeles Urban League to increase opportunities
for women and minorities in automobile manufacturing. Also in that
capacity, Mr. Thomas was former director of the Nissan Foundation,
which issued grants to support communities in South Central Los Angeles.
Mr. Thomas holds a B.S. in Engineering Management from the U.S. Air
Force Academy.
WILLIAM F. WINTER, of Jackson, Mississippi, is the former Democratic
Governor of Mississippi and is currently in private law practice with the
law firm of Watkins, Ludlam & Stennis. Governor Winter serves as
chairman of the National Commission on State and Local Public Service
and the National Issue Forum Institute. While governor he fought for
education reform, equal opportunity for all citizens, and better relations
between the races. He received a B.A. in 1943 and an LL.B. in 1949 from
the University of Mississippi.
Executive Director:
JUDITH A. WINSTON, of Washington, D.C., is the Executive Director of
the President's Initiative on Race. Ms. Winston has worked for equal
opportunity and civil rights under the law for more than two decades. She
has served as the General Counsel and Acting Under Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Education, an Associate Professor of Law at American
University, Deputy Director for Public Policy of the Women's Legal
Defense Fund, and Deputy Director for the Lawyers Committee for Civil
Rights Under the Law. Ms. Winston received a B.A. from Howard
University and J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
-------------------------------
Appendix C
Advisory Board Meetings and Other Activities
Appendix C1
Racial Demographics, Surveys, and Attitudes on Race
--September 30, 1997
Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Panelists and Presenters:
Lawrence Bobo, Harvard University
Jack Dovidio, Colgate University
Reynolds Farley, Russell Sage Foundation
James Jones, University of Delaware
Derald Wing Sue, California State University
Race and Higher Education--November 19, 1997
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Panelists and Presenters:
Ted Childs, IBM Corporation
Norman Francis, Xavier University
Nannerl Keohane, Duke University
Mari Matsuda, Georgetown University Law Center
Joseph McDonald, Salish Kootenai College
Arnold Mitchem, National Council of Educational Opportunity
--Associations
Daryl Smith, Claremont Graduate University
Jes£s Trevi¤o, Arizona State University
Jennifer Walper, University of Maryland
Race and K-12 Education--December 17, 1997
Annandale High School, Fairfax County, Virginia
Moderator:
Kathleen Matthews, WJLA-TV
Panelists and Presenters:
Sharifa Alkhateeb, Herndon High School
William Bennett, Empower America
Donald Clausen, Annandale High School
James Comer, Yale University
Carol Franz, Bailey's Elementary School
Harold Hodgkinson, Institute for Educational Leadership
Cindy Hook, Annandale High School
Lisa Graham Keegan, Arizona Public Schools
Fatema Kohistani, Annandale High School
Alex Kugler, Annandale High School
Diana Lam, San Antonio Public Schools
Deborah Meier, Mission Hill Charter School
Gary Orfield, Harvard University
Richard Riley, U.S. Secretary of Education
Rodney Williams, Thomas Jefferson High School
Chris Yi, Holmes Middle School
Race in the Workplace--January 14, 1998
Phoenix Preparatory Academy, Phoenix, Arizona
Moderator:
Jose Cardenas, Law Firm of Lewis & Roca
Panelists and Presenters:
Alexis Herman, U.S. Secretary of Labor
Harry Holzer, Michigan State University
Jose Roberto Juarez, St. Mary's Law School
Glenn Loury, Boston University
Paul Ong, University of California at Los Angeles
Skip Rimsza, Mayor of Phoenix
Lorenda Sanchez, California Manpower Training
James Smith, Rand Corporation
Claudia Withers, Fair Employment Council of Washington, D.C.
Janet Yellen, Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
Race in the Workplace Community Forum--January 14, 1998
Phoenix Preparatory Academy, Phoenix, Arizona
Moderator:
Frank Camacho, KTVK-TV
Panelists and Presenters:
Grant Woods, Arizona Attorney General
Mary Rose Wilcox, Maricopa County Supervisor
Race And Poverty Community Forum--February 10, 1998
Independence High School, San Jose, California
Moderator:
Barbara Rogers, KPIX-TV
Panelists and Presenters:
Mike Honda, California State Assemblyman
John Vasconcellos, California State Senator
Race and Poverty--February 11, 1998
Independence High School, San Jose, California
Moderators:
Lorna Ho, KNTV-TV
Manuel Pastor, Santa Clara University
Panelists and Presenters:
Blanca Alvarado, Santa Clara County Supervisor
Aida Alvarez, U.S. Small Business Administrator
Rose A. Amador, Center for Training and Careers, Inc.
Gordon Chin, Chinatown Community Development Center
Amy B. Dean, South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council
Denise Fairchild, Community Development Technologies Center
Susan Hammer, Mayor of San Jose
Tarry Hum, New York University
Douglas S. Massey, University of Pennsylvania
Jose R. Padilla, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.
Raquel Rivera Pinderhughes, San Francisco State University
Matthew Snipp, Stanford University
Dennis Turner, Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association
William Julius Wilson, Harvard University
Robert L. Woodson, Sr., National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise
Race and Stereotypes Community Forum--March 23, 1998
University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado
Moderators:
Ernest Gurul‚, KWGN-TV
Nadia Younes, Norwest Bank
Panelists and Presenters:
Federico Pe¤a, U.S. Secretary of Energy
Wellington Webb, Mayor of Denver
Edward James Olmos, Actor
Race and Stereotypes--March 24, 1998
University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado
Moderator:
Phyllis Katz, University of Colorado, Boulder
Panelists and Presenters:
Richard Estrada, Dallas Morning News
Joe Feagin, University of Florida
Susan Fiske, University of Massachusetts
William Gollnick, Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin
Shanto Iyengar, University of California-Los Angeles
Lillian Kimura, formerly with the YWCA and the Japanese American
Citizens League
Federico Pe¤a, U.S. Secretary of Energy
Helen Hatab Samhan, Arab American Institute
Claude Steele, Stanford University
Roy Romer, Governor of Colorado
Wellington Webb, Mayor of Denver
Race and Housing--April 23, 1998
Rutgers University School of Law, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Moderator:
Marcia Brown, Rutgers University School of Law
Panelists and Presenters:
Hilda Cree Garcia, American Indian Housing Authority
Sharpe James, Mayor of Newark
Chris Kui, Asian Americans for Equality
David Listokin, Rutgers University
Joan A. Magagna, U.S. Department of Justice
Raymond O'Cassio, La Casa de Don Pedro
Eva Plaza, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Phylis Peterman, Maplewood-South Orange Racial Balance Task Force
Lee Porter, Fair Housing Council of Northern New Jersey
Fred Profeta, Maplewood-South Orange Racial Balance Task Force
Race, Crime, and Administration of Justice--May 19, 1998
George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Moderator:
Charles Ogletree, Harvard University
Panelists and Presenters:
William J. Bratton, CARCO Group, Inc.
Zachary W. Carter, United States Attorney, Eastern District of New York
Maria de Los Angeles Jimenez, American Friends Service Committee
Randall Kennedy, Harvard Law School
Deborah A. Ramirez, Northeastern Law School
Charles Ramsey, Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department
Janet Reno, U.S. Attorney General
Christopher E. Stone, Vera Institute of Justice, Inc.
Kim Taylor-Thompson, New York University School of Law
William L. Wilbanks, Florida International University
Michael F. Yamamoto, Horikawa, Ono & Yamamoto
Robert Yazzie, Chief Justice of the Navajo Nation
Discussion and Assessment of Recommendations and Report
--June 18, 1998
White House Conference Center, Washington, D.C.
Board discussion without panelists and presenters
Race and Quality Health Care--July 10, 1998
Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
Moderators:
Hortensia Amaro, Boston University
Joan Reede, Harvard Medical School
Panelists and Presenters:
Wilson Augustave, National Advisory Council on Migrant Health
Craig Cobb, Dimock Community Health Center
Zoila Torres Feldman, Great Brook Valley Health Center
Claude Earl Fox, III, Health Resources and Services Administration
Elmer Freeman, Center for Community Health Education
Marianela Garcia, Worcester Housing Authority and Economic
Development and Supportive Services
Dennis Hayashi, Counselor to the Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services
Vanna Lee, Family Health and Social Service Center
Peggy Leong, South Cove Community Health Center
Thomas Menino, Mayor of Boston
Barbara Namias, Northern American Center of Boston, Inc.
David Satcher, U.S. Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
Beverly Wright, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah)
Race and Immigrants--July 13, 1998
Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C.
Moderators:
Bill Ong Hing, University of California at Davis
Cecilia Mu¤oz, National Council of La Raza
Roberto Suro, Washington Post
T. Alex Aleinikoff, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Demetrios Papademetriou, Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace
Panelists and Presenters:
Robert L. Bach, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
Guarione M. Diaz, Cuban-American National Council
Richard M. Estrada, Dallas Morning News
Nathan Glazer, Harvard University
Yvonne Y. Haddad, Georgetown University
Wade Henderson, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Joe R. Hicks, Los Angeles Human Relations Commission and Los
Angeles Multicultural Collaborative
Gerald D. Jaynes, Yale University
Glenda Joe, Great Wall Enterprises and Council of Asian-American
Organizations
Charles Kamasaki, National Council of La Raza
Clara Sue Kidwell, University of Oklahoma
Douglas S. Massey, University of Pennsylvania
Jessica Tuchman Mathews, Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace
Sid L. Mohn, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights
Milton D. Morris, MDM Office Systems, Inc.
Karen K. Narasaki, National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium
Leo J. O'Donovan, S.J., Georgetown University
George J. Sanchez, University of Southern California
Angie O. Tang, New York Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and
Language Services
Susan B. Tucker, Victim Services
Mary C. Waters, Harvard University
-------------------------------
Appendix C2
Corporate Leader Forums
December 1, 1997
Miami, Florida
Advisory Board Host:
Bob Thomas
Panelists and Presenters:
Rodney Slater, U.S. Secretary of Transportation
David Lawrence, Miami Herald
Alfred Schreiber, Graham Gregory Bozell
Roy McAllister, Bell South Cellular
Michael Kelly, First Union National Bank
Terry Fleitas, W.R. Grace Company
Gwen Marlo, CSX Transportation
Peter Dolara, American Airlines
Windell Paige, Florida Regional Minority Purchasing Council
Walden Latham, Shaw, Pittman, Potts and Trowbridge
January 14, 1998
Phoenix, Arizona
Advisory Board Hosts:
John Hope Franklin
Linda Chavez-Thompson
Angela Oh
Bob Thomas
William Winter
Panelists and Presenters:
Alexis Herman, U.S. Secretary of Labor
Skip Rimsza, Mayor of Phoenix
Curtis Artis, Lucent Technologies
Gene Blue, Opportunities Industrialization Center
Peggy Dewey, Communication Workers of America Equity Committee
Sandra Ferniza, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
William Lucy, American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
Antonia Ozerhoff, U.S. West Communications
John Sena, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
George Russell, American Indian Chamber of Commerce
Pat Thomas, AT&T
January 30, 1998
Los Angeles, California
Advisory Board Hosts:
Angela Oh
Bob Thomas
Panelists and Presenters:
William Daley, U.S. Secretary of Commerce
Richard Riordan, Mayor of Los Angeles
Kenneth Lombard, Magic Johnson Theaters
Melvyn Davis, Rockwell International Corporation
Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, Pueblo Contracting Services
Vivian Shimoyama, Breakthru Unlimited
Mary Ann Mitchell, Computer Consulting Operations Specialists
Judy Belk, Levi Strauss
Guy Roundsaville, Wells Fargo Bank
July 23, 1998
St. Louis, Missouri
Advisory Board Host:
Bob Thomas
Panelists and Presenters:
Rodney Slater, U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Clarence Harmon, Mayor of St. Louis
Gary Berman, Market Segment Research & Consulting
Sue Bhatia, Rose International
Harold Law, Decision and Advance Technology Association
Dora Serrano, Missouri Department of Economic Development
Jacquelyn Gates, Bell Atlantic
I. Charles Mathews, Quaker Oats Company
Susan Boyle, Monsanto
Lee Pepion, The Native American Business Alliance
-------------------------------
Appendix C3
Religious Leader Forums
Thursday, May 21, 1998
New Orleans, Louisiana
Advisory Board Host:
Reverend Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook
Panelists and Presenters:
Edward Cohn, Temple Sinai
Carol Cotton Wynn, District Superintendent, United Methodist Church
George Duerson, United Methodist Church
Maria Echaveste, The White House
James Forbes, Riverside Church, New York City
Roy Kaplan, National Conference of Community and Justice
Barbara Major, Crossroads Ministries
Marc Morial, Mayor of New Orleans
Joel Orona, Native American Baha'i Institute
Kim Tran, Vietnamese Alliance Church
Diane Winston, Princeton University
Marshall Truehill, Jeremiah Group
Lilia Valdez, Day of Healing
Imam Wali Abdel Ra'oof, New Orleans Masjid of Al-Islam
June 1, 1998
Louisville, Kentucky
Advisory Board Host:
Reverend Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook
Panelists and Presenters:
Jerry Abramson, Mayor of Louisville
Aminah Assilmi, International Union of Muslim Women
Kunwar Bhatnagar, Hindu Temple of Kentucky
Tony Campolo, Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education
Inez Torres Davis, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Diana Eck, Harvard University
Robert Henderson, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is
Thomas Kelly, Archdiocese of Louisville
Stanley Miles, Temple Shalom
Thomas Oates, Spalding University
Rose Ochi, U.S. Department of Justice
T. Vaughn Walker, First Gethsemane Baptist Church
Beverly Watts, Kentucky Commission on Human Rights
Alfred Yazzie, Navajo Nation
-------------------------------
Appendix C4
Meetings With American Indian Tribal Governments
During the Initiative Year, members of the Advisory Board and Initiative
staff met with approximately 600 tribal leaders and tribal members around
the country to discuss race and tribal sovereignty. This includes special
meetings and conferences with the following tribal governments, whose
official tribal representatives met with Advisory Board members and staff.
Listed at the end are the intertribal organizations with whom members and
staff met.
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas
Catawba Indian Nation
Cherokee Nation
Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana
Coeur d'Alene Tribe
Comanche Indian Tribe
Confederated Tribes of Colville Indians
Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Gila River Indian Community
Hoonah Indian Association
Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians
Hualapai Tribe
Jamestown Klallam
Jena Band of Choctaw Indians
Jicarilla Apache
Lummi Indian Nation
Mashantucket Pequot Tribe
Menominee Tribe
Miccosukee Tribe of Florida
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut
Narragansett Indian Tribe
Navajo Nation
Northern Arapahoe
Oglala Lakota Nation
Oneida Indian Nation (New York)
Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin
Passamaquoddy-Indian Township
Passamaquoddy-Pleasant Point
Penobscot Indian Nation
Poarch Band of Creek Indians
Pueblo of Acoma
Pueblo of Cochiti
Pueblo of Isleta
Pueblo of Laguna
Pueblo of Picuris
Pueblo of San Ildefonso
Pueblo of Santa Ana
Pueblo of Santa Clara
Pueblo of Tesuque
Puyallup Tribe
Red Lake Band of Chippewa
Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Comm.
Seminole Tribe of Florida
Seneca Nation of Indians
Southern Ute Tribe
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
St. Regis Band of Mohawk Indians
Three Affiliated Tribes
Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana
Upper Sioux Community
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah)
Washoe Tribal Council
Yankton Sioux Tribe
Yavapai Apache Tribe
Intertribal Organizations
All-Indian Pueblo Council
Dakota Territories Tribal Chairmen's Association
Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes
National Congress of American Indians
United South and Eastern Tribes
-------------------------------
Appendix C5
Other Advisory Board Events and Activities
Date--Event--City--State
06/24/97 --Southern Growth Policies Roundtable--Nashville--TN
07/14/97 --Congressional Black Caucus--Washington--DC
07/22/97 --Joint Session of the North Carolina Legislature--Raleigh--NC
07/29/97 --HUD Conference--Washington--DC
08/05/97 --South Pontotoc High School--Pontotoc--MS
08/06/97 --Nissan Corporation of America--Gardena--CA
08/06/97 --Raymond High School--Raymond--MS
08/13/97 --Los Angeles City Human Relations Commission--Los
Angeles--CA
08/16/97 --American Psychiatric Association--Chicago--IL
08/21/97 --Nissan Corporation Task Force--Torrance--CA
08/28/97 --Madison Elementary School--Madison--MS
09/04/97 --Senate Policy Caucus--Washington--DC
09/08/97 --Meeting with Bishop Desmond Tutu--Washington--DC
09/12/97 --Congressional Black Caucus Roundtable Discussion--
Washington--DC
09/14/97 --St. Richard's Catholic Church--Jackson--MS
09/17/97 --Congressional Black Caucus--Washington--DC
09/18/97 --Top-Ranked Mississippi Schools--Jackson--MS
09/19/97 --Rand Corporation--Los Angeles--CA
09/25/97 --Howard University--Washington--DC
09/25/97 --National Conference of Community and Justice Summit--Little
Rock--AR
09/27/97 --Race Relations and American Public Education System--
Washington--DC
09/27/97 --The Arts Council-Oakland School District Educators--
Oakland--CA
10/01/97 --American Association of Medical Colleges--Raleigh--NC
10/03/97 --Operation Breadbasket--Chicago--IL
10/03/97 --Asian Pacifics in Philanthropy--Los Angeles--CA
10/07/97 --National Council of La Raza--Washington--DC
10/10/97 --National Association of Urban Bankers--Research Triangle
Park--NC
10/10/97 --Hate Crimes Conference (Satellite Site)--Atlanta--GA
10/11/97 --Hispanic/Asian American Leaders Meeting--Washington--DC
10/13/97 --Feminist Majority--Los Angeles--CA
10/13/97 --Penbrook College--Penbrook--NC
10/15/97 --Carnegie Corporation--New York--NY
10/15/97 --Congressional Hispanic Caucus--Washington--DC
10/16/97 --American Council on Education--Miami--FL
10/20/97 --California Professional Firefighters Convention--Palm Springs-
-CA
10/24/97 --Asian Pacific American Women's Leadership Institute--
Washington--DC
10/26/97 --Mt. Calvary United Church of Christ--Durham--NC
10/27/97 --L.A. County Board of Supervisors Meeting--Los Angeles--CA
10/27/97 --Conference on Race--Chapel Hill--NC
10/28/97 --Governor Hunt's Conference on Reconciliation--Charlotte--NC
10/29/97 --Southern California Association of Philanthropists--San Diego-
-CA
10/29/97 --Mars Hill College--Mars Hill --NC
10/30/97 --"Let's Talk About Race" Dialogue--Durham--NC
10/30/97 --California Association of Black Lawyers Conference--Los
Angeles--CA
11/04/97 --Mississippi Volunteer Leaders--Jackson--MS
11/04/97 --Kaiser Permanente Diversity Training Conference--Los
Angeles--CA
11/05/97 --Fondren Presbyterian Church--Jackson--MS
11/06/97 --California State College --Dominguez Hill--CA
11/06/97 --"Seeking Understanding," Millsaps College--Jackson--MS
11/07/97 --Asian Pacific American Democratic Club of L.A.--Los
Angeles--CA
11/08/97 --Reconcilers Fellowship--Jackson--MS
11/10/97 --Hate Crimes Conference (Satellite Site)--Los Angeles--CA
11/11/97 --Jackson State University--Jackson--MS
11/12/97 --National Archives Event--Washington--DC
11/12/97 --Grenada High School--Grenada--MS
11/13/97 --Consortium on Financing Higher Education--Washington--DC
11/13/97 --Southeastern Council on Foundations--Memphis--TN
11/14/97 --Pew Entrepreneurial Initiative--Colorado Springs--CO
11/14/97 --California Women's Law Center Annual Luncheon--Los
Angeles--CA
11/15/97 --University of California at Irvine--Irvine--CA
11/17/97 --Church Conference--Pickens--MS
11/18/97 --National American Hispanic Federal Executives--Arlington--
VA
11/18/97 --American University Race Initiative--Washington--DC
11/20/97 --Religious Leaders Briefing--Washington--DC
11/20/97 --National Congress of American Indians Annual Meeting--Sante
Fe--NM
11/20/97 --"America's Black Forum" Syndicated TV Program--
Washington--DC
11/22/97 --National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Conference--
San Francisco--CA
11/24/97 --Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration--Providence--RI
12/01/97 --CEO Roundtable--Miami--FL
12/08/97 --Reconcilers Fellowship Meeting--Jackson--MS
12/09/97 --Race Town Meeting, National Council of Negro Women--
Washington--DC
12/10/97 --Minority Business Opportunity: Steering Committee--Los
Angeles--CA
12/10/97 --Organization of Chinese Americans--San Francisco--CA
12/10/97 --Speech to Congress of National Black Churches--Shreveport--
LA
12/12/97 --Charter High School--Carboro--NC
12/12/97 --Loredo Elementary School--Los Angeles--CA
12/15/97 --Bailey's Elementary School--Falls Church--VA
12/16/97 --Art, Research and Curriculum Associates--San Francisco--CA
12/31/97 --Divinity Episcopal Church--Durham--NC
01/04/98 --Latino Leaders Initiative, Hosting Dialogue--Los Angeles--CA
01/07/98 --Urban League at Broward --Ft. Lauderdale--FL
01/07/98 --Crystal Lake Elementary School--Ft. Lauderdale--FL
01/07/98 --League of Women Voters--Pasadena--CA
01/07/98 --Webster University--Webster Groves--MO
01/07/98 --Florissant Community College--St. Louis--MO
01/08/98 --National Urban League --Ft. Lauderdale--FL
01/10/98 --Stuwart Leadership Conference--Richmond --VA
01/10/98 --Arizona Opportunity Industrialization Center--Phoenix --AZ
01/10/98 --Arizona Public Service Academy for the Advancement
of Minority and Women-Owned Enterprises--Phoenix--AZ
01/10/98 --Chicanos Por La Causa--Phoenix--AZ
01/10/98 --Phoenix Indian Center--Phoenix--AZ
01/10/98 --Maricopa Health Services--Phoenix--AZ
01/12/98 --University of Alabama--Tuscaloosa--AL
01/12/98 --White House Leadership Forum--Washington--DC
01/13/98 --American Indian Tribal Leaders and Tribal
Organizations Meeting--Phoenix--AZ
01/15/98 --Association of American Colleges and Universities--
Washington--DC
01/15/98 --National Student Medical Association--Durham--NC
01/15/98 --Madison Chamber of Commerce--Madison--MS
01/17/98 --Days of Dialogue--Los Angeles--CA
01/18/98 --Martin Luther King, Jr., Prayer March and Breakfast--New
York--NY
01/18/98 --Atlanta Episcopal Cathedral--Atlanta--GA
01/19/98 --Good Hope Community Center--Silver Spring--MD
01/19/98 --Itawamba Summit--Fulton--MS
01/19/98 --Davis Human Relations Commission Community
--Forum-MLK----Davis--CA
01/19/98 --Amaturo Theater Celebration --Ft. Lauderdale--FL
01/19/98 --Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial--Atlanta--GA
01/20/98 --Millsaps College--Jackson--MS
01/23/98 --Days of Dialogue--South El Monte--CA
01/23/98 --NAACP Legal Defense Fund-New York Chapter--New York--
NY
01/26/98 --President's Commission on Science and Technology--
Washington--DC
01/27/98 --Glasgow Middle School--Alexandria--VA
01/28/98 --Children's Defense Fund --Washington--DC
01/29/98 --Maplewood/South Orange Racial Balance Task Force--
Maplewood--NJ
01/29/98 --U.S. Conference of Mayors--Washington--DC
01/31/98 --Asian Pacific Administrators-L.A. Unified School
District--Los Angeles--CA
02/04/98 --Neighborhood Associates--Jackson--MS
02/04/98 --United South and Eastern Tribes Impact Week--Arlington--VA
02/06/98 --White House Women's Office--Washington--DC
02/07/98 --Muslim Community Group--Jackson--MS
02/10/98 --Asian Neighborhood Design--Oakland--CA
02/10/98 --Glide Memorial United Methodist Church--San Francisco--CA
02/10/98 --Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal--Oakland--
CA
02/10/98 --Start-Up--East Palo Alto--CA
02/14/98 --Trailblazers Award Banquet--Greensboro--NC
02/14/98 --Hunter College--New York--NY
02/18/98 --Eckerd College--St. Petersburg--FL
02/19/98 --Equal Employment Advisory Council--Washington--DC
02/20/98 --Rotary Club--St. Petersburg--FL
02/22/98 --National Organization for Women-Women of Color and
Allies Summit--Washington--DC
02/23/98 --Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University--New
Brunswick--NJ
02/23/98 --John Hope Franklin Symposium--Tallahassee--FL
02/24/98 --Pasadena Senior Center--Pasadena--CA
02/24/98 --Community Leaders Forum--Jackson--MS
02/24/98 --Public Screening for "Race in America"--Los Angeles--CA
02/24/98 --Lawrenceville High School--Lawrenceville--NJ
02/25/98 --City of L.A., Arts, Health and Humanities Committee--Los
Angeles--CA
02/27/98 --Speech to Civic Leaders--Winona --MS
03/01/98 --Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education--Los Angeles--
CA
03/02/98 --Delta Emerging Leaders Forum--Jackson--MS
03/03/98 --U.S. Department of Energy--Washington--DC
03/03/98 --Lee County Summit--Tupelo--MS
03/04/98 --French-American Foundation--Los Angeles--CA
03/04/98 --NALEO-Dialogue on Race--Washington--DC
03/05/98 --Tougaloo College Students--Jackson--MS
03/05/98 --Council of Social Work Education--Miami--FL
03/11/98 --New York Coalition of Black Women--New York --NY
03/12/98 --Association of Professional Journalists--Indianapolis--IN
03/12/98 --Butler University--Indianapolis--IN
03/13/98 --Leadership Conference on Civil Rights--Washington--DC
03/16/98 --University of Mississippi Town Hall Meeting--Oxford--MS
03/16/98 --Civic Leaders--Clarksdale--MS
03/19/98 --Icons of the 20th Century --Lincoln--PA
03/19/98 --Foundation for Midsouth--Monroe--LA
03/20/98 --Supporters of Public Education--Starkville--MS
03/23/98 --Tribal Leaders and Indian Organizations Meeting--Denver--CO
03/26/98 --Museum of the New South--Charlotte--NC
03/26/98 --Korean Youth and Community Center--Los Angeles--CA
03/26/98 --Students Talk About Race--Santa Ana --CA
03/27/98 --AFL-CIO--Los Angeles--CA
03/27/98 --Saint Elmo Village--Los Angeles--CA
03/28/98 --Society of Black Engineers--Los Angeles--CA
03/28/98 --Children's Defense Fund Youth Town Hall Meeting--Los
Angeles --CA
03/30/98 --Jackson State University--Jackson--MS
04/02/98 --Columbia University--New York--NY
04/03/98 --Baptist Ministers Conference--New York--NY
04/03/98 --American Society of Newspapers--Washington--DC
04/03/98 --Campus Week of Dialogue-Stanford University--Palo Alto--
CA
04/04/98 --Campus Week of Dialogue-U.C. at Irvine--Irvine--CA
04/06/98 --Charlotte Area Donor's Forum--Charlotte--NC
04/06/98 --Campus Week of Dialogue-Howard University--Washington--
DC
04/06/98 --Campus Week of Dialogue-Yale University--New Haven--CT
04/06/98 --Pine Bluff Development Council--Pine Bluff --AR
04/07/98 --Campus Week of Dialogue-Princeton University--Princeton--
NJ
04/08/98 --Campus Week of Dialogue-Drew University--Madison--NJ
04/08/98 --Campus Week of Dialogue-Mississippi University--Oxford --
MS
04/08/98 --Campus Week of Dialogue-Town Hall Meeting--Madison--NJ
04/08/98 --Campus Week of Dialogue-NCCU --Durham --NC
04/09/98 --YMCA Breakfast--Charlotte--NC
04/13/98 --Blacks in Government--Seattle --WA
04/14/98 --ESPN Meeting on Race and Sports--Houston--TX
04/15/98 --Dillard University--New Orleans--LA
04/16/98 --National Civic League--Washington--DC
04/19/98 --Howard University--Washington--DC
04/20/98 --Jackson Lions Club--Jackson--MS
04/20/98 --Santa Ana College--Santa Ana--CA
04/22/98 --University Medical Center--Jackson--MS
04/23/98 --Thirtieth Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act--Newark--NJ
04/26/98 --Democratic National Committee Race Relations Symposium--
Washington--DC
04/27/98 --Volunteer Civic Group--Philadelphia--MS
04/27/98 --Council on Foundations--Washington--DC
04/27/98 --Neighborhood Community Funders Group--Los Angeles--CA
04/28/98 --Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment--Seattle--
WA
04/29/98 --Statewide Days of Dialogue-YWCA--Annapolis--MD
04/29/98 --National Issues Forum Institute--Washington--DC
04/30/98 --Statewide Days of Dialogue-Emerson Middle School--Los
Angeles--CA
04/30/98 --Statewide Days of Dialogue-YWCA--Winston-Salem--NC
04/30/98 --Statewide Days of Dialogue-Watts Senior Citizens--Los
Angeles--CA
04/30/98 --Statewide Days of Dialogue-District Attorney Symposium--
Los Angeles--CA
04/30/98 --Statewide Days of Dialogue--Winston-Salem--NC
05/01/98 --Rockefeller Institute--Albany--NY
05/05/98 --Asian American/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy--Los
Angeles--CA
05/07/98 --California State University at Long Beach--Long Beach--CA
05/08/98 --University of Texas Labor and Employment Law Conference--
Houston--TX
05/09/98 --Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies--
Washington--DC
05/11/98 --California State Board of Education--Los Angeles--CA
05/12/98 --Meridian Community College--Meridian --MS
05/12/98 --Synod Lutheran Leaders--Philadelphia--PA
05/12/98 --Latino/Jewish Business Roundtable--Los Angeles--CA
05/14/98 --Asian American Public Employees Council--Los Angeles--CA
05/14/98 --Jennings High School--St. Louis --MO
05/14/98 --St. Louis School Leaders--St. Louis--MO
05/16/98 --Trinity Episcopal Church Prayer Breakfast--Durham--NC
05/16/98 --Asian Pacific American California School Board Officials--San
Diego--CA
05/18/98 --Meridian Community College--Meridian --MS
05/18/98 --Ecumenical Group of Clergy for D.C. Area--Washington--DC
05/20/98 --Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies--Washington--
DC
05/20/98 --Navajo Nation--Washington--DC
05/21/98 --Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference--Jackson --MS
05/23/98 --Amherst College Discussion--Amherst --MA
05/27/98 --Jewish Federation Urban Affairs Commission--Los Angeles--
CA
05/28/98 --L.A. County Asian Pacific American Employees Association--
Los Angeles--CA
05/28/98 --New Jersey Region Conference--Madison--NJ
05/28/98 --The City Club--Los Angeles--CA
05/28/98 --Multicultural Institute Forum--Washington--DC
05/30/98 --National Conference on Race and Ethnicity--Denver --CO
06/01/98 --Jackson Exchange Club--Jackson--MS
06/02/98 --La Canada High School--Los Angeles--CA
06/03/98 --United South and Eastern Tribes Meeting--Nashville--TN
06/04/98 --American Bar Association--Los Angeles--CA
06/05/98 --Religious Leaders Conference--Hampton--VA
06/10/98 --William Day of USET--Jackson--MS
06/12/98 --Tufts University--Boston --MA
06/12/98 --EOP and OMB Diversity Panel--Washington --DC
06/12/98 --Chinese For Affirmative Action--San Francisco--CA
06/13/98 --American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Commission--Crystal
City--VA
06/16/98 --Southern Growth Policies Board--Louisville--KY
06/19/98 --Native American Journalists Association--Tempe--AZ
06/20/98 --Community Faith Leadership Program--New York --NY
06/20/98 --All-American Cities Awards of the National Civic League--
Jackson--MS
06/23/98 --Speech to Greater Columbia Community Relations--Columbia-
-SC
06/23/98 --Hubert Humphrey Commemoration--St. Paul--MN
06/24/98 --Corporate Executives--Los Angeles--CA
06/25/98 --Jackson School Principals--Jackson--MS
06/25/98 --Writer's Guild--Los Angeles--CA
06/29/98 --Southern Regional Education Board--Chapel Hill--NC
07/03/98 --American Friends in London--London--UK
07/07/98 --Orange County Women's Lawyer's Association--Los Angeles--
CA
07/08/98 --Fisk University Keynote Address--Nashville--TN
07/09/98 --California School Administrators--Los Angeles--CA
07/09/98 --Speech on Race Relations--Mound Bayou--MS
07/10/98 --Council of Environmental Equality--Los Angeles--CA
07/10/98 --Santa Barbara Women's Political Caucus --Santa Barbara--CA
07/14/98 --IHRLG Meeting--Washington--DC
07/15/98 --National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium--
Washington--DC
07/17/98 --University of Massachusetts Summer Institute--Boston--MA
07/18/98 --Organization of Chinese Americans--Washington--DC
07/22/98 --National Convention of Jack & Jill, Inc.--New York--NY
07/23/98 --Racial Justice March and Candlelight Vigil --Pittsburgh--PA
07/24/98 --Asian Pacific Women's Leadership Institute--Lincoln--NE
07/28/98 --Canada's State Secretary for Multiculturalism--Washington--
DC
07/29/98 --Enterprise Corporation of the Delta--Pine Bluff--AR
07/29/98 --National Association of Black Journalists Convention--
Washington--DC
07/31/98 --University of Southern California--Los Angeles--CA
08/03/98 --National Council on Disability --San Francisco--CA
08/04/98 --Asian Pacific American Legal Center--Los Angeles--CA
08/06/98 --Asian American Journalists Association Convention--Chicago-
-IL
08/12/98 --Town Hall Meeting With Rep. Dooley--Fresno--CA
08/12/98 --Margaret Walker Alexander Recognition Ceremony--Jackson--
MS
08/14/98 --U.S. Information Agency Diversity Council----Brazil
08/14/98 --Native and Resident Hawaiian Community--Honolulu--HI
08/14/98 --California Commission on the Status of Women--San
Francisco--CA
08/15/98 --Jackson 2000 Forum--Jackson--MS
08/23/98 --ISIS Women's Leadership Group--Long Island--NY
08/27/98 --Colorado College--Colorado Springs--CO
09/04/98 --Millsaps College--Jackson--MS
09/09/98 --Jackson 2000 Forum--Jackson--MS
09/15/98 --Washington and Lee University--Lexington--VA
09/17/98 --Congressional Black Caucus Forum on Race--Washington--DC
09/18/98 --President's Initiative on Race Culminating Event--Washington-
-DC
09/22/98 --Mississippi School Districts Association--Jackson--MS
-------------------------------
Appendix D
One America Conversations
One America Conversations were a grassroots outreach effort to engage
Americans in the President's national dialogue on race. Approximately 175
conversations were organized by Federal officials and Advisory Board
members. In addition, community leaders and individuals who asked how
they could become involved in the President's Initiative hosted over 1,200
conversations. These conversations primarily were small groups of friends,
neighbors, and coworkers meeting to talk about race. In total, based on the
information reported, more than 18,000 people in 36 States, 113 cities, and
the District of Columbia have taken part in almost 1,400 dialogues on
race. The States and cities in which conversations took place are listed
below.
States--Cities
Alabama--Birmingham
Arizona--Phoenix, Tucson
Arkansas--Little Rock, Mayflower
California--Berkeley, Santa Barbara, Inglewood, Oakland, Los Angeles,
Monterey, San Bernardino, Chico, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco,
Long Beach
Colorado--Denver
Connecticut--New Haven, Hartford
District of Columbia--Washington
Florida--Cocoa Beach, Tallahassee, Miami, Rockledge, Orlando, Tampa
Georgia--Atlanta, Albany
Hawaii--Kailua-Kona
Illinois--Chicago, LaGrange, Park Forest, Champaign-Urbana
Indiana--Terre Haute
Iowa--Davenport
Kansas--Lawrence, Topeka
Kentucky--Lexington
Maryland--Chevy Chase, Baltimore, Emmitsburg, Hyattsville, Largo,
Fulton, Silver Spring
Massachusetts--Boston, Martha's Vineyard, Worcester, Brewster
Michigan--Detroit, Holland
Minnesota--St. Paul, Rochester
Mississippi--Jackson
Nebraska--Chadron, Lincoln
States--Cities
Nevada--Las Vegas
New Jersey--Highland Park, Madison, New Brunswick
New Mexico--Albuquerque
New York--New York, South Nyack, Corning, Elmyra, Jamestown,
Rochester
North Carolina--Carboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Greenville,
Asheville, Greensboro, Brevard, Wilmington, Durham
Ohio--Akron, Oberlin, Marion, Elyria, Cleveland, Columbus
Oregon--Portland
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia, Allentown, Pittsburgh, Lewisburg
Rhode Island--Providence
South Carolina--Charleston, Columbia
Tennessee--Chattanooga, Memphis, Nashville
Texas--Austin, Arlington, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth
Utah--Salt Lake City
Virginia--Alexandria, Charlottesville, Arlington, Fredericksburg, Fairfax,
Stafford
Washington--Seattle, Vancouver, Chehalis, Longview
Wisconsin--Milwaukee
-------------------------------
Appendix E
Campus Week of Dialogue
The Advisory Board of the President's Initiative on Race worked with
numerous higher education and community organizations to encourage
college and university presidents, students, faculty, and administrators to
actively participate and sponsor race activities on their campuses during
the first week of April 1998. Advisory Board members supported this
effort by visiting campuses, engaging students in discussions about race,
and encouraging them to sustain dialogue on issues related to race. Nearly
600 schools participated, including community colleges, tribal colleges,
and minority-serving institutions from every State, the District of
Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Students, campus and community leaders,
faculty, staff, and others discussed race in town hall meetings, lectures,
film showings, and service events. The following colleges and universities
reported race activities and supported the Campus Week of Dialogue.
School Name--City--State
Abilene Christian University--Abilene--TX
Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences--Oakland--CA
Agnes Scott College--Decatur--GA
Aims Community College--Greeley--CO
Albertus Magnus College--New Haven--CT
Alderson-Broaddus College--Philippi--WV
Allegheny University of the Health Sciences--Philadelphia--PA
American Academy of Dramatic Arts--Pasadena--CA
American Institute of Business--Des Moines--IA
American International College--Springfield--MA
American University--Washington--DC
Anderson University--Anderson--IN
Anne Arundel Community College--Arnold--MD
Antioch College--Yellow Springs--OH
Antioch University, The McGregor School--Yellow Springs--OH
Appalachian State University--Boone--NC
Arizona State University West--Phoenix--AZ
Arizona State University, Intergroup Relations Center--Tempe--AZ
Armstrong Atlantic State University--Savannah--GA
Assemblies of God Theological Seminary--Springfield--MO
Auburn University--Auburn --AL
Augusta State University--Augusta--GA
Austin Peay State University--Clarksville--TN
Bank Street College of Education--New York--NY
Barnard College--New York--NY
Barry University--Miami Shores--FL
Bates College--Lewiston--ME
Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M University System--Dallas--TX
Beaver College--Glenside--PA
Belhaven College--Jackson--MS
Bellarmine College--Louisville--KY
Belmont University--Nashville--TN
Benedict College--Columbia--SC
Benedictine College--Atchison--KS
Berkshire Community College--Pittsfield--MA
Bethany Lutheran College--Mankato--MN
Bethel College--McKenzie--TN
Bethune-Cookman College--Daytona Beach--FL
Bloomfield College--Bloomfield--NJ
Blue Ridge Community College--Weyers Cave--VA
Bluffton College--Bluffton--OH
Boise Bible College--Boise--ID
Boise State University--Boise--ID
Boston College--Chestnut Hill--MA
Boston University--Boston--MA
Boston University, Goldman School of Dental Medicine--Boston--MA
Bowling Green State University--Bowling Green--OH
Bowling Green State University, Medical College of Ohio--Toledo--OH
Bradford College--Bradford--MA
Bradley University--Peoria--IL
Bramson ORT Technical Institute--Forest Hills--NY
Brandeis University--Waltham--MA
Brenau University--Gainesville--GA
Brookdale Community College--Lincroft--NJ
Brown University--Providence--RI
Brown University, School of Medicine, Office of Minority Medical
Affairs--Providence--RI
Bryn Mawr College--Bryn Mawr--PA
Bucknell University--Lewisburg--PA
Buena Vista University--Storm Lake--IA
Bunker Hill Community College--Boston--MA
Cabrini College--Radnor--PA
Caldwell College--Caldwell--NJ
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute--Hudson--NC
California College of Podiatric Medicine--San Francisco--CA
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona--Pomona--CA
California State University, Dominguez Hills--Carson--CA
California State University, Humboldt--Arcata--CA
California State University, Los Angeles--Los Angeles--CA
California State University, Monterey Bay--Seaside--CA
California State University, Northridge--Northridge--CA
California State University, Sacramento--Sacramento--CA
California State University, San Bernardino--San Bernardino--CA
California State University, San Marcos--San Marcos--CA
California State University, Stanislaus--Turlock--CA
Cambria County Area Community College--Johnstown--PA
Cambridge College--Cambridge--MA
Cameron University--Lawton--OK
Campbell University School of Law--Buies Creek--NC
Campbellsville University--Campbellsville--KY
Cape Cod Community College--West Barnstable--MA
Carl Albert State College--Poteau--OK
Carlow College--Pittsburgh--PA
Carnegie Mellon University--Pittsburgh--PA
Carroll College--Helena--MT
Carson-Newman College--Jefferson City--TN
Castleton State College--Castleton--VT
Cecil Community College--North East--MD
Centenary College of Louisiana--Shreveport--LA
Center for Creative Studies--Detroit--MI
Central College--Pella--IA
Central Connecticut State University--New Britain--CT
Central Florida Community College--Ocala--FL
Central Methodist College--Fayette--MO
Central Missouri State University, Office of Community Awareness--
Warrensburg--MO
Central Wyoming College--Riverton--WY
Centre College--Danville--KY
City College of San Francisco--San Francisco--CA
Clark University--Worcester--MA
Clarkson University--Potsdam--NY
Clover Park Technical College--Lakewood--WA
Clovis Community College--Clovis--NM
Coker College--Hartsville--SC
Colby College--Waterville--ME
College of Lake County--Grayslake--IL
College of New Rochelle--New Rochelle--NY
College of Notre Dame--Belmont--CA
College of Notre Dame of Maryland--Baltimore--MD
College of Oceaneering--Wilmington--CA
College of Our Lady of the Elms--Chicopee--MA
College of the Albemarle--Elizabeth City--NC
College of the Holy Cross--Worcester--MA
College of Wooster--Wooster--OH
Colorado State University--Fort Collins--CO
Columbia College--Columbia--SC
Columbia College Chicago--Chicago--IL
Columbia University--New York--NY
Columbus State Community College--Columbus--OH
Community College of Allegheny County--Pittsburgh--PA
Community College of Aurora--Aurora--CO
Community College of Philadelphia--Philadelphia--PA
Community College of Rhode Island--Providence--RI
Community Colleges of Baltimore County--Catonsville--MD
Concord College--Athens--WV
Cornell University--Ithaca--NY
Creighton University--Omaha--NE
Cuesta College--San Luis Obispo--CA
Culinary Institute of America--Hyde Park--NY
CUNY, Borough of Manhattan Community College--New York--NY
CUNY, Brooklyn College--Brooklyn--NY
CUNY, City College of New York--New York--NY
CUNY, College of Staten Island--Staten Island--NY
CUNY, Hunter College--New York--NY
CUNY, John Jay College of Criminal Justice--New York--NY
CUNY, Lehman College--Bronx--NY
CUNY, Queens College--Flushing--NY
Cypress College--Cypress--CA
Dakota State University--Madison--SD
Dakota Wesleyan University--Mitchell--SD
Dallas County Community College, Office of Education
Partnership--Dallas--TX
Dartmouth College--Hanover--NH
Deep Springs College--Dyer--NV
Dekalb College--Decatur--GA
Delaware Technical and Community College--Dover--DE
Delgado Community College--New Orleans--LA
DeVry Institute of Technology, Long Beach--Long Beach--CA
DeVry Institute of Technology, Pomona--Pomona--CA
Dickinson College--Carlisle--PA
Dillard University--New Orleans--LA
Divine Word College--Epworth--IA
Donnelly College--Kansas City--KS
Douglas MacArthur State Technical College--Opp--AL
Drake University--Des Moines--IA
Drew University--Madison--NJ
Duke University--Durham--NC
Dundalk Community College--Baltimore--MD
Durham Technical Community College--Durham--NC
Dyersburg State Community College--Dyersburg--TN
East Carolina University School of Medicine--Greenville--NC
East Carolina University, Department of Minority Student Affairs--
Greenville--NC
East Central University--Ada--OK
Eastern Washington University--Cheney--WA
Edgewood College--Madison--WI
Edmonds Community College--Seattle--WA
El Centro College--Dallas--TX
Elizabeth City State University--Elizabeth City--NC
Elmhurst College--Elmhurst--IL
Elon College--Elon --NC
Emory University--Atlanta--GA
Emory University School of Medicine--Atlanta--GA
Fairleigh Dickinson University--Madison--NJ
Fairleigh Dickinson University--Teaneck--NJ
Fairmont State College--Fairmont--WV
Fayetteville State University--Fayetteville--NC
Fayetteville Technical Community College--Fayetteville--NC
Fisk University--Nashville--TN
Fitchburg State College--Fitchburg--MA
Flathead Valley Community College--Kalispell--MT
Fort Hays State University--Hays--KS
Fort Lewis College--Durango--CO
Gainesville College--Gainesville--GA
Gallaudet University, Office of Diversity and Community
Relations--Washington--DC
Gateway Technical College--Kenosha--WI
George Washington University--Washington--DC
George Washington University School of Medical-Health
Sciences--Washington--DC
Georgetown College--Georgetown--KY
Georgetown University--Washington--DC
Georgia Institute of Technology--Atlanta--GA
Georgia State University, Office of Diversity--Atlanta--GA
Georgia State University College of Law--Atlanta--GA
Germanna Community College--Fredericksburg--VA
Glendale Community College--Glendale--AZ
Gogebic Community College--Ironwood--MI
Gonzaga University--Spokane--WA
Gonzaga University School of Law--Spokane--WA
Goshen College--Goshen--IN
Gwynedd-Mercy College--Gwynedd Valley--PA
Hagerstown Junior College/PACT Center--Hagerstown--MD
Hamline University--St. Paul--MN
Hardin Simmons University--Abilene--TX
Hartwick College--Oneonta--NY
Haskell Indian Nations University--Lawrence--KS
Haverford College--Haverford--PA
Henderson State University--Arkadelphia--AR
Highland Community College--Freeport--IL
Hillsborough Community College--Tampa--FL
Hollins College--Roanoke--VA
Holy Cross College--Notre Dame--IN
Holy Family College--Philadelphia--PA
Hood College--Frederick--MD
Hoosatonic Community Technical College--Bridgeport--CT
Hopkinsville Community College--Hopkinsville--KY
Hostos Community College, Bilingual College--Bronx--NY
Howard University School of Law--Washington--DC
Hunter College--New York--NY
Idaho State University--Pocatello--ID
Illinois State University--Normal--IL
Independence Community College--Independence--KS
Indiana State University--Terre Haute--IN
Indiana University--Bloomington--IN
Indiana University, Kokomo--Kokomo--IN
Indiana University School of Medicine--Indianapolis--IN
Indiana University School of Nursing--Indianapolis--IN
Indiana University Southeast--New Albany--IN
Interdenominational Theological Center--Atlanta--GA
Iowa State University--Ames--IA
Jackson Community College--Jackson--MI
Jackson State University--Jackson--MS
Jacksonville University--Jacksonville--FL
Jersey City State College--Jersey City--NJ
Johns Hopkins Government School--Washington--DC
Johns Hopkins University--Baltimore--MD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine--Baltimore--MD
Johnson and Wales University--Charleston--SC
Kalamazoo Valley Community College--Kalamazoo--MI
Kean University--Union--NJ
Keene State College--Keene--NH
Kellogg Community College--Battle Creek--MI
Kent State University--Kent--OH
Keystone College--LaPlume--PA
Kilian Community College--Sioux Falls--SD
Lackawanna Junior College--Scranton--PA
Lafayette College--Easton--PA
Lake Superior College--Duluth--MN
Lake Washington Technical College--Kirkland--WA
Landmark College--Putney--VT
LeMoyne-Owen College--Memphis--TN
Lesley College--Cambridge--MA
Lexington Community College--Lexington--KY
Lincoln Land Community College--Springfield--IL
Lincoln University, Barrier Breakers--Jefferson City--MO
Linfield College--McMinnville--OR
Little Big Horn College--Crow Agency--MT
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania--Lock Haven--PA
Loma Linda University, School of Nursing and Graduate School--Loma
Linda--CA
Longview Community College--Lee's Summit--MO
Longwood College, Office of Multicultural Affairs--Farmville--VA
Los Angeles City College--Los Angeles--CA
Los Angeles Mission College--Sylmar--CA
Louisiana State University Medical School--New Orleans--LA
Loyola Marymount University--Los Angeles--CA
Loyola University, Chicago--Chicago--IL
Macalester College--St. Paul--MN
Madonna University--Livonia--MI
Manatee Community College--Bradenton--FL
Manchester Community Technical College--Manchester--CT
Mankato State University--Mankato--MN
Marquette University--Milwaukee--WI
Marygrove College--Detroit--MI
Marymount Manhattan College--New York--NY
Marywood University--Scranton--PA
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts--North Adams--MA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology--Cambridge--MA
McKendree College, Lebanon--Lebanon--IL
Medical University of South Carolina--Carleston--SC
Miami University--Oxford--OH
Miami-Dade Community College, Wolfson Campus--Miami--FL
Michigan State University--East Lansing--MI
Middlesex Community Technical College--Middletown--CT
Midway College--Midway--KY
Millikin University--Decatur--IL
Miramar College--San Diego--CA
Mississippi Valley State University--Itta Bena--MS
Missouri Southern State College--Joplin--MO
Moberly Area Community College--Moberly--MO
Monmouth College--Monmouth--IL
Montana State University, Northern--Havre--MT
Moravian College--Bethlehem--PA
Morehouse College--Atlanta--GA
Morris Brown College--Atlanta--GA
Morris College--Sumter--SC
Morton College--Cicero--IL
Mount Ida College--Newton Centre--MA
Mount Mary College--Milwaukee--WI
Mount Olive College--Mount Olive--NC
Mount St. Mary's College--Emmitsburg--MD
Mount St. Mary's College--Los Angeles--CA
Mount Union College--Alliance--OH
Mount Wachusett Community College--Gardner--MA
Napa Valley College--Napa--CA
Nash Community College--Rocky Mount--NC
National Defense University--Washington--DC
National-Louis University--Atlanta--GA
Nazareth College--Rochester--NY
New Mexico Highlands University--Las Vegas--NM
New York City Technical College--Brooklyn--NY
North Carolina Central University--Durham--NC
North Carolina Central University School of Law--Durham--NC
North Central Missouri College--Trenton--MO
North Hennepin Community College--Brooklyn Park--MN
Northampton Community College--Bethlehem--PA
Northeast Community College--Norfolk--NE
Northeastern Illinois University--Chicago--IL
Northeastern Junior College--Sterling--CO
Northeastern University--Boston--MA
Northeastern University School of Law--Boston--MA
Northern Essex Community College--Haverhill--MA
Northern Kentucky University--Highland Heights--KY
Northern Michigan University--Marquette--MI
Northwestern University--Evanston--IL
Northwestern University, The Graduate School--Evanston--IL
Norwalk Community Technical College--Norwalk--CT
Notre Dame College of Ohio--South Euclid--OH
Nova Southeastern University--Fort Lauderdale--FL
Oberlin College--Oberlin--OH
Occidental College--Los Angeles--CA
Oglethorpe University--Atlanta--GA
Ohio Dominican College--Columbus--OH
Ohio State University--Columbus--OH
Olivet College--Olivet--MI
Ouachita Baptist University--Arkadelphia--AR
Our Lady of the Lake University--San Antonio--TX
Pacific Lutheran University--Tacoma--WA
Pacific Oaks College--Pasadena--CA
Pacific University--Forest Grove--OR
Paducah Community College--Paducah--KY
Pasadena City College--Pasadena--CA
Pasco-Hernando Community College--New Port Fichey--FL
Patricia Stevens College--St. Louis--MO
Paul D. Camp Community College, Oliver K. Hobbs Campus--Suffolk--
VA
Payne Theological Seminary--Willberforce--OH
Penn Valley Community College--Kansas City--MO
Pennsylvania State, Lehigh Valley Campus--Fogelsville--PA
Pepperdine University--Malibu--CA
Pfeiffer University--Misenheimer--NC
Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science--Philadelphia--PA
Pitt Community College--Greenville--NC
Pittsburg State University--Pittsburg--KS
Pitzer College--Claremont--CA
Plymouth State College--Plymouth--NH
Portland State University--Portland--OR
Pratt Community College--Pratt--KS
Prestonsburg Community College--Prestonsburg--KY
Princeton University--Princeton--NJ
Quinsigamond Community College--Worcester--MA
Radford University--Radford--VA
Randolph-Macon College--Ashland--VA
Reed College--Portland--OR
Regis College--Weston--MA
Rice University--Houston--TX
Ripon College--Ripon--WI
Riverland Community College--Austin--MN
Roanoke-Chowan Community College--Ahoskie--NC
Rollins College--Winter Park--FL
Rose State College--Midwest City--OK
Rowan University--Glassboro--NJ
Rowan University, Office of Multicultural/International Affairs--
Glassboro--NJ
Rust College--Holly Springs--MS
Rutgers Law School, Newark--Newark--NJ
Rutgers University--Newark--NJ
Rutgers University--Camden--NJ
Sacramento City College--Sacramento--CA
Saint Augustine's College--Raleigh--NC
Saint Michael's College--Colchester--VT
Saint Peter's College--Jersey City--NJ
Salisbury State University--Salisbury--MD
Salish Kootenai College--Pablo--MT
San Diego State University--San Diego--CA
San Francisco State University--San Francisco--CA
San Joaquin Delta College--Stockton--CA
San Jose State University--San Jose--CA
Santa Fe Community College--Santa Fe--NM
Sarah Lawrence College--Bronxville--NY
Sauk Valley Community College--Dixon--IL
School for International Training--Brattleboro--VT
Scott Community College, Eastern Iowa Community College District--
Bettendorf--IA
Seattle Central Community College--Seattle--WA
Seton Hall University--South Orange--NJ
Seton Hill College--Greensburg--PA
Shaw University--Raleigh--NC
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania--Shippensburg--PA
Shoreline Community College--Seattle--WA
Sierra Community College--Rocklin--CA
Sisseton Wahpeton Community College--Sisseton--SD
Skagit Valley College--Mount Vernon--WA
Skidmore College--Saratoga Springs--NY
South Carolina State University--Orangeburg--SC
South Seattle Community College--Seattle--WA
Southeast Community College--Lincoln--NE
Southeastern Louisiana University--Hammond--LA
Southeastern University--Washington--DC
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine--Alton--IL
Southern New England School of Law--North Dartmouth--MA
Southern Oregon University--Ashland--OR
Southwest State University--Marshall--MN
Southwest Texas State University--San Marcos--TX
Southwestern University--Georgetown--TX
Spalding University--Louisville--KY
Spelman College--Atlanta--GA
Spring Hill College--Mobile--AL
Springfield Technical Community College--Springfield--MA
St. John's University--Collegeville--MN
St. Joseph's College, New York--Brooklyn--NY
St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley--St. Louis--MO
Stanford University--Stanford--CA
State University of West Georgia--Carrollton--GA
Stephen F. Austin State University--Nacogdoches--TX
Stonehill College--Easton--MA
Suffolk University--Boston--MA
Sul Ross State University--Alpine--TX
SUNY Albany--Albany--NY
SUNY Binghamton--Binghamton--NY
SUNY Brockport--Brockport--NY
SUNY Buffalo--Buffalo--NY
SUNY Buffalo School of Dental Medicine--Buffalo--NY
SUNY College of Technology at Delhi--Delhi--NY
SUNY Fredonia--Fredonia--NY
SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse--Syracuse--NY
SUNY New Paltz--New Paltz--NY
SUNY Oswego--Oswego--NY
SUNY Potsdam--Potsdam--NY
Susquehanna University--Selingrove--PA
Sussex County Community College--Newton--NJ
Swarthmore College--Swarthmore--PA
Syracuse University College of Law--Syracuse--NY
Tacoma Community College--Tacoma--WA
Tarrant County Junior College, South Campus--Fort Worth--TX
Temple University--Philadelphia--PA
Texas A&M University--College Station--TX
Texas A&M University, Commerce--Commerce--TX
Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine--
College Station--TX
Texas Wesleyan University--Fort Worth--TX
The College of West Virginia--Beckley--WV
Three Rivers Community-Technical College--Norwich--CT
Tomball College--Tomball--TX
Towson University--Towson--MD
Transylvania University--Lexington--KY
Trinity College--Washington--DC
Trinity College--Hartford--CT
Troy State University--Troy--AL
Truckee Meadows Community College--Reno--NV
Tunxis Community-Technical College--Farmington--CT
Tyler Junior College--Tyler--TX
UMDNJ, New Jersey Medical School--Newark--NJ
UMDNJ, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School--Piscataway--NJ
United States Air Force Academy--Colorado Springs--CO
Universidad Central Del Caribe--Bayamon--PR
Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico--Arecibo--PR
Universidad Metropolitana--Rio Piedras--PR
University of Akron--Akron--OH
University of Akron School of Law--Akron--OH
University of Akron, Wayne College--Orrville--OH
University of Alaska, Anchorage--Anchorage--AK
University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law--Little Rock--AR
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff--Pine Bluff--AR
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences--Little Rock--AR
University of Baltimore--Baltimore--MD
University of California, Berkeley--Berkeley--CA
University of California, Irvine, Cross Cultural Center--Irvine--CA
University of California, Los Angeles, Vice Chancellor's office--Los
Angeles--CA
University of California, San Francisco--San Francisco--CA
University of California, Santa Barbara, Associated Students--Santa
Barbara--CA
University of California, Santa Cruz--Santa Cruz--CA
University of Cincinnati College of Law--Cincinnati--OH
University of Colorado, Boulder--Boulder--CO
University of Connecticut, African-American Cultural Center--Storrs--CT
University of Connecticut, Asian American Cultural Center--Storrs--CT
University of Evansville--Evansville--IN
University of Florida, College of Medicine--Gainesville--FL
University of Florida, Office for Student Services--Gainesville--FL
University of Hartford--West Hartford--CT
University of Hawaii, Hilo--Hilo--HI
University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine--Honolulu--HI
University of Hawaii, Manoa--Honolulu--HI
University of Illinois, Chicago--Chicago--IL
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign--Urbana--IL
University of Maryland, Baltimore County--Baltimore--MD
University of Maryland, College Park--College Park--MD
University of Massachusetts, Amherst--Amherst--MA
University of Massachusetts, Boston--Dorchester--MA
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth--North Dartmouth--MA
University of Massachusetts, Lowell--Lowell--MA
University of Michigan--Ann Arbor--MI
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities--Minneapolis--MN
University of Mississippi--University--MS
University of Mississippi Medical Center--Jackson--MS
University of Missouri, Columbia--Columbia--MO
University of Montana--Missoula--MT
University of Nebraska at Kearney--Kearney--NE
University of Nevada, Las Vegas--Las Vegas--NV
University of Nevada, Reno--Reno--NV
University of Nevada School of Medicine--Reno--NV
University of New Hampshire--Durham--NH
University of New Mexico, Los Alamos--Los Alamos--NM
University of North Alabama--Florence--AL
University of North Michigan--Hancock--MI
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Chapel Hill--NC
University of North Carolina at Greensboro--Greensboro--NC
University of North Dakota, Grand Forks--Grand Forks--ND
University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth--Fort
Worth--TX
University of Northern Colorado--Greeley--CO
University of Oregon--Eugene--OR
University of Oregon, ASUO--Eugene--OR
University of Oregon School of Law--Eugene--OR
University of Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--PA
University of Pittsburgh--Pittsburgh--PA
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg--Greensburg--PA
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry--Rochester--
NY
University of San Diego--San Diego--CA
University of San Francisco--San Francisco--CA
University of South Alabama--Mobile--AL
University of South Florida, Tampa--Tampa--FL
University of Southern California Law School--Los Angeles--CA
University of Southern California School of Medicine--Los Angeles--CA
University of Southern Mississippi--Hattiesburg--MS
University of Southwestern Louisiana--Lafayette--LA
University of St. Thomas--St. Paul--MN
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga--Chattanooga--TN
University of Tennessee at Knoxville--Knoxville--TN
University of Tennessee at Martin, Department of Psychology
and Philosophy--Martin--TN
University of Texas, Pan American--Edinburg--TX
University of Texas at Austin--Austin--TX
University of Texas at El Paso--El Paso--TX
University of Texas at San Antonio--San Antonio--TX
University of Texas Health Science Center--Houston--TX
University of Vermont--Burlington--VT
University of Virginia--Charlottesville--VA
University of Washington, Office of Minority Affairs--Seattle--WA
University of West Florida--Pensacola--FL
University of Wisconsin, La Crosse--La Crosse--WI
University of Wisconsin, Madison--Madison--WI
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee--Brookfield--WI
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee--Milwaukee--WI
University of Wisconsin, Platteville--Platteville--WI
University of Wisconsin, River Falls--River Falls--WI
University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point--Stevens Point--WI
University of Wisconsin, Whitewater--Whitewater--WI
Utah Valley State College--Orem--UT
Valdosta State University--Valdosta--GA
Villanova University--Villanova--PA
Virginia Polytechnic University--Blacksburg--VA
Virginia State University--Petersburg--VA
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology--
Winston-Salem--NC
Wallace State Community College, Selma--Selma--AL
Washington and Jefferson College--Washington--PA
Washington College--Chestertown--MD
Washington College of Law/American University--Washington--DC
Washington State University--Pullman--WA
Washington University--St. Louis--MO
Waubonsee Community College--Sugar Grove--IL
Waycross College--Waycross--GA
Wayne County Community College District--Detroit--MI
Wayne State College--Wayne--NE
Wayne State University--Detroit--MI
Wayne State University School of Medicine--Detroit--MI
Wayne State University, Law School, Dean's Office--Detroit--MI
Wesleyan College--Macon--GA
West Chester University--West Chester--PA
West Los Angeles College--Culver City--CA
West Shore Community College--Scottville--MI
West Virginia State College--Institute--WV
West Virginia University--Morgantown--WV
Western New Mexico University--Silver City--NM
Western Wisconsin Technical College--La Crosse--WI
Westmont College--Santa Barbara--CA
Wharton County Junior College--Wharton--TX
Wheaton College--Norton--MA
Wheelock College, Student Government Association--Boston--MA
Whitworth College--Spokane--WA
Widener University--Chester--PA
Widener University School of Law, The Delaware Campus--Wilmington--
DE
Wiley College--Marshall--TX
Wilkes University and King's College--Wilkes-Barre--PA
William Mitchell College of Law--St. Paul--MN
William Penn College--Oskaloosa--IA
Winona State University--Winona--MN
Winston-Salem State University--Winston-Salem--NC
Worcester Polytechnic Institute--Worcester--MA
Worcester State College--Worcester--MA
Wright State University--Dayton--OH
Xavier University--Cincinnati--OH
Yale University School of Medicine, Office of Multicultural Affairs--New
Haven--CT
York College of Pennsylvania--York--PA
-------------------------------
Appendix F
Statewide Days of Dialogue
Statewide Days of Dialogue focused on getting State and community
leaders to draw attention to the importance of dialogue about race. It began
on April 30, 1998, in conjunction with the YWCA's National Day of
Commitment to Eliminate Racism and Erase the Hate. With
encouragement and support from the Advisory Board, YWCA affiliates in
110 locations collaborated with local partners to organize discussions on
race. In addition, governors in 39 States and 2 territories and mayors in 25
cities issued proclamations in support of dialogues or participated in
race-related events. Listed below are the States and cities that took part in
Statewide Days of Dialogue.
Governors Participating in Statewide Days of Dialogue
State--Governor
Arkansas--Huckabee
Alabama--James
California--Wilson
Colorado--Romer
Delaware--Carper
Florida--Chiles
Georgia--Miller
Guam--Gutierrez
Hawaii--Cayetano
Idaho--Batt
Illinois--Edgar
Indiana--O'Bannon
Kentucky--Patton
Louisiana--Foster--
Massachusetts--Celluci
Maryland--Glendening
Michigan--Engler
Minnesota--Carlson--
Mississippi--Fordice--
Missouri--Carnahan
North Carolina--Hunt
Nebraska--Nelson
Nevada--Miller
State--Governor
New Hampshire--Shaheen
New Jersey--Whitman
New Mexico--Johnson
New York--Pataki
Ohio--Voinovich
Oklahoma--Keating
Oregon--Kitzhaber
Pennsylvania--Ridge
Puerto Rico--Rossello
Rhode Island--Almond
South Carolina--Beasley
South Dakota--Janklow
Tennessee--Sundquist
Utah--Leavitt
Vermont--Dean
Washington--Locke
West Virginia--Underwood
Wisconsin--Thompson
Mayors Participating in Statewide Days of Dialogue
State--City--Mayor
Alabama--Birmingham--Arrington, Jr.
Connecticut--New Britain--Pawlak
Delaware--Wilmington--Sills
Georgia--Atlanta--Campbell
Georgia--Macon--Marshall
Illinois--Aurora--Stover
Illinois--Chicago--Daley
Illinois--Sterling--Aggen
Indiana--Anderson--Lawler
Indiana--Elkhart--Perron--
Indiana--Fort Wayne--Helmke
Indiana--Muncie--Cannan--
State--City--Mayor
Indiana--Richmond--Andrews
Indiana--South Bend--Luecke
Kentucky--Frankfort--May, Jr.
Louisiana--Alexandria--Randolph, Jr.
Maryland--Annapolis--Johnson
New York--Jamestown--Kimball, Jr.
North Carolina--Asheville--Sitnick
Ohio--Canton--Watkins--
Pennsylvania--Allentown--Heydt
Pennsylvania--Harrisburg--Reed
Pennsylvania--Lancaster--Smithgall
South Carolina--Columbia--Coble
Utah--Salt Lake City--Corradini
-------------------------------
Appendix G
One America Dialogue Guide Excerpts
The Advisory Board supported the creation of a guide to assist those who
have not engaged in dialogue about race issues or who need assistance in
organizing this type of dialogue. In March 1998 the Initiative and the
Community Relations Service of the U.S. Department of Justice
collaborated with several non-profit organizations specializing in race
(Hope In The Cities, National Multicultural Institute, YWCA, National
Days of Dialogue, Study Circles Resource Center, and National
Conference on Community and Justice) to draft and publish the One
America Dialogue Guide. The following excerpts from the Guide provide
useful information about having conversations about race. A complete
copy of the Guide is available on the World Wide Web at the following
address: www.whitehouse.gov/Initiatives/OneAmerica/america.html
Characteristics of Community Dialogues on Race
What do we mean by dialogue?
o A dialogue is a forum that draws participants from as many parts of the
community as possible to exchange information face-to-face, share
personal stories and experiences, honestly express perspectives, clarify
viewpoints, and develop solutions to community concerns.
o Unlike debate, dialogue emphasizes listening to deepen understanding.
Dialogue invites discovery. It develops common values and allows
participants to express their own interests. It expects that participants will
grow in understanding and may decide to act together with common goals.
In dialogue, participants can question and reevaluate their assumptions.
Through this process, people are learning to work together to improve race
relations.
What makes for successful interracial dialogue?
The nature of the dialogue process can motivate people to work towards
change. Effective dialogues do the following:
o Move towards solutions rather than continue to express or analyze the
problem. An emphasis on personal responsibility moves the discussion
away from finger-pointing or naming enemies and toward constructive
common action.
o Reach beyond the usual boundaries. When fully developed, dialogues
can involve the entire community, offering opportunities for new,
unexpected partnerships. New partnerships can develop when participants
listen carefully and respectfully to each other. A search for solutions
focuses on the common good as participants are encouraged to broaden
their horizons and build relationships outside their comfort zones.
o Unite divided communities through a respectful, informed sharing of
local racial history and its consequences for different people in today's
society. The experience of "walking through history" together can lead to
healing.
o Aim for a change of heart, not just a change of mind. Dialogues go
beyond sharing and understanding to transforming participants. While the
process begins with the individual, it eventually involves groups and
institutions. Ultimately, dialogues can affect how policies are made.
Tips for a Dialogue Leader
The following tips describe what a good dialogue leader should strive to
do:
o Set a relaxed and open tone. Welcome everyone and create a friendly
and relaxed atmosphere. Well-placed humor is usually appreciated.
o Stay neutral. This may be the most important point to remember as the
leader of a dialogue. You should not share your personal views or try to
advance your agenda on the issue. You are there to serve the discussion,
not to join it.
o Stress the importance of confidentiality. Make sure participants
understand that what they say during the dialogue session is to be kept
completely confidential. Define for them what confidential means. For
instance, it is not all right to speak outside of the dialogue about what
someone else said or did. It is all right to share one's own personal insights
about the issue of race and racism as a result of the process.
o Encourage openness about language. Dialogue leaders should
encourage participants to offer preferred terms if a biased or offensive
word or phrase should come up during the dialogue.
o Provide bilingual translation, if necessary. Also, ensure that provided
material is translated into the participant's first language, or recruit
bilingual discussion leaders.
o Keep track of who is contributing and who is not. Always use your
"third eye." You are not only helping to keep the group focused on the
content of the discussion, but you are monitoring how well participants are
communicating with each other--who has spoken, who has not, and whose
points have not yet received a fair hearing. A dialogue leader must
constantly weigh group needs against the requirements of individual
members.
o Follow and focus the conversation flow. A dialogue leader who listens
carefully will select topics raised in the initial sharing. To help keep the
group on the topic, it is helpful to occasionally restate the key question or
insight under discussion. It is important to guide gently, yet persistently.
You might ask, "How does your point relate to the topic?" Or state, "That's
an interesting point, but let's return to the central issue." Keep careful track
of time.
o Do not fear silence. It is all right if people are quiet for a while. When
deciding when to intervene, err on the side of nonintervention. The group
will work its way out of a difficult situation. Sometimes group members
only need more time to think through alternatives or to consider what has
just been said.
o Accept and summarize expressed opinions. "Accepting" shows respect
for each participant in the group. It is important for the dialogue leader to
make it clear that dialogue discussions involve no right or wrong
responses. One way to show acceptance and respect is to briefly
summarize what is heard and to convey the feeling with which it was
shared. Reflecting both the content and the feeling lets the person know
that she or he has been heard. For example, you might say: "It sounds like
you felt hurt when you were slighted by someone of a different race."
Once in a while, ask participants to sum up the most important points that
have come out in the discussion. This gives the group a sense of
accomplishment and a point of reference for more sharing.
o Anticipate conflict and tend to the ground rules. When conflict arises,
explain that disagreement over ideas is to be expected. Remind
participants that conflict must stay on the issue. Do not allow it to become
personal. Appeal to the group to help resolve the conflict and abide by the
ground rules. You may have to stop and reference the ground rules several
times throughout the discussion.
o Close the dialogue. Give participants a chance to talk about the most
important thing they gained from the discussion. You may ask them to
share any new ideas or thoughts they've had as a result of the discussion.
Ask them to think about what worked and what didn't. You may want to
encourage the group to design a closing activity for use at each session.
Provide some time for the group to evaluate the process in writing. A brief
evaluation allows participants the chance to comment on the process and
to give feedback to the dialogue leader. Remember to thank everyone for
their participation.
A Sample Small Group Dialogue
The following is an overview of a generic small group dialogue. This
format is based on a group of 8 to 15 participants, guided by an impartial
leader using discussion materials or questions. As a rule, adults meet for
two hours at a time; young people for an hour to an hour and a half.
1. Introductions, roles, and intentions of the dialogue. The session begins
with group members briefly introducing themselves after the dialogue
leader has welcomed everyone. The dialogue leader explains his or her
role as "neutral," one of guiding the discussion without adding personal
opinions. It is important to include an overview of the dialogue effort, the
number of meetings planned, the organizers, the goals of the program, and
any other relevant information.
2. Ground rules. Central to the opening dialogue is establishing ground
rules for the group's behavior and discussion. Start with a basic list and
add any others the group wants to include. The dialogue leader posts the
ground rules where everyone can see them and adds more to the list as
needed. The group should be sure to discuss how to handle conflict and
disagreement, as well as the need for confidentiality.
3. Discussion. The dialogue leader begins by asking participants what
attracted them to this dialogue, perhaps asking, "Why are you concerned
about issues of race?" or "How have your experiences or concerns
influenced your opinions about race?" The heart of the discussion follows.
Members can answer a series of questions, use prepared discussion
materials with various viewpoints, read newspaper articles or editorials,
look at television clips, or review information on the state of race relations
in their community. Whatever method is selected, it is important to
structure the discussion so that it goes somewhere, is grounded in concrete
examples, and offers participants a chance to take action on the issues.
Dialogue participants may get frustrated if they feel the conversation is too
abstract, too vague, or "going around in circles."
The dialogue leader keeps track of how the discussion is going. Is it time
for a clarifying question or a summary of key points? Are all members
fully engaged, or are some people dominating? Is the discussion
wandering and calling for a change in direction? The participants can
summarize the most important results of their discussion and consider
what action they might take individually or together.
4. Evaluation and conclusion. In the final minutes, participants can offer
their thoughts on the experience. If meeting again, this is the time to look
ahead to the next meeting. If this the last dialogue, the dialogue leaders
thanks the participants and ask for any final thoughts for staying involved
in the effort. Participant evaluations of the dialogue can be expressed
verbally and/or in writing. It may also be helpful for dialogues to be
loosely recorded, if possible. Such documentation could help to measure
the success of the dialogue and identify any needed improvements.
Suggested Basic Ground Rules for Dialogues
Some basic ground rules for dialogues might include the following:
o We will respect confidentiality.
o We will share time equitably to ensure the participation of all.
o We will listen carefully and not interrupt.
o We will keep an open mind and be open to learning.
o We will not be disrespectful of the speaker even when we do not respect
the views.
-------------------------------
Appendix H
Promising Practices
Communities, organizations and individuals are working together to build
greater understanding across racial lines and overcome racial disparities by
expanding opportunities in critical areas such as health care, education,
and community and economic development. Since the beginning of the
President's Initiative on Race, hundreds of organizations pursuing these
goals have come to the attention of the Advisory Board, but this list of
programs is by no means exhaustive.
These programs reflect a wide diversity of types, sizes, regions, and
sectors of society. They attempt to make a difference in one or more of the
following areas: reasonably reflecting the diversity of the local area;
incorporating race consciousness in design and operation; educating about
facts relating to race and culture; encouraging reflection and sharing
feelings about race; encouraging civic engagement; fostering institutional
change; or having a measurable impact on the participants or community.
We are not making any judgments about the relative success of these
programs. Rather, we hope that listing these Promising Practices will
inspire others to become involved in programs like them and replicate
those that are working.
More information about these promising practices is a available on the
World Wide Web at the following address:
www.whitehouse.gov/Initiatives/OneAmerica/america.html
Appendix H1: Summary Descriptions of Promising Practices
A Better Chance, Inc., in Boston, MA, was founded in 1963 by the heads
of 23 northeastern, independent boarding schools. Through its oldest and
largest program, The College Preparatory Schools Program, A Better
Chance has placed nearly 10,000 middle, junior, and high school students
in some of the Nation's finest college preparatory schools. More recently it
has developed Pathways to College, an afterschool program with sites in
Newark, NJ, and Pine Bluff, AR, which provides high school students
with the guidance, resources, and encouragement they need to make
informed choices about their college education. More than 99 percent of A
Better Chance's graduates immediately go on to college; over 90 percent
of them receive college degrees. [Contact: Judith Berry Griffin, President,
(212) 456-1925]
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Institute in New York, NY, was initiated
in 1985 as a campaign by the Anti-Defamation League and WCVB-TV in
Boston to combat prejudice, promote democratic ideals, and strengthen
pluralism. The campaign evolved into an international institute with
diversity education programs utilized by schools, universities,
corporations, community organizations, and law enforcement agencies
throughout the United States and abroad. [Contact: (212) 885-7800]
Action for a Better Community in Denver, CO, was founded in 1992 to
campaign for the improvement of living conditions of minorities in Colorado.
The organization hosts monthly meetings for members to share information
on community developments, and it organizes speaker forums and
entertainment events throughout the year to encourage community-building
efforts. [Contact: Gloria Yellow Horse, Staff Community Organizer,
(303) 893-9710]
African American Economic Experience in Baton Rouge, LA, began in
January 1997 at Southern University College of Business. The program
curriculum addresses and provides a greater understanding of the
importance of economics and entrepreneurship in providing solutions to
social and economic problems in the black community. [Contact: Dr.
Donald R. Andrews and Dr. Ashare A. Yigletu, (504) 771-2992]
The African American, Latino, Asian, Native, and American program
(ALANA) in Brattleboro, VT, brings together communities of color and
government institutions by addressing various social issues in a culturally
sensitive manner. ALANA operates five programs on health, education,
economic development, youth empowerment, and families in transition.
[Contact: Naima Wade, Director, (802) 254-2972]
The Al Wooten, Jr., Heritage Center in Los Angeles, CA, provides young
people with programs that will enhance their educational and personal
lives. A coalition of 15 non-profit and business organizations works with
the center to offer afterschool programs such as guidance counseling,
creative and performing arts, and history lessons. [Contact: Linda
Broadous Miles, Executive Director, (213) 756-7203]
The Alternatives in Medicine: HIGH School Exposure program (A.I.M.
HIGH) in Dallas, TX, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
School, was created to provide underrepresented minority high school
students with exposure to minority role models in the health professions.
Applications for the program are distributed throughout the Dallas
Independent School District to 9th and 10th grade high school students at
12 local high schools that have a predominantly minority student
population. [Contact: M. Renee Valdes or Gussie Robinson, Program
Directors, (214) 648-2168]
American Indian Science Technology Education Consortium (AISTEC) in
Las Vegas, NM, was established in 1994 to increase American Indian
achievement in science, engineering, and mathematics; to create a pipeline
for moving American Indian students from elementary school to Ph.D.
programs; and to provide educational resources for tribal colleges.
[Contact: Mr. Jose C'de Baca, Project Director, (505) 454-3532]
The American Institute of Managing Diversity in Atlanta, GA, is a
14-year-old non-profit public interest organization that seeks to study and
influence trends in diversity training. The organization was founded in
1984 by Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas and deals with the many different
approaches to achieving diversity, such as affirmative action initiatives
and diversity management. [Contact: Sharon Parker, President, (404)
302-9226]
The Amistad Research Center in New Orleans, LA, is a research
institution that collects information on the history of racial and ethnic
groups. The center maintains an archive of manuscripts that document the
rich history and contributions of blacks and other ethnic groups, with
collections dating from the 1700s to the present. The center also holds
letters, journals, books, and photographs. Contact: Donald E. DeVore,
Executive Director, (504) 865-5535]
Anytown is an award-winning summer program created by The National
Conference in New York, NY, for youth and emerging leaders to focus on
reducing prejudice and increasing understanding among people of
different races and ethnicities. High school students who are interested in
attending the program must submit applications expressing their desire to
learn about other cultures, promote peace, and commit to positively affect
the world. [Contact: Programs Department, (212) 206-0006]
Appreciating Differences Among People and Things Project (ADAPT) in
St. Cloud, MN, began in 1992 to address the hostility toward persons of
color by members of minority communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
ADAPT provides leadership to individuals, organizations, and agencies
that encourages them to implement programs that promote diversity as a
shared community value. [Contact: Steven Joul, President, Central
Minnesota Community Foundation, (320) 253-4380]
The Arizona Opportunities Industrialization Center in Phoenix, AZ,
increases the education and economic opportunities of low-income
Phoenix area residents by providing various skills training and education
programs. Founded in 1967, the Arizona Opportunities Industrialization
Center is an affiliate of the Opportunities Industrialization Centers of
America and works collaboratively with other community-based
organizations to ensure the social and economic viability of disadvantaged
individuals in the Phoenix area. [Contact: Gene Blue, President and CEO,
(602) 254-5081]
Artists Collective is a Hartford, CT, program that preserves and
perpetuates African,West Indian, and Latin American cultural traditions
and raises public consciousness about the value of this artistic and cultural
experience. The collective is an interdisciplinary cultural institution
serving the greater Hartford region by providing year-round professional
training classes in dance, theater, music, and visual arts for students who
are at least 2 years old. [Contact: Dollie McLean, Executive Director,
(860) 527-3205]
Asian Counseling & Referral Service (ACRS) in Seattle, WA, was created
in 1973. ACRS supports and provides culturally competent bilingual and
bicultural human services, which promote racial reconciliation, increase
positive dialogues, and reduce disparities. ACRS's main focus is to
promote the social, emotional, and economic well being and
empowerment of individuals, families, and communities, by providing and
advocating for innovative, community-based multi-lingual and
multi-cultural services. Nearly 13,000 people from 13 ethnic groups are
served annually by the agency's largely bilingual, bicultural staff.
[Contact: Janet Soohoo, Deputy Director, (206) 695-7534]
Asian Neighborhood Design (A.N.D.) in San Francisco, CA, began its
work in 1973 by helping to make improvements in low-income Asian
neighborhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the late 1980s, A.N.D.
decided to partner with other ethnically diverse communities both
regionally and nationally. The organization operates programs that focus
on business development, employment training, and housing and
community development. [Contact: Maurice Lim Miller, Executive
Director, (415) 982-2959]
ASPIRA in Washington, DC, began as a project of the Puerto
Rican-Hispanic Leadership Forum in 1961, with the goals of motivating
Puerto Rican youth to stay in school and inspiring them to pursue higher
educational opportunities. The program was also established as a bilingual
counseling agency to assist Puerto Rican youth through career guidance.
[Contact: Ronald Blackburn Moreno, President, (202) 835-3600]
The Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition, was initiated by the Atlanta, GA,
Chapter of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in 1982 to help build
support for the renewal of the Voting Rights Act. The main goal is to
strengthen relations between the black and Jewish communities by
building knowledge about and support for issues within these
communities. Over the years, the coalition has developed three projects,
which join teens and young adults to break down stereotypes and enhance
relations. These projects are a teen retreat, a young leader retreat, and the
"Dinners of Dialogue." [Contact: Ms. Sherry Frank, Southeast Area
Director, AJC, (404) 233-5501]
The Beaver Race Initiative Development Group Effort (BRIDGE) in
Beaver Falls, PA, was created to bring together people who are interested
in the issue of race. Representatives from schools, businesses, churches,
and non-profit organizations participate in the program. Some members of
the group are also trained as facilitators of racial dialogues. [Contact: State
Rep. Mike Veon, (717) 787-1290 or Zane Phoenix, Office of the State
Representative, (724) 847-1352]
Belmont Against Racism (BAR) in Belmont, MA, was created in May
1992 as a response to the riots in Los Angeles. BAR focuses on reducing
racism by fostering awareness of racism through educating the community
on race-related issues and working toward ending exclusionary practices.
[Contact: Douglas C. Reynolds, President, (617) 489-2353]
Bicultural Training Partnership in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, was created
in December 1991 as a response to the rapid increase of Southeast Asians
moving into the community. Bicultural leaders representing Hmong,
Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian communities are trained to facilitate
organizational and cross-cultural efforts and to serve as a bridge between
their communities and the larger Twin Cities community. [Contact: Vijit
Ramchandani, Senior Consultant and Program Manager, (612) 642-2067]
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Diversity Initiatives in Philadelphia,
PA, is a special effort to increase diversity of staff and volunteers in the
organization who serve as mentors to minority children. The effort is
operated by employee coalitions that include staff members from all levels
of the federation and advisory committees and volunteers. [Contact: Viola
W. Bostic, Assistant National Executive Director, (215) 567-7000]
Black & White Boston Coming Together, Inc., in Boston, MA, brings
people of different races together in both professional and social settings.
With participants ranging from high school students to business owners,
the program creates dialogue, promotes education, encourages action, and
develops employment opportunities in the community. [Contact: Jeff
Bellows, Director, (617) 247-9300]
Black History Tours provides tours of black historical sites in Dade
County, FL. The Metro-Dade Transit Agency began the Black History
Tours program in 1993 as a means of reaching out to the community in
Dade County during Black History Month. [Contact: Claudette Hinton,
Transit Administrative Coordinator, (305) 375-2160]
The Black/Jewish Forum of Baltimore (BLEWS) in Baltimore, MD, was
founded in 1978 as an effort to overcome estrangement between blacks
and Jews. During the first decade of its existence, BLEWS focused on
dialogue designed to increase mutual understanding. With a current
mailing list of several hundred people, BLEWS is now expanding its
membership base and embarking on projects to broaden its sphere of
influence and impact. [Contact: Bernard L. Berkowitz, President, (410)
542-9673, or Charles G. Tildon, Jr., Past President, (410) 367-1848]
BRIDGES: A School Inter Ethnic Relations Program in Santa Ana, CA,
operates in middle and high schools in Orange County and is designed to
enhance the understanding of race-related issues throughout the county.
BRIDGES works to prevent the escalation of intergroup tension, conflict,
and violence that divides communities into factions based on race or other
differences. [Contact: Rusty Kennedy, Executive Director, (714)
567-7470]
Bridges Across Racial Polarization in St. Louis, MO, is a voluntary
program consisting of groups of 8 to 12 people from a mix of racial and
ethnic backgrounds who meet socially every 4 to 8 weeks to discuss issues
of concern and general interest. The goal of the program is for members to
hear the various perspectives that people of different races have on certain
issues and learn how to respect their viewpoints. [Contact: Cindy Follman,
Bridges Program Director, (314) 622-1250]
Since 1994 the Bridging the Gap (BTG) project in Atlanta, GA, offers
support to refugees in transition and provides assistance in helping them
settle into a stable lifestyle in America. The project is sponsored by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee
Resettlement, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of
Community-Oriented Policing Services, the Governor of Georgia's
Children and Youth Coordinating Council, and other institutions.
[Contact: Gail A. Hoffman, Director, (404) 872-9400]
Brooklyn Unity Campaign, Brooklyn, NY, was created in 1988 to unite
Brooklyn's diverse ethnic communities in a sustained program of dialogue,
action, and change for lasting improvements in intergroup relations.
[Contact: Howard Golden, Borough President, (718) 802-3909]
The Buffalo State College Equity and Campus Diversity Mini-Grant
program in Buffalo, NY, provides grants to activities that heighten
awareness of campus issues related to race. The program is operated by the
President's Council for Equity and Campus Diversity at Buffalo State
College, which includes faculty, staff, students, and administrators. The
council addresses discrimination and harassment on campus. [Contact:
Dolores Battle, Senior Advisor to the President for Equity and Campus
Diversity, (716) 878-6210]
Building Just Communities: Reducing Disparities and Racial Segregation
began in 1996 in St. Paul, MN, in an effort to reverse the growing trend of
poverty and racial segregation in the Twin Cities area. The program uses a
multi-layered approach to increase the economic opportunity and living
conditions in impoverished neighborhoods. [Contact: Jay Schmidt,
Executive Director, (612) 333-1260]
Building an Intercultural Congregation was established in 1988 in
Louisville, KY, to create a multi-ethnic congregation committed to an
urban mission and ministry. The church acts as an agent of racial
reconciliation by blending religious teaching with racial and cultural
sensitivity among its multi-ethnic community and congregation.
[Contact: Charles W. Brockwell, Jr., Pastor, Fourth Avenue United
Methodist Church, (502) 426-8898]
Camp Friendship in Memphis, TN, was created in 1997 by Memphis
parishes in the Catholic Charities Refugee Services Program to address the
recreational and transitional needs of refugee youth. The program provides
a bicultural learning experience for American and refugee youth to share
and exchange cultural information in hopes of enhancing appreciation for
their own culture as well as the culture of others. [Contact: Carolyn
Tisdale, Director, Refugee Services, Catholic Charities, (901) 722-4775]
The Campus Climate Plan in San Jose, CA, operated by San Jose State
University, addresses issues on campus that affect the stability and
well-being of the student population. With an emphasis on diversity and
multi-culturalism, the program has an advisory committee composed of
members who represent diverse campus groups and monitor the
implementation of recommendations by the Campus Climate Office.
[Contact: Dr. Gabriel Reyes, Assistant to the President for Campus
Climate, (408) 924-1098]
The "Can't We All Just Get Along?" program in Lima, OH, encourages
dialogue among individuals so they can explore racism in their daily lives.
Participants from predominantly white congregations are paired with
people from predominantly black congregations. Program facilitators
provide the group with techniques to keep the sessions focused and
productive. [Contact: David J. Berger, Mayor, (419) 228-5462]
Career Beginnings in Boston, MA, works with high school students to
prepare them for higher education and employment. The program
mobilizes businesses, schools, parents, and students to offer young people
services such as mentoring, tutoring, and career counseling. [Contact:
William Bloomfield, President, (617) 636-9151]
Casa Heiwa, in Los Angeles, CA, opened in October 1996 as a 100-unit
affordable housing project for low-income residents. Casa Heiwa, which
means House of Harmony, is the first low-income housing center built in
Little Tokyo since World War II. The tenant council operates on-site
programs encouraging intercultural understanding, civic engagement, and
vocational skills. [Contact: Tom Sogi, Tenant Services Coordinator, LTSC
Community Development Corporation, (213) 473-1692]
The Center for Educational Equity (CEE) in Oakland, CA, is one of 10
regional desegregation assistance centers funded by the U. S. Department
of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Civil
Rights Technical Assistance Program. CEE assists public boards of
education, schools, and school districts with the preparation, adoption, and
implementation of plans that promote educational equity in the areas of
race, national origin, and gender. CEE collects and disseminates
information on issues and problems surrounding school desegregation,
provides assistance on racial conflicts in schools, devises and promotes
ways to increase parent involvement and empowerment, and assists in
planning youth conferences. [Contact: Alan Hopewell, Director, (510)
834-9504]
The Center for Living Democracy in Brattleboro, VT, published Bridging
the Racial Divide: A Report on Interracial Dialogue in America, based on
a year-long survey of interracial dialogue groups in over 30 States. The
report offers practical lessons and success stories of citizens engaged in
dialogues that lead to crosscultural collaboration in solving community
problems. [Contact: (802) 254-1234]
The Center for Prejudice Reduction in Great Neck, NY, was founded in
1991 by the American Jewish Congress as a clearinghouse for information
on combating bigotry and discrimination. The center provides schools,
government agencies, religious and community groups, and corporations
throughout Long Island with training on how to reduce incidences of
prejudice. [Contact: Amy Levine, Executive Director, (516) 466-4650]
The Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence
(CREDE) in Santa Cruz, CA, is a 5-year program funded by the U.S.
Department of Education and implemented by the University of California,
Santa Cruz. The project began in 1996 and affects policies and practices
in education for the benefit of all children. CREDE's research and training
focus on critical issues relating to the education of minority students and
students deemed at risk by factors of race, poverty, and geographic location.
[Contact: Roland Tharp, Director, (408) 459-3500]
The Central and South Florida Higher Education Diversity Coalition is a
coalition of 11 colleges and universities in Florida committed to
incorporating diversity programs throughout their campus activities. The
group was initiated by Barry University in Miami, Florida. [Contact: Fran
Freeman, Project Director, Miami office, (305) 899-3649]
Chicanos Por La Causa in Phoenix, AZ, is a community development
corporation formed in 1969 by concerned Hispanic citizens to address
social issues in their community. Chicanos Por La Causa works
collaboratively with other area organizations to increase the employability
of disadvantaged community members. [Contact: Eloise Enriquez,
Executive Director, (602) 269-6485]
Children of the Dream brings Ethiopian Jews living in Israel to Los
Angeles, CA, high schools to build bridges of understanding. Black
students connect with Ethiopian Jews, as do Hispanics and Asians who are
also refugees from war-torn nations. [Contact: Bette Weinberg, Assistant
Director of Educational Policy and Program, (310) 470-8712]
Children's Express was founded in 1975 in Washington, DC, as an
organization that reaches out to youth across economic, academic, racial,
and cultural lines and assists them in producing a monthly news service
through which they can share their opinions. Children's Express was
nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1982 and received George Foster
Peabody and Emmy Awards for coverage of the 1988 presidential
campaign. In 1994 Children's Express was awarded the Casey Medal for
Meritorious Journalism for "Homeless Teens Discuss Life on the Streets,"
broadcast on National Public Radio. Children's Express has published five
books, including Voices from the Future: Children Speak Out About
Violence in America. [Contact: Monette Austin, Editor in Chief, (202)
737-7377]
The Children's Outreach Center in East Palo Alto, CA, takes children on
field trips to museums, nature and science hikes, and music lessons to
expose them to different cultures. The children also attend classes on
character building. The center is open to children of all races. [Contact:
Karen Sue Kepney, Director, (650) 325-1873]
Choose One in Lakewood, CO, reduces bias and stereotyping in Colorado
with projects and events that allow people to interact with each other and
break through cultural barriers. [Contact: Caryll Luke Cram, Executive
Director, (303) 914-6213]
The Citizens Project in Colorado Springs, CO, sponsors programs, events,
and discussions to engage people in dialogues on diversity and tolerance.
The organization's goal is to facilitate the development of a community
committed to working beyond ignorance, prejudice, and fear. [Contact:
Megan Day, Director, (719) 520-9899]
Citizens Upholding Racial Equality (C.U.R.E.) was created in October
1996 by the First Presbyterian Church of Fremont, OH, to discuss racial
issues in the city. C.U.R.E. sponsors weekly informal community
dialogues on race relations. It also initiated the Minority Recruitment
Program that promotes racial and cultural diversity within the city's school
system. [Contact: James B. Fails, (419) 334-3309]
City at Peace-Charlotte began in 1998 in Charlotte, NC, to engage a
diverse group of teenagers in sharing their stories of the conflicts and
pressures they face and to pursue peaceful, creative solutions to these
issues through awareness, arts, and action. [Contact: Nikkeia Kerr,
Executive/Program Director, (704) 535-0655]
City at Peace in Washington, DC, gives its participants, a diverse group of
young people, the tools and the opportunity to navigate the conflicts in
their lives, break down the barriers that exist among them, and build
understanding and community. The process culminates in a musical
theater production written and performed by the young people, in which
they share their life stories and their vision for the future. A production
team of young people is responsible for driving the project. [Contact: Paul
Griffin, Artistic Director, (202) 529-2828]
As part of the AmeriCorps program, City Year, based in Boston, MA,
began in 1988 to generate community service projects that break down
social barriers, inspire citizens to civic action, develop new leaders for the
common good, and improve and promote the concept of voluntary national
service. [Contact: Alan Khazei or Michael Brown, Co-Founders, (617)
927-2500]
The Cleveland Residential Housing and Mortgage Credit project in
Cleveland, OH, includes bankers, Realtors, appraisers, insurers, and others
involved in the local home mortgage market who agreed to attempt to
eliminate barriers and improve race relations by identifying and addressing
discrimination in home buying. [Contact: Dr. Barbara Grothe, Program
Manager, Greater Cleveland Roundtable, (216) 579-9980]
Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth (CAPAY) in Boston, MA,
was initiated in May 1994 by the Institute for Asian American Studies as a
result of challenges Asian Pacific American youth faced due to
discrimination in their high schools and communities. CAPAY is a
youth-led organization to improve race relations with projects and
activities designed to create a forum for free dialogue and abolish
stereotypes about Asian Pacific Americans. [Contact: Trinh Nguyen,
Coordinator, (617) 287-5658]
The Coalition for Mutual Respect in New Rochelle, NY, brings together
blacks and Jews in the area, sponsoring picnics, theater parties, pulpit
exchanges, and interfaith services. Programs focus on building closer
relationships among a diverse group of people. The coalition also
organizes trips to Israel, incorporating visits to both Christian and Jewish
sites. [Contact: Rabbi Amiel Wohl, Co-Chairman, (914) 235-1800]
The Color Me Human program in Hixson, TN, is a unique program that
encourages organizations to use the Color Me Human logo and products as
a symbol that the organization is supportive of diversity issues. The logo,
which emphasizes a celebration of diversity, can only be associated with
work related to promoting diversity. Some of the Color Me Human
products include T-shirts, posters, cups, mouse pads, and bumper stickers.
[Contact: Nancy Williams, General Manager, (423) 870-4525]
The Coming Together project in Akron, OH, promotes racial harmony by
fostering dialogue, presenting educational programs, and encouraging
cultural awareness and appreciation through the arts. The project was
created following a 1993 year-long series in the Akron Beacon Journal
called "A Question of Color." [Contact: Dr. Fannie Brown, Executive
Director, (330) 379-3832]
The Common Destiny Alliance was founded in 1991 at the University of
Maryland's College of Education to bring research to bear on the
improvement of race relations in America. A consortium of 30 national
organizations and numerous scholars committed to improving race
relations and educational equity, the alliance believes that the use of
research to identify effective educational practices facilitates individual
and organizational change. [Contact: Willis D. Hawley, Organizer, (301)
405-2341]
Common Ground, established in 1986 and located in Hartford, CT, is a
service project of Leadership Greater Hartford, the American Leadership
Forum, and the Justice Education Center. In 1988 a new phase of
Common Ground was created to teach multi-cultural appreciation to
children of various cultural backgrounds, as well as to develop leadership
skills. [Contact: Ellen Smith-Bigelow, Director, (860) 241-6161, ext. 215]
The Common Ground program in New Orleans, LA, provides the catalyst
for discussion on racial and religious divisions in Louisiana. Organized in
1993, the program develops forums through which Louisiana residents can
discuss race relations. In addition, the program trains participants to
become moderators for discussions on race. [Contact: Lance Hill, Director,
(504) 865-6100]
Community Action Project (CAP), Brooklyn, NY, is a faith-based
organization founded in 1992 by clergy and lay leaders to bring various
ethnic and racial groups together to address social and economic issues.
CAP actively organizes residents of the community through leadership
development workshops focused on direct action. [Contact: Francois
Pierre-Louis, Director, (718) 287-4334]
The Community-Based Fire Protection program of the Los Angeles Fire
Department strives to make fire departments in Los Angeles become more
sensitive to the social and ethnic diversity of their communities. The
program consists of three stages: research, member training, and
education, as well as definition and implementation of projects. [Contact:
Kwame Cooper, Captain, LAFD Station No. 68, (213) 485-5954]
The Community Building Task Force in Charlotte, NC, was supported by
public and private resources, including the local government, foundations,
and businesses. The task force was created to involve key community
institutions and grassroots leaders in constructive, interracial dialogue. In
an effort to improve race relations in the community, it gathered
information on demographics and existing multi-cultural organizations,
held a series of focus groups, and prepared recommendations to continue
the process of reconciliation beyond the life of the task force. [Contact:
Dianne English, Director, (704) 333-2595]
Community Change, Inc. addresses issues of institutional racism in
Boston, MA, and its underlying causes and consequences. The
organization focuses on grassroots organizing and training for local
community activists. It operates a library, workshops on racism, and the
Drylongso Awards, a ceremony that honors people who are doing
extraordinary work in the anti-racism effort in Greater Boston. [Contact:
Louie A. Enriquez, Esq., Executive Director, or Paul Marcus, Special
Projects Coordinator, (617) 523-0555]
Community Connection in Harrisburg, PA, was created in 1995 by the
Pennsylvania League of Women Voters Citizens Education Fund to
promote healthy civic relationships between diverse peoples,
organizations, and leaders. Community Connection works toward
improving relationships and building collaborative collations among
diverse sectors of the community that may otherwise compete for services.
[Contact: Susan Warner-Mills, Project Director, (717) 523-8511]
Community Cousins in Encinitas, CA, is designed to affect people's
attitudes and behaviors toward those they stereotype. The program brings
together two families of different races in a setting conducive to dialogue.
Families are matched with at least two Community Cousins families
according to similarities in geographic location, family composition,
interests, and hobbies. [Contact: Diane Bock, (760) 944-2899]
In 1995 the CommUNITY: Different People ... Common Ground project
in Cincinnati, OH, was established as a result of a 2-year summit on race
(convened by Bishop Herbert Thompson of the Episcopal Diocese), which
found widespread racism in the community. To address these issues,
CommUNITY, a broad-based goodwill initiative, provides opportunities
for residents to come together to discover their common values,
aspirations, and challenges, and to unite in cooperative action. [Contact:
Shauna Sanders, Director, (513) 287-1216]
Community Diversity Appreciation Teams (CDAT) was founded in 1994
in Columbia, IA, by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) to develop
communitywide plans to fight discrimination and teach the value of
diversity. CDAT's objectives include conducting anti-discrimination and
diversity workshops and promoting study circles on racism and race
relations. [Contact: Don Grove, Executive Director, (515) 281-8084]
The Community Enhancement program in Flint, MI, was created
following a 1996 Cultural Relations Conference sponsored by the city of
Flint and The Community Coalition. This conference served as a basis for
developing a strategic plan to improve race, ethnic, and gender relations in
the county. Through forums, the Community Enhancement program
brings the community into conversations on race and prejudice. [Contact:
Margaret Williamson, President, (810) 767-1040, or Tom Lindley,
Chairperson, (810) 766-6227]
Community in Contact in Bridgeport, CT, engages individuals, churches,
and the community in dialogues on race. Managed by the Council of
Churches for Greater Bridgeport since November 1995, the program
provides a means for building trust that crosses racial, religious, and
municipal barriers. [Contact: Ernest H. Jones, Director, (203) 334-1121]
Community Outreach in Washington, DC, encourages citizens to
participate in government and attempts to increase the public's
understanding of major public policy issues. Managed by the League of
Women Voters Education Fund, Community Outreach works with
underrepresented populations, particularly focusing on youth, Native
Americans, and other people of color. [Contact: Kristen Nokes, Project
Manager, (202) 429-1965]
CommUNITY Pride in East Jackson, OH, was formed by local citizens in
1994 to recognize and strengthen the abilities of the citizens of the
Appalachian Ohio communities. Members of CommUNITY Pride have
established library and clothing distribution drives and sponsored training
sessions on CPR, first aid, and conflict resolution. The organization works
with county officials, the sheriff's department, and the county health
department to provide information and resources that will improve
people's lives. [Contact: Clarice Shreck, President, (614) 947-5304, or
Marilyn Knisley, Community Organizer, Rural Action, (614) 947-1577]
CommUnity-St. Louis is a project of the National Conference for
Community and Justice, an organization with more than 60 years of
experience in intergroup relations in the St. Louis, MO, region. Initiated in
the religious community to create and strengthen long-term, intentional
anti-racism processes within faith organizations, the program has
expanded to include major political, media, business, education,
non-profit, and civic organizations. [Contact: Maggie Potapchuk, Project
Director, (314) 241-5103]
The Conference on Racism: Yours, Mine, and Ours was created in 1996 as
a project of the Community Planning & Advocacy Council (CPAC), a
human services planning agency in Camden County, NJ. CPAC is a
non-profit organization that plans, advocates, and coordinates human
service programs. Its mission is to serve as a catalyst for community
efforts to strengthen and enhance the dignity and well-being of community
members. CPAC has long recognized the importance of issues of race to
its community, and its conference on racism is the first step in its effort to
launch a campaign to end discrimination. [Contact: Keara R. Giannotti,
Human Services Planner, (609) 663-3998]
The Congress of National Black Churches (CNBC) in Washington, DC,
was founded in 1978 as an ecumenical coalition of eight major historically
black denominations representing 65,000 churches with more than 20
million members. CNBC empowers communities by fostering unity,
charity, and fellowship while establishing dialogues across denominational
lines. [Contact: Ms. Sullivan Robinson, Executive Director, (202) 371-1091]
The Contra Costa Interfaith Sponsoring Committee (CCISCO), founded in
1994 in Richmond, CA, follows the Pacific Institute for Community
Organization model. The program's goal is to empower, unite, and give
voice to poor and low-income families. CCISCO focuses on developing
effective community leaders to improve the quality of life throughout the
county. [Contact: Rev. Don Stalhut, Director, (510) 232-9783]
Conversations on Race in South Bend, IN, was created by the Office of
Campus Diversity at Indiana University South Bend (IUSB) to support
underrepresented students, faculty, and staff. The office facilitates
workshops, brings in speakers, and organizes development opportunities
to create and encourage a hospitable climate for all who learn and work at
IUSB. [Contact: Charlotte D. Pfeiffer, Director, Office of Campus
Diversity, (219) 237-6536]
The Coral Springs Multicultural Advisory Committee in Coral Springs,
FL, was formed in February 1995 to address the needs of an increasingly
diverse community. The Coral Springs City Commission developed a
strategic plan incorporating six priorities to guide the committee. As part
of this strategic plan, 24 residents and 3 high school students served as
volunteers on the new Multicultural Advisory Committee. The primary
activity of the committee was to develop a directory of the city's ethnic
groups, with a special focus on education and culture. [Contact: Joyce
Campos, Community Relations Manager, (954) 344-1005]
The Cradleboard Teaching Project in Kapaa, HI, nurtures the self-esteem
of Indian and non-Indian children by improving cultural awareness and
relations. The project encourages schools to implement a curriculum
designed to provide a Native American perspective, while supplementing
national standards in geography, social studies, history, science, and
music. The project also asks students to exchange videos and materials
designed to communicate their sense of cultural identity. [Contact: Buffy
Sainte-Marie, Founder, (808) 822-3111]
The Cultural Diversity in Education Program in Champaign, IL, was
initiated in 1992 as a cooperative project of the Illinois Board of Higher
Education, the Prairie Higher Education Consortium, and Parkland
College. The focus of the program is assessment, evaluation, and
transformation of the total educational environment of elementary schools
and colleges. The program focuses on increasing the successes and
achievements of culturally diverse students. [Contact: Pauline Kayes,
Director, (217) 351-2541]
The Cultural Diversity Fieldbook Network Project, an Amherst, MA,
project, produces publications that feature essays on racial diversity. The
project brings together leading thinkers and practitioners in the field of
diversity from both liberal and conservative backgrounds. [Contact: Bob
Abramms, Editor, (800) 736-1293]
The Cultural Diversity Reading program in Columbus, OH, was created
by school administrators in 1992 to educate students about the experiences
of America's ethnic minorities. In early spring, a suggested reading list of
novels written by black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian Pacific
American authors is gathered from students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The
books on this list are read during the summer, and one book written by a
minority author is identified that will provoke thought and invite
conversation within the college community. The chosen text is then
studied in a variety of courses on campus and in workshops held for
faculty and staff throughout the year. [Contact: Dr. Joanne Vickers,
Campus Diversity Coordinator, (614) 251-4632]
The Cultural Sensitivity: Orientation for the New Juvenile Justice
Professional in Harrisburg, PA, was created in 1980 to increase and
encourage the cultural awareness and sensitivity of juvenile justice officers
and enable them to make culturally competent decisions in relation to their
clients. The juvenile court of Pennsylvania requires a cultural sensitivity
training orientation for all of its juvenile probation officers. [Contact:
Arlene L. Prentice, Juvenile Court Consultant, (717) 783-7836]
The Culturally Competent Health & Human Services in St. Paul, MN, was
created in 1991 to provide mental health, social, educational, and
skills-learning programs to a diverse community. In the last 20 years, the
multi-cultural composition of the St. Paul community has grown
dramatically. Although Minnesota is predominantly white, there is a
rapidly growing population of Southeast Asians. This diversity challenges
the Wilder Foundation and the community to provide accessible and
effective human services, that address the cultural needs of those who do
not fit into the system. [Contact: Claudia Dengler, Director of Services to
Children & Families, (612) 642-4046]
Days of Dialogue in Los Angeles, CA, is a non-partisan organization
designed to foster discussion among different ethnic cultures regarding
issues such as race, crime, and poverty. Participants of various ages from
diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds engage in small
group discussions held in numerous community sites, including churches,
schools, government agencies, and offices. Participants are given a set of
ground rules and discussion is guided by a series of questions and
exercises. [Contact: Catherine Pedrosa, Special Assistant for Human
Development, (213) 473-2373]
Delhi Community Center in Santa Ana, CA, was founded in 1969 through
the efforts of local residents, church members, the Junior League of
Newport Beach, and the National Guard. The Delhi Center is a community
effort, that addresses social, economic, and immigration issues. Delhi
offers HIV-prevention and health services, teenage pregnancy counseling,
parenting skills classes, and youth development programming. More
recently, Delhi, through Santa Ana College, received a 3-year Federal
grant to implement a neighborhood economic and community building
development model. The Delhi Community Center offers its services from
two facilities: Delhi Center and Delhi Casa. The Delhi Community Center
promotes community solidarity, collaboration, and participation through
culturally relevant interventions, which strengthen leadership and build
capacity for self-help. [Contact: Irene Martinez, Executive Director, or
Margarita Chavez, Assistant Director, (714) 549-1317]
The Democracy Resource Center of Lexington, KY, began in 1990 under
the auspices of the Kentucky Local Governance Project. The center's
primary goal is to encourage residents to take a greater interest and
involvement in local government. Over the years, the center has placed
greater emphasis on working with communities of color to ensure their
civic participation in electoral politics as well as to enhance the living
conditions of these communities. [Contact: Liz Natter, Director, (606)
278-8644]
The Department of Defense (DoD) Pilot Mentor-Protege Program was
enacted in 1991 to create an incentive for major DoD contractors to
mentor or develop the capabilities of small, disadvantaged businesses
(SDBs) or qualified organizations that employ the severely disabled. The
program was created as a result of a concern raised by major DoD prime
contractors that SDBs did not possess the capabilities to perform on
subcontract requirements, making it difficult for these prime contractors to
achieve their SDB subcontracting goals. [Contact: Janet Koch, Program
Manager, (703) 697-9383]
DIALOGO: An Education Program to Improve Human Relations in
Raleigh, NC, uses art to educate people about racial stereotypes. The
program offers teachers diversity training workshops, a multi-
disciplinary curricular unit, a traveling art exhibit, and a cultural artistic
performance. While encouraging dialogue among people from different
races, the program also fosters learning about Latin American cultures and
the United States. [Contact: Aura Camacho Maas, Executive Director,
(919) 870-5272]
Dialogue: Racism in Houston, TX, is operated by the Center for the
Healing of Racism. It is a 9-week program held 3 times a year to define
and discuss prejudice, racism, stereotypes, and their perpetuation. The
program also offers a 4-week film series each summer in different
locations throughout the city of Houston and provides educational
speakers free of charge to the Houston community. [Contact: Nancy
Linden or Cherry Steinwender, Co-Executive Directors, (713) 520-3037]
The Diocesan Multicultural Network in Dallas, TX, was formed in 1996
by the Office of Pastoral Planning in the Dioceses of Dallas to encourage
unity among the many cultures found in the diocese. The multi-cultural
network-consisting of diocesan agencies, departments, and services-is
designed to improve communication and cultural diversity and share
resources. [Contact: Lynn Rossol, Network Coordinator, (214) 528-2240]
The development of Discovery: A Leadership Program for Girls and
Women in New York, NY, began when the Lilly Endowment, Inc.,
facilitated conversations between staff at the Minneapolis YWCA and
national staff at Girls Incorporated, two organizations that focus on girls,
women, and leadership. Discovery was designed to create opportunities
for girls and women of diverse ethnic backgrounds to reclaim their
heritage as leaders and to learn about leadership through community
action. [Contact: Nettie Wolfe, Program Coordinator, (212) 509-2000]
The Diversity & Unlearning Prejudice program in Los Angeles, CA, trains
county employees to recognize the value of diversity in the workforce. The
program has three objectives: to mitigate diversity conflicts in the
workplace, to provide employees with diversity training sessions, and to
convene small focus group discussions to address any conflicts among the
staff. [Contact: John Hill, Affirmative Action Compliance Officer, (213)
974-1080]
The Diversity/Harmony Mural Project in Van Nuys, CA, was created in
1997 in response to a need for diversity and harmony awareness in the
community. The project is part of the school's 21st Century Skills
Program, which was initiated in 1994 to assist students transitioning into
an English-language learning environment and to help students understand
the diverse cultures that make up the United States. [Contact: Alfredo Tarin,
Principal, Mulholland Middle School, (818) 345-5446]
The Diversity Initiative program at Florida International University in
Miami, FL, implements efforts to promote diversity on the university's
campus. The program has several objectives: to introduce programs that
continue to promote understanding and acceptance across racial groups; to
create a model diverse community on campus; and to guarantee that the
student body, staff, administration, and faculty reflect the composition of
the community. [Contact: Cynthia Curry, Vice President, (305) 348-2101]
Diversity Roundtables in Pittsburgh, PA, began in 1996 to provide a
forum for college students at Carnegie Mellon University to openly
discuss and debate selected diversity issues in an informal and personal
setting. It was started by a staff member in the school's Division of
Students Affairs to allow people from different backgrounds to come
together and discuss life on campus and in the community. [Contact:
Catherine McGraw, Coordinator of Student Development, (412)
268-8553]
The Double Discovery Center began as "Project Double Discovery" in
1965 in New York, NY. Located on the Columbia University campus, the
Double Discovery Center houses two youth education programs, Talent
Search and Upward Bound. These programs build students' academic
skills, help students envision college as part of their future, and help
students complete high school and attend the best colleges. The Center
presently serves over 1,000 New York City youth every year through its
Upward Bound and Talent Search programs. [Contact: Olger C. Twyner,
III, Director, (212) 854-3897]
The DreamYard Drama Project in New York, NY, places professional
artists in inner-city classrooms in New York City and Los Angeles to help
children learn the skills to express, write, and perform their own stories.
DreamYard artists, professionals from all racial/ethnic backgrounds, work
closely with teachers in year-long residencies to ensure that thoughtful
reflection and creativity are essential parts of the students' curriculum.
[Contact: Tim Lord, Director, (212) 828-9512]
The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative in Roxbury, MA, is a
resident-led, collaborative effort toward community-controlled,
comprehensive revitalization. Residents developed a plan to change their
neighborhood from a trash-ridden, unsafe community into a cleaner, more
attractive place to live. The initiative brings together black, Hispanic, Cape
Verdean, and white residents in the neighborhood to discuss changes they
would like to see in the neighborhood. [Contact: Greg Watson, Executive
Director, (617) 442-9670]
The DuPage Media and Community Network in Wheaton, IL, works to
improve the coverage of people of color in newspapers, television, and
radio. Local religious and media leaders met to explore how different
racial groups can have radically divergent perceptions on the same social
issue. [Contact: Reverend Andre Allen, (630) 260-0190]
E Pluribus Unum: Multicultural Institute for Teachers in Downey, CA,
trains teachers to examine their values and beliefs, develop curricula, and
identify strategies to include all students in their instructional programs.
Training has focused on such subjects as the different stages of cultural
identity development, demographics, and defining multi-cultural
education. Participants acquire skills in cross-cultural communication,
problem solving, decision making, and conflict resolution. [Contact:
Stephanie Graham, Consultant, (562) 922-6410]
The Education Alliance for Equity and Excellence in the Nation's Schools
in Providence, RI, is a coalition of people committed to supporting and
strengthening racially integrated educational settings. The program
provides professional development, resources, advocacy, and support to
educators and parents on ways to improve student achievement. [Contact:
Dr. Adeline Becker, Executive Director, (401) 351-7577, or Maria
Pacheco, Director of Equity and Diversity Projects, (401) 351-7577]
"Eracism" is the slogan of the New Orleans, LA, based organization,
ERACE, which sponsors forums to increase racial tolerance and dialogue.
Eracism bumper stickers are highly visible symbols that read:
"Eracism...all colors with love and respect." [Contact: Rhoda Faust, Chair,
(504) 866-7059]
Exemplary Multicultural Practices in Rural Education (EMPIRE) in
Toppenish, WA, is a consortium of elementary and secondary schools that
educates staff and students about living in a diverse society. It promotes
positive race relations, an appreciation for ethnic and cultural differences,
and learning environments where children of all backgrounds can be
successful. [Contact: Dr. Randie Gottlieb, Project Coordinator, (509)
454-3662]
Facing History and Ourselves in Brookline, MA, is a non-profit
foundation devoted to teaching about the dangers of indifference and the
values of civility. The program helps middle and high school students
confront the complexities of history in ways that promote critical and
creative thinking about the challenges to be faced and the opportunities for
positive change. The foundation provides teachers with developmental
opportunities in the form of workshops, institutes, and seminars. [Contact:
Margot Sternstrom, Executive Director, (617) 232-1595]
The Faculty Development Institute on Curriculum Infusion in Baltimore,
MD, provides faculty with the knowledge, resources, and skills needed to
transform their courses and teaching methods to fully meet Loyola
College's goal of preparing students to lead and serve in a diverse and
changing world. Since 1993 the Institute typically runs for 3 to 4 weeks
and is made up of nine seminars, each on a different issue and conducted
by a nationally recognized expert. The Institute is modeled after the
Association of American Colleges and Universities faculty development
curriculum transformation institutes titled "Boundaries and Borderlands: A
Search for Recognition and Community in America." [Contact: Dr.
Pamela Paul, Director of Multi-cultural Affairs, (410) 617-5183]
The FAITHS Initiative in San Francisco, CA, involves faith-based groups
organizing programs that encourage social interaction among different
races. Developed by the San Francisco Foundation, the initiative includes
more than 345 congregations, religious organizations, and non-profit
groups. Primary activities of the initiative are the community forums and
its work with the media to increase coverage of race issues. [Contact:
Dwayne S. Marsh, Program Director, (415) 733-8500]
First Gethsemane/Crescent Hill Reconciliation Project in Louisville, KY,
was formed in 1997 by two churches in the Louisville area. First
Gethsemane and Crescent Hill churches wanted to plan long-range
activities to bridge the two Christian congregations, one primarily black
and the other primarily white. The primary goals of the Reconciliation
Project are racial reconciliation and an appreciation, sensitivity, and
education of racial and cultural differences. [Contacts: Dr. T. Vaughn
Walker and Dr. Ronald Sisk, Directors, (502) 635-7906]
The Flames Neighborhood Youth Association in Brooklyn, NY, is a
program designed to bring young people of different racial backgrounds
together to build long-lasting relationships. The program operates
a basketball league with white and black youth from the area serving as
players, coaches, and referees. It is the largest interracial youth program
of its kind in Brooklyn. [Contact: Gerard J. Papa, Founder, (718) 236-6100]
Created by the Massachusetts Audubon Society in 1991, the Food Project
in Lincoln, MA, is a summer program that brings together diverse youth
from the city and suburbs to participate in hands-on preparation of food,
from growth to packaging. The project chooses 66 teens-50 during the
summer and 16 during the academic year-to receive a stipend and lead
their fellow volunteers. [Contact: Pat Grey, Co-Director, (781) 259-8621]
The Forum on Race in Seattle, WA, was created in early 1996 under the
leadership of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce to engage the
general public in conversations on race. The forum launched two
activities: (1) It's Time to Talk, an initiative that brings national-caliber
speakers to Seattle for public presentations on race, and (2) involving large
numbers of Seattle area residents in conversations about race. [Contact:
Herman L. McKinney, Vice President for Urban Affairs, Greater Seattle
Chamber of Commerce, (206) 389-7231]
The Fulfillment Fund in Los Angeles, CA, assists disadvantaged students
in completing high school and advancing their education. Created in 1977,
the fund works with both disabled and able-bodied young people to
provide comprehensive, structured mentoring approaches. [Contacts:
Andrea Cockrum, Executive Director, or David Roth, Director of
Educational and Government Affairs, (310) 788-9700]
Gallery 37 was founded in 1991 in Chicago, IL., in response to concerns
regarding the declining academic success for young people ages 14 to 21,
as well as a decline in funding for the arts. Gallery 37 attempts to address
concerns within the local community and national industry regarding the
job skills of youth entering the workplace and defacto segregation in the
public school systems, which limit racial and socioeconomic diversity
within the city's elementary and secondary schools. Gallery 37 offers an
opportunity for thousands of young people each year to become apprentice
artists who receive paid arts training and create artwork in a diverse
environment. [Contact: Cheryl Hughes, Director, (312) 744-7131]
Glide Memorial United Methodist Church is a San Francisco, CA, church
that operates social service programs for people in the neighborhood.
Glide also manages a free meals program that provides three meals a day,
365 days of the year. The church serves an average of 3,000 meals per day.
[Contact: Janice Mirikitani, Executive Director of Programs, (415)
771-6300]
Global Kids in New York, NY, teaches young people about global issues.
The program prepares young people to become community leaders
through intensive training sessions, educational programs, and mentoring
relationships with adults who can educate and support them. Activities
include classroom-based workshops linking required curriculum with
global issues, intensive after-school leadership training sessions, and
youth-designed social action projects. [Contact: Carol Nichols, Executive
Director, (212) 226-0130]
Great Leap, Inc., in Santa Monica, CA, was founded by Artistic Director
Nobuko Miyamoto in 1978. The mission of Great Leap is to create and
present works that give expression to the Asian-American and
multi-cultural experience through music, theater, dance, and workshops.
Great Leap produces works that tell the stories of the contemporary
Asian-American experience. These works focus on breaking down stereotypes
of Asian Americans and increasing awareness of Asian-American culture.
[Contact: Jennifer Kuida, Arts Administrator, (310) 264-6696]
Greater Boston Catholic Charities in Boston, MA, offers 128 social
service programs at 52 service sites throughout the Archdiocese of Boston.
This social service agency of the Archdiocese of Boston is dedicated to
improving the lives of the poor in Eastern Massachusetts. Founded in 1903
as a child welfare agency, Catholic Charities has adapted its services to
meet the ever-changing needs of impoverished children, teens, working
families, and senior citizens. The immigration and refugee department of
Greater Boston Catholic Charities teamed with AmeriCorps to create the
Refugee Awareness Building Project to work on various refugee
resettlement projects. [Contact: Claire A. Carroll, Director, (617)
625-1920]
The Greater Philadelphia High School Partnership: Students United in
Service program in Philadelphia, PA, encourages students to participate in
academic and community service programs. In conjunction with area
educators, administrators, and students, the partnership's efforts bring
together teams consisting of students from high schools in the city and the
suburbs to work on service-learning projects that benefit the region. The
curriculum-based service-learning efforts provide an academic context in
which students learn how to overcome stereotypes and develop positive
relationships. [Contact: Jon Amsterdam, Program Manager, (215)
898-8713]
The Green Circle Program, based in Philadelphia, PA, is a human relations
education program designed to promote positive intergroup relationships.
The program focuses on helping people develop an appreciation and
understanding of diversity while developing self-worth. There are three
components: Green Circle I, the core program, focuses on children in
kindergarten through the sixth grade. Green Circle II is designed for
middle and high school students. Green Circle III works with public
school faculty and administrators, as well as adults in corporations,
community organizations, and human relations commissions across the
country. [Contact: Niyonu Spann, Executive Director, (215) 893-8400]
The Grow Your Own program in Ashland, OH, is a consortium of eight
Ohio public school districts and Ashland University that addresses the
issues of Ohio's decreasing diversity in the teaching force and increasing
diversity in the student population. The program's goal is to expand the
pool of minority and under- represented teacher applicants and the hiring
of the applicants for teaching positions in consortium districts. [Contact:
Lowell Smith, Director, (419) 289-5298]
The H.D. Woodson HOOP DREAMS Scholarship Fund in Washington,
DC, is a citywide, volunteer, community-based non-profit organization
that works to bring together the professional community and public high
school students in Washington, DC. HOOP DREAMS raises scholarships
for outstanding college-bound seniors in need of financial assistance.
[Contact: Susie Kay, Founder and Director, (202) 543-2128]
Haitian Citizens Police Academy/Haitian Roving Patrol in Delray Beach,
FL, began in 1995. It emphasizes a positive citizen/police alliance built on
a sense of trust, respect, and partnership with newly arrived Haitians. The
main focus of the program is to open the lines of communication between
ethnic groups, integrate Haitians into the community, and improve the
quality of life for all residents. The Haitian Citizens Police Academy
brought Haitian community activists and residents together in a 10-week
program of instruction on local government and law enforcement issues.
While schools were reaching the younger generation, this program created
a way to reach their parents. [Contact: Officer Skip Brown, Delray Beach
Police Department, (561) 243-7873]
The Hands Across Cultures Corporation in Espa¤ola, NM, uses
intercultural programming targeted at youth to develop healthy, racially
stable communities. To overcome the historical effects of exclusion and
racism on Hispanic and American Indian peoples in Rio Arriba County,
Northern Santa Fe County, and the surrounding pueblos in New Mexico, a
local coalition of businesses, schools, and community members joined
together to form Hands Across Cultures. [Contact: Harry Montoya,
President, (505) 747-1889]
The Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Multicultural Center in Cocoa, FL,
organizes forums that focus on the value of racial and cultural diversity in
Brevard County and the State of Florida. The center commemorates the
work of the Moores, Florida activists who were killed in 1951. [Contact:
Dr. William T. Yates II, Executive Director, (407) 632-1111, ext. 63271]
Hartford Areas Rally Together (HART) in Hartford, CT, was launched in
1975 as a grassroots community organizing project. Over the past 22
years, HART has evolved into a widely respected community
development organization with a broad agenda of programs and initiatives
to revitalize the six Hartford neighborhoods. HART operates in four
program areas: community mobilization and revitalization, housing,
employment, and youth development. [Contact: James A. Boucher,
Executive Director, (860) 525-3449]
The Healing Racism Institute in Little Rock, AR, is one of the primary
education efforts of the Racial and Cultural Diversity Commission, a local
organization formed in 1994 to improve race relations in Little Rock. The
institute examines in-depth the complexity and pervasiveness of racism
and prejudice. Participants study the issue of racism, which helps them
make changes in their lives. [Contact: Cathy Collins, Director, (501)
244-5464]
The Help Increase the Peace (HIP) project in Kansas City, MO, was
developed in 1990 by the American Friends Service Committee staff in
Syracuse, NY, to address violence in schools. It is based on the conviction
that conflict-resolution techniques can improve the lives of all individuals.
[Contact: Ira Harritt, Program Coordinator, American Friends Service
Committee, (816) 931-5256]
Higher Ground in Boston, MA, works with colleges and universities to
increase the number of minority and low-income college students who
graduate. By implementing special services such as pre-freshman year
courses, academic enrichment programs, and career counseling, the
program improves services offered by 2- and 4-year institutions to support
students who may be struggling to enter or remain in college. [Contact:
William Bloomfield, President, (617) 636-9151]
Hoop of Learning Partnership was developed in 1994 and implemented in
the summer of 1995 to meet the academic needs of American Indian
students from the junior high school through university levels in Phoenix,
AZ. Hoop of Learning Partnership provides a safety net to retain students
and a network to give them a positive educational experience through the
college level. Its goal is to increase the number of American Indian
students who attend college after successfully completing high school by
helping students discover that they can be successful in college before they
graduate from high school. [Contact: Patricia E. McIntyre, Counselor,
(602) 285-7392]
Hope in the Cities is an interracial, multi-faith network in Richmond, VA,
that bridges racial divides by hosting a series of constructive dialogues on
race and ensuring the participation of government and non-government
personnel in the dialogue. The organization operates several public
education programs to increase awareness of racism, and it highlights
models of hope that demonstrate effective partnerships to address racism.
[Contact: Robert Corcoran, National Coordinator, (804) 358-1764]
The Human Efforts at Relating Together (HEART) program in Los
Angeles, CA, was created in 1991 to encourage and train youth as
conflict-resolution facilitators in on-campus disputes. The program takes
at-risk youth who have leadership potential and provides avenues for all
students to invest their energy positively into their schools. [Contact: Joell
Juntilla, Youth Relations Unit, Los Angeles Unified School District, (213)
625-6440]
The Human Relations Council (HRC) of McHenry County, IL, began in
October 1995 in response to the increasing racial diversity in the county's
population. Originally a rural white community, the area has witnessed a
transformation from an agricultural economy to an increasingly urban one,
with a growing Hispanic community. [Contact: Dianne Klemm, Chair,
McHenry County Board of Commissioners, and Joel Blanco, President,
(815) 334-4221]
In 1990 the Human Relations Foundation of Chicago was created in
response to a publication called Report on Race, Ethnic and Religious
Tensions in Chicago, released by the Chicago Community Trust Human
Relations Task Force. The task force released recommendations for the
creation of a foundation to energize efforts to combat racism. The
foundation operates in six areas: grant-making, research, dialogue,
advocacy, consultation/training, and participation. [Contact: Clarence N.
Wood, President, (312) 456-7745]
Human Relations in New Orleans: A Day of Healing is an annual 1-day
event in New Orleans, LA, that encourages people to discuss race-related
issues by featuring a series of forums that teach people how to have
constructive dialogues. The goal is to develop concrete solutions to race
problems within the community. [Contact: Dorinda Mack, Executive
Assistant, (504) 827-3395]
The I Have a Dream program in Washington, DC, provides academic
support to students so they will attend college. Founded in 1991, the
program is a tuition-guarantee program based on the belief that the cost of
college tuition is a severe barrier to educational attainment for
disadvantaged youth. [Contact: Chris White, Chairman, (202) 775-5800]
The Illinois Ethnic Coalition was created in 1971 in Chicago, IL, to bring
together Chicago's white, black, Asian and Hispanic communities to work
together on projects of common concern. The coalition has worked on a
variety of issues, including multi-cultural education, hate crimes, and
immigration. [Contact: Jeryl Levin, Executive Director, (312) 368-1155]
Imagine South Carolina in Charleston, SC, is a 6-year, statewide effort
created in 1996 in response to the growing number of hate crimes in South
Carolina. The goal of the program is to increase public dialogue on the
issue of race. [Contact: Steve Skardon, Lead Agent, (803) 577-4122]
The Indian Education Office-Minnesota Department of Children, Families
and Learning in St. Paul, MN, developed two new initiatives to provide all
Minnesota citizens with accurate information about tribes in the State: the
American Indian Curricular Frameworks and a new licensing procedure
for teachers in the State. In the frameworks program, students must
demonstrate that they are able to analyze the effect that past and current
treaties, agreements, and congressional acts have had on Minnesota-based
American Indians. In the second initiative, teacher licensure legislation
required beginning elementary and social science teachers to have
knowledge of Minnesota Tribal government, history, and culture.
[Contact: Yvonne Novack, Manager, (612) 296-9756]
Indians Into Medicine was established in 1973 at the University of North
Dakota School of Medicine at Grand Forks, ND, with a grant from the
Indian Health Service. The program promotes interest, enrichment, and
exposure to careers in medicine. Each summer over 100 students at the
junior high, high school, and medical preparatory levels attend classes in
the sciences at the University of North Dakota and interact with students,
mentors, and American Indian health professionals. The summer programs
bolster participants' math and science abilities, introduce them to health
care careers, and provide the medical school with a larger pool of
applicants. The program has graduated 110 medical doctors, or about 20
percent of the country's American Indian physicians; additionally, 90
program participants have graduated from clinical psychology, nursing,
and other specialty programs. [Contact: Eugene Delorme, Executive
Director, (701) 777-3037]
Inner Strength in Atlanta, GA, is an anti-gang program that offers tutoring
and mentoring to young men. The program is a volunteer-based
organization that works with high-risk and academically challenged urban
youth. Volunteers from surrounding colleges and universities provide
tutoring, SAT and GED preparation, and mentoring. [Contact: Valdimir
Joseph, Executive Director, (404) 335-0461]
Created in 1993, the Institute for the Study of Academic Racism (ISAR) in
Big Rapids, MI, is a resource center for tracking the intellectual and
ideological foundations of modern racism and the academic networks of
racist scholars. ISAR promotes research in academic racism by posting
extensive bibliographies and maintaining an on-line archive of primary
and secondary research sources. The institute encourages people around
the world to take an activist approach to fighting racism by countering
racism's intellectual, ideological, and institutional links to mainstream
society. [Contact: Barry Mehler, Director, (616) 592-3612]
Interfaith Action in Rochester, NY, was founded in 1994. The goal of the
program is to work with congregations to identify, train, and mobilize
diverse grassroots leaders and their constituencies to improve the quality
of life for residents. Interfaith Action is an affiliate of the Pacific Institute
for Community Organization (PICO), a national organizing network with
29 organizations in 65 cities. [Contact: Brian A. Kane, Director, (716)
235-2590]
Interfaith Action for Racial Justice, Inc., in Baltimore, MD, is a local
non-profit organization that promotes understanding and tolerance among
people of diverse racial backgrounds and religious traditions. [Contact:
John C. Springer, Executive Director, (410) 889-8333]
The Interfaith Bridge Builders Coalition in Utica, NY, celebrates and
upholds the cultural and ethnic diversity in the community and promotes
racial reconciliation. The coalition advocates for racial peace and justice
and ensures fair and equal treatment for everyone. It sponsors racial
dialogues and also organizes responses to incidents of racism and
violence, including arson. [Contact: Rev. John E. Holt, (315) 733-4227]
The Interior Alaska Center for the Healing of Racism in Fairbanks, AK,
was formed on the premise that all people are affected by racism as a
result of growing up in a racial society, and that understanding this is the
only way to escape the cycle of racial conditioning. The center's mission is
to educate people to recognize and internalize the reality of the oneness of
humanity. Through its courses, conferences, and community outreach
projects, the Interior Alaska Center for Racial Healing has directly affected
more than 1,100 residents in the Fairbanks community. [Contact: Kandie
Christian, Co-Chair, (907) 455-7046]
The Interracial Sisterhood Project in Hayward and Los Angeles, CA,
bridges the gap between races by initiating and supporting personal
friendships among women of all ethnic backgrounds. Through workshops,
seminars, speakers, and publications, the project acts as an educational
resource for racial harmony. Women also participate in a variety of
projects together, from welfare reform fundraising to breast cancer
research. [Contact: Christine Froelich, Northern California Chairwoman,
(510) 782-1770, or Sheri Rueter, Southern California Chairwoman, (626)
395-7491]
The Irish Immigration Center (IIC) in Boston, MA, was formed by IIC
Executive Director Leena Deevy in 1994. The center offers cross-cultural
programs that counter racism, advocate for immigrant rights, and combat
discrimination of all types. [Contact: Cora Flood, Outreach Organizer,
(617) 783-9122]
The -ISM (N.) National Diversity Project in Durham, NC, has three
components: a television program that chronicles the lives of seven
college students across the country; a program that works with colleges
and universities to develop courses that integrate video production with
experiential learning; and an event that involved 4 weeks of campus
activities addressing diversity issues and culminated in a live, town
hall-style video conference. [Contact: Tony Deifell, Executive Director,
(919) 688-0332]
In November 1995, Time Warner, Inc., in New York, NY, launched It's
US: A Celebration of Who We Are in America Today, a photographic
exhibition that poses four questions: What does it mean to be and become
an American? What traditions and dreams do we share? What challenges
prevent us from living in harmony? How can we meet these challenges?
[Contact: Toni Fay, Vice President, Community Relations, Time Warner,
Inc., (212) 484-6401]
The Joplin Globe Diversity Committee in Joplin, MO, monitors the
handling of diversity-related issues in the local newspaper and in the
community at large. The committee is composed of staff members at the
Joplin Globe who are dedicated to improving race relations. The
committee meets bimonthly to discuss matters of diversity relevant to the
community. [Contact: Daniel P. Chiodo, President and Publisher,
(417) 623-3480]
Just Solutions Community Mediation Service in Louisville, KY, was
founded in 1991 by the Council on Peacemaking, a local non-profit
corporation, to make mediation and conflict management available to all
citizens of Louisville and the surrounding area. Just Solutions is a
full-service community mediation program, providing mediators who can
work with disputes, including divorce and custody, neighborhood,
workplace, civil, commercial, and public policy issues. [Contact: Claudia
K. Grenough, Executive Director, (502) 581-1961]
The Kansas City Church Community Organization (CCO) in Kansas City,
MO, was formed in 1978. CCO is an interfaith federation of congregations
organized to improve quality of life in communities. CCO works with
individual congregations to develop their ability to solve problems in their
communities. At the local level, CCO trains members to negotiate with
decision makers on targeted issues of importance to the community.
[Contact: Warren Adams-Leavitt, Executive Director, (816) 444-5585]
The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights (KCHR) in Louisville, KY,
enforces the Kentucky Civil Rights Act and provides education and
outreach on civil rights matters throughout the State. In response to the
rising concern about the level of racial incivility, KCHR, in partnership
with Kentucky Educational Television conducted a statewide live
broadcast of conversations on race relations. [Contact: Beverly L. Watts,
Executive Director, KCHR, (502) 595-4024]
Kids' World, The Children's International Festival, in Tulsa, OK, is a
biennial event that teaches children about different cultures. The festival
features exhibits by diverse ethnic groups that use food, entertainment,
puppet shows, storytelling, and games to encourage families to explore
their own culture, ancestry, and identity. Through interactive, hands-on
learning, children are empowered to participate in activities that promote
racial and cultural tolerance. [Contact: Christina Smith Williams, (918)
596-7839]
La Casa de Don Pedro, Inc., in Newark, NJ, is a non-profit,
community-based organization, founded in 1972 by 10 concerned,
transplanted Puerto Rican parents who sought to find hope for their
children and community in the aftermath of the 1968 Newark riot. It offers
more than 20 programs, which include counseling, childcare, education,
mentoring, job training and placement, homelessness prevention, energy
conservation, leadership development, community economic development,
and help with housing issues. La Casa's staff of more than 100 full-time
employees strives to help create an atmosphere of hope and optimism
within a framework of community building. La Casa is supported by a
combination of city, State, county, private, and Federal funding. [Contact:
Raymond Ocasio, Executive Director, (973) 484-8312]
L.A. CITY KIDZ was formed in 1992 in the aftermath of the Los Angeles,
CA, riots. L.A. CITY KIDZ consists of 20 to 100 students from 30
different Los Angeles County schools who participate in a community
choir that provides entertainment and community service. The program
uses artistic avenues to bridge cultural and racial gaps. [Contact: Remedes
Kelly-Weekes, President, (213) 295-4212]
Latino-Jewish Leadership Series in Los Angeles, CA, is a joint effort of
the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
Educational Fund and the American Jewish Committee. The Leadership
Series was established to foster candid discussion and to build coalitions.
The series, with six different sessions and more than 300 participants,
explored opportunities to enhance relationships and to work together on
issues of common concern. [Contact: Arturo Vargas, Executive Director,
(323) 332-1932]
Leader Support Groups in St. Louis, MO, began in 1993. Leader Support
Groups are designed to bring together leaders from all walks of life across
racial lines to learn from each other. The groups are assembled and
facilitated by the program director. Each group consists of 10 members, all
recommended by others as being active in the community, and each
committed to meet monthly, 2 hours at a time, for 1 year. Members'
comments and further information can be found on the organization's Web
site, http://www.Geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/5600. [Contact: Kevin L.
Chestnut, Director, (314) 772-8350]
The Leadership Conference Education Fund (LCEF) in Washington, DC,
was established in 1969 to support educational activities relevant to civil
rights issues. Specifically, LCEF serves as an information clearinghouse
on civil rights issues, produces reports, sponsors conferences and
symposia, and, through its civil rights education campaign, seeks to build
a national consensus to combat bigotry of all kinds. [Contact: Karen McGill
Lawson, Executive Director, (202) 466-3434]
The Leadership Development in Interethnic Relations program (LDIR) of
Los Angeles, CA, was created in 1991 by the Asian Pacific American
Legal Center (APALC) to address the many calls for crisis intervention,
mediation, and other race-related conflicts. Since the program's inception,
civil and human rights organizations have joined APALC to aid planning,
set policy, and review program operations for LDIR. [Contact: Jan
Armstrong, Program Director, (213) 748-2022]
The Leadership for Equity, Antiracism, Diversity, and Educational Reform
program in Los Angeles, CA, was developed in 1996 by the Los Angeles
County Office of Education to support teachers in their efforts to reform
classrooms. The program helps teachers and the rest of the educational
community in their efforts to make the needed changes to curriculum and
instruction of students that encourage their empowerment. [Contact:
Stephanie Graham, Consultant, (562) 922-6410]
Lee County Pulling Together (LCPT) in Fort Myers, FL, works to
eliminate local segregation and racism while promoting racial justice
through community dialogue. The program sponsors racial dialogues and
social events to encourage people of different racial and ethnic
backgrounds to interact. Eight action councils-on government, media,
education, economics, research, special events, community awareness, and
the strengthening of LCPT-have been formed to develop additional
opportunities for creating productive, interracial and inclusive efforts to
improve race relations in the greater Fort Myers area. [Contact: Ann T.
Estlund, Coordinator, (941) 335-2981]
Leon County's Quality/Diversity Initiative in Tallahassee, FL, teaches
county employees effective management skills for working in an
increasingly diversified workforce. The initiative increases employees'
awareness of their racial biases and the barriers they create in the
workplace. The program uses constructive dialogue and workshops to
provide staff with the necessary skills. [Contact: Wanda Hunter, Employee
Relations Coordinator, (850) 488-3203]
Loyola Marymount University CommUNITY Quilt is an effort by the Los
Angeles, CA-based university that encourages different student
organizations on campus to interact through racial dialogues and the
production of a quilt. More than 100 campus organizations have
contributed 120 panels to the quilt. Each panel reflects the diversity of the
campus. [Contact: James Raycraft, Department of Student Life,
(310) 338-2877]
The Lt. Governor's Committee on Diversity in Dubuque, IA, provides
information, resources, and support to communities throughout Iowa so
they can combat prejudice and racism. The committee recognizes groups
and individuals whose efforts promote the value of diversity. The
committee also sponsors an annual conference that provides dialogue and
leadership skills focused on diversity training. [Contact: Carol Zeigler,
Coordinator, (515) 281-3421]
Many Faces of Lynn: City of Immigrants in Salem, MA, is a partnership
between the Jewish Family Service New American Center, Operation
Bootstrap, and the Lynn Community Cultural Center. The program included
a series of six, 2-hour meetings held at alternating sites around the city. The
program involved 47 students of all ages from Cuba, Bosnia, Guatemala, Russia,
Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Croatia, Mexico, the
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Somalia, and the United States. Trained
facilitators led the meetings and assisted the participants in breaking down
the barriers that existed between them. Throughout the course of the Many
Faces of Lynn program, students realized that despite cultural differences as
immigrants, they shared many of the same experiences and faced many of the
same challenges. [Contact: Barbara Kramer, ESL Director, (781) 593-0100]
The Marathon County Diversity Management Education program in
Wausau, WI, educates county government employees on the value of
diversity. The goals of the program include enhancing the understanding
and appreciation of the Southeast Asian culture, developing leadership
skills to overcome barriers to diversity, and enhancing the understanding
of the value of a diverse population and workforce. [Contact: Brad Karger,
Director of Personnel, Marathon County, (715) 847-5451]
The Customer Service and Cultural Diversity Program was created in
1994 by the Community Relations Department of the Maricopa Integrated
Health System (MIHS) in Phoenix, AZ, in response to growing concerns
about the lack of cultural understanding shown toward patients. MIHS is a
service of the Maricopa County government and is the primary source for
low-income health care in the Phoenix region. [Contact: Sharon Fabian,
Community Relations Director, Maricopa Integrated Health System, (602)
267-5712]
The Mega Project Initiative (MPI), U.S. Department of Labor in
Washington, DC, was developed by the Office of Federal Contract
Compliance (OFCCP) at the Department of Labor to increase the
representation of minorities and women in skilled trades by building
partnerships between private industry, community organizations, labor
groups, and government. OFCCP found that when the responsibilities and
obligations of equal employment opportunity, equity, and affirmative
action are enforced by the contractors and supported by the community,
implementation of appropriate programs become more simple and fair.
[Contact: Shirley Wilcher, Deputy Assistant Secretary, (202) 219-9475]
The Memphis Race Relations and Diversity Institute in Memphis, TN, is a
non-profit organization that provides diversity awareness training to
organizations and businesses located within the Memphis area. [Contact:
Leslie Saunders, President and CEO, (901) 578-2504]
Men Against Destruction-Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder
(MAD DADS) in Omaha, NE, was founded in 1989 to increase
opportunities for youth of all races by providing mentoring, intergroup
dialogues, and cooperative community service projects. The MAD DADS
signature program is Street Patrol, in which men and women patrol the
streets of various neighborhoods to seek out unsupervised youth of all
races. MAD DADS believes that the problem of at-risk youth is not just
the concern of one racial or ethnic group but is the concern of all racial and
ethnic groups. [Contact: Eddie Staton, National President, (402) 451-3500]
The Metropolitan Human Rights Center (MHRC) in Portland, OR, was
started in the 1970s to address concerns about the racial integration of
blacks and whites in Portland's schools and housing complexes. As the
city's ethnic and racial population has grown to include people of
Hispanic, Southeast Asian, Russian, and Romanian descent, the mission of
MHRC has expanded to ensure that all ethnic groups are valued members
of the metropolitan community. [Contact: Linda Hunter, Coordinator,
(503) 823-5136]
The Mickey Leland Kibbutzim Internship Foundation in Houston, TX,
sends 10 inner-city high school juniors to Israel each year for a 6-week
work and travel experience. The interns are Asian Pacific American, black,
and Hispanic and must meet criteria that include strong academics,
leadership skills, and outside recommendations. Prior to departure,
students must attend a four-part seminar on Israel and the Middle East.
Activities include interacting with Israeli Arabs and Jews, working on
archeological digs, touring the holy sites of Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam, visiting a youth village, and spending 1 week in the home of an
Israeli family. [Contact: Randy Czarlinsky, Executive Director,
Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater
Houston, (713) 729-7000]
Middle School Institute for the Study of World Peace was created in 1993
by Dr. Ronald Klemp in Northridge, CA, to engage middle school students
in a year-long study of requisite conditions for peace and to extend the
message of peace to schools and communities through social action,
intellectual study, and the visual and performing arts. The Institute
maintains that one answer to solving the world's problems is
communication, based on the appreciation of diversity. The Institute has
since expanded, and now has programs in 12 schools in Los Angeles and
one school in Mississippi. [Contact: Ronald Klemp, Ed.D., Peace Institute
Advisor, (818) 885-8253]
Milestone Adventures is an East Montpelier, VT, non-profit organization
that organizes activities for white residents in Vermont to interact with
blacks in New York and New Jersey. It also operates a program that works
with children to study the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. More than
250 volunteers work on the Milestone Adventures program. [Contact: Paul
Erlbaum, Co-Director, (802) 223-5782]
Millennium Service Project in St. Paul, MN, was formed in 1990 by the
USA program of Global Volunteers, a private, non-profit international
development organization that works through volunteers to eradicate
poverty, crime, poor health care, and racial discrimination. The
Millennium project brings people of different cultures and ethnic
backgrounds together in an act of service with a focus on promoting
interracial understanding. [Contact: Maren Fustgaard, Special Assistant to
the President, (612) 482-0295]
The Minnesota Churches Anti-Racism Initiative (MCARI) was sparked by
the 1992 Rodney King verdict and the subsequent disturbances in South
Central Los Angeles, CA. The initiative engages the Minnesota religious
community in efforts to combat individual and institutional racism.
[Contacts: Nadine or James Addington, Co-Directors, (612) 871-0229]
The Minnesota Independent School Forum Diversity Project in St. Paul,
MN, was founded in 1991 to increase the number of students, faculty, and
administrators of color in the schools, to increase cultural sensitivity
among all students and staff, and to require schools to write a school
board-approved diversity project. The program is working to provide
faculty training and curricula development that are culturally sensitive.
[Contact: James B. Field, President, (612) 297-6716]
Minority Pathways to the Health Professions (MPHP) in Fort Worth, TX,
was established in 1982 by the Health Science Center (HSC) at the
University of North Texas to stimulate interest among minorities in
pursuing careers in medicine and the health professions. Since 1982, under
the Adopt-A-School Program, MPHP has provided mentorships and
preceptorship experiences to high school students through 6-week
rotations during the school year and through 8-week sessions during the
summer. The program, which includes seven schools, provides mentoring
by HSC students and faculty, an introduction to careers in the biomedical
and health sciences, visits to the HSC campus, presentations by graduate
and medical students, participation in CPR training, access to science and
health fairs, and "real time" experience in HSC clinics and laboratories.
[Contact: Robert L. Kaman, Director of Special School Programs, Office
of Multicultural Affairs, (817) 735-2670]
Minority Round Table in Virginia Beach, VA, is a community program
that explores race-related issues in public schools. More than 10 ethnic
groups develop monthly forums and meetings to discuss issues of concern.
[Contact: Oneida R. Lacey, Vice-Chairman, (757) 467-2927]
Minority Training for Career Ladder in Child Care in Lawrence, MA, was
created by Community Day Care in 1996 to provide bilingual training and
employment opportunities in child care to Hispanic women in the
community. The program began in response to a need for child care
providers whose language and cultural background reflected the changing
demographics in the city. The dual goals of the program are to present
child care as a positive career goal and to provide bilingual training, field
placement, and career support. [Contact: Marlies Zanmuto, Deputy
Executive Director for Education and Program Development, (978)
687-1157]
Mission Mississippi in Jackson, MS, was founded in 1993. The
organization started with over 100 church pastors and civic leaders
gathering to discuss how racial issues were negatively affecting the
Christian community and the general population of Mississippi. The
group, representing black and white churches from almost every
denomination, met to create a statewide effort to bring about racial
reconciliation. The main purpose is to encourage and actively express
unity across racial and denominational lines, improving relations in the
Christian community and throughout all of Mississippi. [Contact: Dr.
Dolphus Weary, Executive Director, (601) 353-6477]
The Montana Human Rights Network (MHRN) in Billings, MT, was
formed by local human rights groups in 1990 in response to the increased
membership and recruiting efforts of white supremacist groups in
Montana. Its mission is to oppose these groups by using three types of
strategies: research and exposure, community organizing, and public
policy initiatives. [Contacts: Ken Toole, Director, or Christine Kaufman,
Director of Research, (406) 442-5506]
The Moore's Ford Memorial Committee in Bishop, GA, is a non-profit
organization formed to commemorate the lives of people who were
lynched in Oconee and Walton counties. The committee promotes justice
and racial reconciliation by restoring the grave sites of the victims, as well
as sponsoring social and religious programs to bring races together.
[Contact: Rich Rusk, Secretary, (706) 769-0988]
Formed in 1993, the Mosaic Harmony choir in metropolitan Washington,
DC, believes that the rich and inspiring tones of gospel music can bridge
racial and ethnic barriers. The music serves as a link between different
cultures. The mission of the group is to bring a message of unity and
diversity to the community. [Contact: Terry Thielen, Advisory Board
President, (703) 591-9463]
The Mosaic Initiative in West Hartford, CT, reduces isolation among
campus groups at the University of Hartford by sponsoring events that
bring people together. The initiative subsidizes the creation of informal
social events that are co-sponsored by student groups that may not
typically interact. Through the allocation of small grants, qualifying
groups work together to create unique events that foster racial interaction.
[Contact: Lon Seiman, Student Body President, (860) 768-4775]
The M.O.S.A.I.C. Leadership Class in Sunnyvale, CA, includes a group of
diverse students who have a strong ability to persuade others. The first part
of the course is spent creating a safe and open space for dialogue and
allowing students to become comfortable with each other through
ice-breaking sessions. The second portion of the class is designed to
educate students and allow them to explore issues of ethnicity, culture,
race, gender, faith, family, and sexual orientation. [Contacts: Sofi
Frankowski, Director, (408) 522-2400 and Bob Grover, Assistant
Principal, (408) 522-2418]
The Multicultural Advisory Committee on the Media in Chicago, IL,
serves as a resource for all of the Chicago metropolitan area's print and
electronic media on issues of race, ethnicity, and religion. The committee
helps citizens monitor the media to ensure fair and accurate coverage of
the Chicago area's minority communities. [Contact: Cheryl Zaleski,
Project Manager, (312) 456-7745]
The Multicultural Center of Northwest Arkansas was created in 1995 by
community leaders in government, business, and social services to address
the needs of the growing immigrant population in Springdale, AR. The
center's goals are to stabilize the workforce, solve social problems,
develop financial and civic responsibility, develop cultural understanding,
and promote homeownership. The Center encourages multi-cultural
cooperation in the community by offering diversity training to schools and
community groups. Overall, the center serves as a communication bridge
between local businesses, governments, and the community. [Contact: Rey
Hernandez, Operations Manager, (501) 927-1111]
The Multicultural Collaborative in Los Angeles, CA, provides
community-based services to different racial and ethnic groups in the city.
The collaborative examines school reform issues and operates an initiative
that provides research, public policy advocacy, and constituency building.
[Contact: Gary Phillips, Organizer, (213) 748-2105]
The Multicultural Music Group (MMG) in Yonkers, NY, is a non-profit
organization created in 1996 to incorporate multi-cultural instruction in
classrooms. The program promotes multi-cultural arts instruction as a tool
to achieve global understanding, cultural awareness, and academic
improvement. In response to the absence of multi-cultural topics in the
teachers' training curricula for arts education, MMG has been adopted by
several schools and community school districts in New York City.
[Contact: Luis Mojica, Executive Director, (914) 375-4096]
The MultiCultural Resource Center in Portland, OR, has developed
educational programs for schools to use to promote racial and cultural
understanding. The center has created an extensive library of
multi-cultural curricula and resource guides, an international speakers
program, and schoolwide multi-cultural immersion programs on African,
Asian, Pacific Island, Native American, and Latin American culture.
[Contact: Karen Ettinger, Director, (503) 725-8191 or (503) 635-3882]
The Multicultural Services Program-Catholic Social Services is a private,
non-profit human service agency created by the Roman Catholic Church in
Atlanta, GA, in 1975. The Multicultural Services Program (MSP), an arm
of Catholic Social Services, is the oldest resettlement agency in Georgia.
MSP provides services to clients from four community centers located in
the heart of immigrant neighborhoods in South Fulton, Marietta, and
Doraville. These centers, all facilitated by MSP interpreters, offer a variety
of collaborative programs to clients, such as social activities, orientation
sessions, English classes, basic health care, and contact with mainstream
service providers. The centers are open to all members of the community,
including native-born Americans. Thus, clients from different cultures
interact and learn about one another. MSP is one of the most successful
Catholic refugee resettlement agencies in the country, resettling an average
of 800 refugees every year. [Contact: Bui Van Tam, Director, (404)
885-7465]
The Multicultural Task Force in St. Cloud, MN, is a group of citizens who
are working to ensure that the needs of every member of the community
are heard. The task force meets monthly, develops partnerships, shares
information and resources, and addresses the concerns of members in the
community. The membership represents many ethnic backgrounds as well
as the three county social service and health departments, educators, and
police officers. [Contact: Cheryl Running, Facilitator, (320) 253-5828]
The Multicultural Youth Project in Chicago, IL, was founded in 1995 by
the Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA). CMAA saw the need for a
coordinated effort to address the rising tensions between ethnic groups,
especially among youth. The Multicultural Youth Project is a coalition of
groups representing Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians,
Ethiopians, and Bosnians. The Multicultural Youth Project coordinates
five agencies to plan monthly collaborative activities such as dances, field
trips, outings, sports tournaments, and community service projects. The
project bridges the divides between these groups and provides youth with
an alternative to violence. [Contact: Grace Hou, Executive Director,
Chinese Mutual Aid Association, (773) 784-2900]
The National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice (NCCIJ) in
Washington, DC, was established in 1960 as a civil rights advocacy arm of
the Roman Catholic Church. NCCIJ is involved in encouraging interracial
dialogue in the areas of social and economic justice. [Contact: Rev. Joseph
M. Conrad, Executive Director, (202) 529-6480]
The National Center on Black-Jewish Relations in New Orleans, LA,
engages students and community leaders in discussions on how to improve
race relations. The center asks blacks and Jewish Americans what insights
they can bring from their respective social experiences and intellectual
traditions that can contribute to solving problems related to race and
ethnicity. [Contact: Mildred Robertson, Office of Communications,
Dillard University, (504) 286-4711]
The National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) in Washington, DC, is a
non-profit leadership-training organization. Founded in 1984, NCBI has
been working to eliminate prejudice and inter-group conflict in
communities around the country. [Contact: Cherie Brown, Executive
Director, (202) 785-9400]
The National Conference in New York, NY, founded in 1927 as the
National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ), is a human relations
organization dedicated to fighting bias, bigotry, and racism in America.
NCCJ promotes understanding and respect among all races, religions, and
cultures through advocacy, conflict resolution, and education. [Contact:
(212) 206-0006]
The National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher
Education (NCORE) was first held in 1988 in Oklahoma City, OK.
Founded and implemented by the Southwest Center for Human Relations
Studies, NCORE promotes inclusion of traditionally underrepresented
groups in higher education. NCORE provides 5 days of education and
training for higher education administrators, faculty, professional staff,
and student leaders during its annual conference. Training topics include
campus inclusion, climate and racial relations, and the issues and practices
affecting educational access and success by members of culturally diverse
and traditionally underrepresented populations. [Contact: Dr. Maggie
Abudu, Executive Director, Southwest Center for Human Relations
Studies, (405) 325-3936]
The National Conversation on Race, Ethnicity and Culture in Hartford,
CT, was established in 1995 through a partnership between Aetna
Corporation, the National Conference, the Connecticut Commission on
Human Rights and Opportunities, and WFSB-TV3. The program was
created to encourage and broaden dialogue among people who have
limited interaction with those of different backgrounds and to create more
welcome environments in the workplace and society at large. [Contact:
Diane Jackson, Aetna Corporation Communications, (860) 273-3483]
The National Italian American Foundation Inter-Ethnic Affairs Institute
(NIAF) in Washington, DC, was created in 1996 as a means for NIAF to
broaden its scope and increase communication and cooperation with other
ethnic groups. The institute's primary focus is the collection and
dissemination of information regarding ethnic groups and organizations
that promote inter-ethnic harmony. [Contact: Elizabeth O' Connell,
Director, (202) 387-0600]
National Migration Week, sponsored by the National Conference of
Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC, was founded in 1980 to educate the
native-born U.S. population about the similarities between them,
immigrants in their community, and refugees around the world. The
program provides an opportunity for participants to reflect on the positive
aspects and contributions of immigrants and refugees to this country.
[Contact: C. Maureen Gross, Special Project Coordinator, (202) 541-3385]
The National Multicultural Institute in Washington, DC, is a private,
non-profit organization that works on multi-cultural issues such as
diversity in the workplace, multi-cultural education, cross-cultural conflict
resolution, and diversity training. The institute holds diversity conferences,
conducts training, develops educational resource materials, and initiates
special projects of interest to the field of diversity training. [Contact:
Elizabeth Salett, President, (202) 483-0700]
The National Youth Leadership Mission to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial
Museum, in Chicago, IL, offers to students from diverse backgrounds
substantive and effective tools with which to apply lessons of the
Holocaust to modern-day issues of bigotry and racism. The program
involves 100 racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse high school
students and teachers from six cities-San Francisco, New Orleans, St.
Louis, New York, Denver, and Chicago. [Contacts: Richard S. Hirschhaut,
Greater Chicago/Upper Midwest Regional Director for the
Anti-Defamation League, or Julie Flapan, A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
Project Director, (312) 782-5080]
The National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) was founded in 1968 in
Overland Park, KS, to provide positive outlets for young people following
massive urban riots. NYSP is a partnership between the National
Collegiate Athletic Association, the United States Department of Health
and Human Services, the Office of Community Services, and other
sponsoring institutions. NYSP participants attend a 5-week summer
program at one of more than 170 colleges and universities. NYSP's
programs combine sports instruction with the teaching of vital life skills,
such as personal health, job responsibilities, nutrition, and alcohol and
other drug-prevention activities. [Contact: Edward A. Thiebe, Director of
Youth Programs, (913) 339-1906]
Native American Day in Fallon, NV, is an annual 1-day event that teaches
elementary school children about Native American culture. The program,
which takes place in a local park, is organized by the Fallon Paiute
Shoshone Tribe in cooperation with the county school district. Exhibit
booths with art, pottery, clothing, and literature are featured and traditional
dances are performed. [Contact: Dr. Robert S. Lindenman, Federal
Programs Facilitator, (702) 423-6955]
The Native American Intertribal Council at the Kennedy Space Center in
Orlando, FL, was created to promote the value of diversity and share the
cultural activities of various Native American tribes. The council meets
once a month for an informal brown bag where they share their heritage
and make connections with other Native Americans working at the
Kennedy Space Center. The organization also sponsors a yearly
powwow to celebrate the cultural diversity of Native Americans
and share with others their perspectives. [Contact: Kenny Aguilar,
Director, Kennedy Space Center Equal Opportunity Program Office, (407)
867-2307]
Native American Student Services (NASS), Phoenix College has been a
division of the Phoenix College counseling department in Phoenix, AZ,
for more than 20 years. An American Indian counselor from the center
works with all tribal government offices in the United States, especially
with the Arizona tribes. The counselor assists with personal needs, tribal
scholarships, tribal student requirements, personal development courses,
and development of coursework specific to American Indian topics and
issues. Through NASS, American Indian students receive academic
support, social services, emergency food and transportation, mental health
counseling, and scholarship and communication assistance. [Contact:
Patricia E. McIntyre, Counselor, (602) 285-7392]
The Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) in St. Paul, MN, was
created in 1993 by the Western Initiatives for Neighborhood Development.
NDC programs harness the potential of local residents to develop
successful businesses. The idea is to increase the flow of capital into
neighborhoods and the asset holdings of residents, and to improve the
standard of living in neighborhoods. [Contact: Mihailo Temali, Executive
Director, (612) 291-2480]
The Network to Freedom Interpretive Studies program in Goldboro, NC,
teaches young people about race-related events in American and South
African history. In partnership with several organizations, the program
teaches young people, ages 11 to 17, about the Underground Railroad and
the civil rights movement so they can understand the history of race
relations in America, learn positive values, and recognize the importance
of working together as a team. The program is offered over 10 weeks in
three phases. [Contact: Addie L. Richburg, National Director, (919)
778-4851]
The New Majority Joint Venture Initiative in New York, NY, brings
together business owners from minority communities to promote
sustainable business relations. The initiative has three objectives: to
identify the businesses that are interested in entering into joint ventures for
the development of new markets; to pair business owners from diverse
ethnic groups to form joint ventures; and to provide participating
businesses with technical assistance in financing, marketing, and business
development. [Contact: John Wang, Project Chief, (212) 483-8898]
The News Watch Project in San Francisco, CA, was conceived in 1994 to
promote the goals of Unity '94, the historic gathering of the Nation's
largest professional organizations representing journalists of color-the
Asian-American Journalists Association, National Association of Black
Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and Native
American Journalists Association. The project monitors media coverage of
communities of color as well as of gays and lesbians and advocates for fair
and accurate coverage of those communities. [Contact: Fernando Quintero,
Director, (415) 398-8224]
The North Carolina Students Teach and Reach program (NC STAR) of
Raleigh, NC, was founded in 1989 by the People for the American Way in
North Carolina. NC Star began in 1990 to commemorate the 30th
anniversary of the Greensboro sit-in protests. College volunteers are
trained to lead discussions in North Carolina's secondary schools on issues
such as liberty, citizenship, and race. [Contact: John Seay, Director, (919)
832-2700]
Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, located
in Boston, MA, examines how sports relate to various social issues,
including race. The center has a number of programs that work with young
people to provide them with conflict-resolution skills, diversity training,
and mentoring. [Contact: Richard E. Lapchick, Director, (617) 373-4025]
The Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment in Seattle, WA, is
a non-profit organization devoted to eradicating discriminatory violence
by working in cooperation with human rights organizations, places of
worship, law enforcement, grassroots community groups, and organized
labor. The coalition works with constituents in six States-Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. [Contact: Bill Wassmuth,
Executive Director, (206) 233-9136]
The Not in Our Town Campaign of Oakland, CA, initiates discussion on
how individuals, schools, workplaces, and communities can stop hate,
violence, and intolerance. Groups are encouraged to watch two
videos-"Not in Our Town" and "Not in Our Town II"-that show how
individuals can confront hate crimes, and then relate the videos to
situations they may face locally. [Contact: Debra Chaplan, (510)
268-9675]
The Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal (OCCUR) in
Oakland, CA, was founded in 1954 to address Oakland's transition to an
ethnically and economically diverse community. The organization's initial
focus was the redevelopment of inner-city neighborhoods through the use
of Federal funds. [Contact: David Glover, Executive Director, (510)
839-2440]
Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multi-racial Families, located in Kingston,
PA, is a traveling photographic exhibit that celebrates racial diversity in
families. The exhibit tells the stories of 20 families that have bridged the
racial divide through relationships or adoption. There are two versions of
the exhibit, one for K-6-level children and another for adolescents and
adults. [Contact: Christopher Miller, ChrisComm Management, (717)
331-3336]
The Oktibbeha County Race Relations Team in Starkville, MS, was
created in 1993 as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority's Quality
Community Initiative, an initiative to apply the principles of total quality
management to community development. The group of 15 to 20 black and
white citizens of Oktibbeha County supports the idea that attracting
economic development, improving educational opportunities, reducing
crime, and reforming government depends directly on good race relations.
[Contact: William "Brother" Rogers, Assistant Director, (601) 325-8409]
Operation Understanding DC is a non-profit organization based in
Washington, DC, that develops leadership; dispels stereotypes; and
promotes mutual respect, understanding, cooperation, and dialogue
between black and Jewish youth. The program allows participants to
develop their personal strengths, enhance their leadership abilities, and
build a positive coalition based on common bonds. [Contacts: Karen
Kalish, Founder and Executive Director, or Christian Dorsey, Program
Director, (202) 234-6832]
OpNet: The Multimedia Opportunities Program in San Francisco, CA,
assists economically disadvantaged young people of color in gaining
employment in the multimedia industry. OpNet is a project of the Local
Economic Assistance Program, the non-profit affiliate of a community
development bank located in Oakland. [Contact: Dan Geiger, Program
Director, (415) 648-9491]
The Palms Council Project in Los Angeles, CA, works with young people
to promote multi-culturalism and the value of diversity. Sixth- and
eighth-grade students participate in activities directly linked to curriculum
standards involving speaking, listening, and appreciating multi-cultural
and diverse viewpoints in literature and social studies. Classes are
facilitated by an English teacher and one or two outside facilitators.
[Contact: Joe Provisor, Project Coordinator, (310) 837-5236]
Partners in Peer Mediation: A Collaborative for Safe Schools introduces
conflict resolution skills and peer mediation to 720 public schools in
Harris County, TX. The program allows teachers, staff, and students to
play an active role in creating non-violent and safe environments in
schools. [Contact: Dr. Ellen Harrison, Director of Staff Development,
(713) 694-6300]
Pathways to Teaching Careers Program in New York, NY, was formed in
1989 in response to the growing concern about the shortage of teachers of
color. The program seeks to develop and test new models designed to
increase and diversify the supply of well-trained public school teachers.
The Pathways program is currently operating in 41 colleges and
universities nationwide. [Contact: Samuel Cargile, Program Officer,
(212) 251-0710]
Peace Games in Somerville, MA, is a program that teaches young children
and their families the value of respecting different racial and ethnic
backgrounds. Recognizing that violence and bigotry are learned behaviors,
Peace Games begins educating children in kindergarten. The program also
has partnerships with nine Boston-area elementary and middle schools.
[Contact: Eric Dawson, Executive Director, (617) 628-5555]
People and Congregations Together (PACT) in Stockton, CA, was
founded in 1996 to empower families to create positive change. The
organization seeks to change the attitudes and behaviors of families, to
reduce isolation, to increase civic participation, and to mobilize families
around common issues. PACT stresses the importance of creating
alliances among people of different racial backgrounds as a way to
increase communication among people. [Contact: Tom Amato, Executive
Director, (209) 472-2179]
The People Respecting Other Peoples (P.R.O.P.S.) program in San
Francisco, CA, was created in 1996 to assess and improve inter-group
interaction at Mission High School in San Francisco. Students chose the
name as a symbol to promote ethnic and racial tolerance, harmony, and
respect. P.R.O.P.S. is an intervention program designed to increase the
school population's awareness of ethnic and racial attitudes, as well as
provide programs that facilitate positive relations among youth from
diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. [Contact: Dr. Howard
Pinderhughes, Director, (415) 502-5074]
Established in 1947, the Phoenix Indian Center is a multi-faceted social
service organization in the greater Phoenix and Maricopa County, AZ,
area. The center provides employment training, education, and support
services to a predominantly American Indian population. Traditional
classroom training, work experience, and community service projects are
part of the course curriculum. [Contact: Karen Thorne, Job Training
Partnership Act Coordinator, (602) 263-1017]
The Plan to Foster Minority Representation and Participation in Physical
Therapy in Alexandria, VA, is an organization that sponsors workshops,
mentoring programs, and an awards ceremony to promote cultural
understanding among physical therapists. The American Physical Therapy
Association (APTA) sponsors workshops on cultural diversity presented
by APTA members and staff at national and local chapter meetings around
the country. [Contact: Johnette L. Meadows, Director, Department of
Minority/International Affairs, (703) 706-3143]
The Power Represented by Individuals who value Diversity and Equality
(PRIDE) program in the Abington Friends School of Philadelphia, PA,
sponsors discussions on race and conflict resolution and celebrates the
variety of cultural traditions students bring to the community. More than
one-third of the students participate in the planning and implementation of
activities sponsored by PRIDE. [Contact: Jerry Clark, (215) 886-4350]
The Prejudice Across America College Tour in Spokane, WA, examines
expressions of prejudice in America and exposes participants to first-hand
accounts of minority experiences. The 20 students participating in the tour
take a prerequisite course, which includes extensive reading, lectures, class
discussions, and two examinations, before they can travel on the tour.
After they complete the course, students embark on a month-long journey
by train with arranged visits to national museums, exhibitions, relevant
historical sites, and special lectures. [Contact: Dr. James Waller, Chair,
Whitworth College Department of Psychology, (509) 777-4424]
The Prejudice Awareness Summit in Washington, DC, is a forum for
middle school students to speak openly and safely about prejudging others.
At the summit, students are brought together from area schools to initiate a
dialogue and create an understanding of the dangers of hatred and
prejudice. Students are typically eighth-graders, who are brought together
for a 1-day workshop. [Contact: Nell Sutton, Communication Manager,
(202) 857-1300]
Pro-integrative Consultation in Philadelphia, PA, provides guidance to
local communities that want to sustain racial integration in their cities.
Established by the Fund for an OPEN Society, a non-profit corporation
that promotes racial integration in housing, Pro-integrative Consultation
has increased the home-purchasing power of minority groups and helped
to stabilize minority-owned property values. [Contact: Don DeMarco,
Executive Director, Fund for an OPEN Society, (215) 735-6915]
In 1991 the Levi Strauss Foundation in San Francisco, CA, created Project
Change to address racial prejudice and institutional racism in communities
where Levi Strauss & Co. has facilities. Each site has a multi-racial task
force composed of 12 to 15 volunteers from a cross-section of business,
law enforcement, religious, government, neighborhood association,
non-profit, and community institutions. [Contact: Shirley Strong, Director,
(415) 561-4880]
Project Common Ground in St. Paul and Stillwater, MN, was founded in
1994 to promote understanding and interaction among students of diverse
backgrounds and to increase their academic performance. Students and
teachers work in multi-ethnic cross-district teams to learn about each
other's histories, cultures, and strengths. The program also provides
students with instruction on leadership-building techniques and
problem-solving skills. [Contact: Anne Anderson, Director, (612)
351-8086]
Project Harmony in Volusia County, FL, is a program intended to
cultivate student leaders in middle school and promote ethnic harmony. In
1994 increased racial tensions at the Deland Middle School forced school
officials to explore ways of averting a serious incident. They sought
assistance from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, which developed
Project Harmony. [Contact: Bobby Lambert, Coordinator,
(904) 736-5995]
Project Respect in White Bear Lake, MN, was created in 1998 as a forum
for discussion and community action directed toward improving relations
and understanding the changing demographics of the community. The
effort is to improve the channels of communication among people of
diverse backgrounds. The project functions as a coalition of organizations
and concerned members of the community who have made a public
commitment to improve relations among people of different races,
religions, sexual orientation, and economic status. [Contact: Trisha
Cummins Kauffman, Executive Director, (612) 773-8401]
Public Allies is a Washington, DC-based program that encourages young
people to become involved in community service projects. The program
recruits a multi-racial group of young adults, ages 18 to 30, to serve in
full-time professional apprenticeships over a 10-month period in
non-profit agencies. Once a week, the group gathers for a workshop on
leadership training. They also participate in a team service project to
examine the barriers and differences of ethnicity, gender, and race.
[Contact: Chuck J. Supple, President and CEO, (202) 822-1180]
The Public Conversation Project in Watertown, MA, emerged in 1989 to
develop conflict-resolution skills aimed at improving public discourse
related to diversity in America. The project collaborates with participants
to create dialogue sessions to discuss popular misconceptions and
stereotypes, the importance of diversity, and how to promote better
relationships among people. [Contact: Laura Chasin, Director,
(617) 923-1216]
Publicolor in New York, NY, is a non-profit organization that works with
young people through painting to increase their self-esteem and build
camaraderie. The program organizes volunteer painters who use art to
transform public spaces, particularly in impoverished neighborhoods. In
July 1997 Publicolor won a contract with the New York City Board of
Education to transform up to 15 schools in the city for $15,000 per school.
[Contact: Ruth Lande Shuman, President and Founder, (212) 722-2448]
Putting Race Unity into Practice in Evanston, IL, sponsors forums at
which Chicago and suburban high school students, teachers, and
administrators discuss their unifying practices in school and community.
The forums acknowledge students as models of effective race-unity
leadership, provide a platform for sharing successful efforts, and explore
solutions for specific concerns. [Contact: Lorelei McClure, Public
Information Officer, (847) 733-3469]
QUEST 21 in Southfield, MI, will be the Nation's first group-centered
mentoring program for young black professionals. (It will be launched in
November 1998.) Managed by Inclusion Systems, Inc. the sister company
of the MENTTIUM Corporation, a leader in the design and
implementation of mentoring systems, QUEST 21 will be the only
mentoring program to give multi-ethnic professionals concrete tools for
success, while motivating senior executives toward more inclusive
behavior. [Contact: Letty Hardy, President & COO, Inclusions Systems
Inc., (248) 827-2121]
The Race Relations Institute of Fisk University is a Nashville, TN,
institute committed to sponsoring forums on race relations. Each year the
Race Relations Institute holds a 1-week seminar on race, convening
national and international participants from various areas, including
education, economics, media, law, religion, and health. The institute also
operates the HOLDINGS Project to preserve the history of African people,
the Dubois/Nash Lecture Series, and corporate-sponsored executive policy
seminars. [Contact: Dr. Raymond A. Winbush, Executive Director, (615)
329-8575]
"Race, Relationships, and Reality: A Performance About the Real-Life
Experiences of Villanova University Community Members" in Villanova,
PA, is a series of 15-minute personal narratives and dialogues relating to
experiences and attitudes of race and racism at Villanova University. The
performances of 10 undergraduate male and female students representing
diverse racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds focus on racial conflicts
and how to use dialogue in resolving these conflicts. [Contact: Dr. Heidi
Rose, (610) 519-6939]
Race Relations Dialogue Month in Bridgewater, NJ, is a joint effort by a
local coalition and Somerset County to facilitate county-wide forums at
the local level that focus on commonalities. Program participants organize
forums to discuss race issues of interest to their organization's respective
membership. The dialogues take place in homes, workplaces, schools,
places of worship, libraries, and a variety of other locations. [Contact: Sue
Pay Yang, Chairperson, (908) 707-0022]
The Racism Awareness Program (RAP) in Akron, PA, was created in
1993 to create a network of Mennonite and Brethren individuals in
churches around the country committed to ending racism in their
communities. RAP has since expanded its mandate to provide anti-racism
training, education, resource development, and consultation to the
Mennonite and Brethren churches around the country. [Contact: Tobin
Miller Shearer, Director, (717) 859-3889]
Radio Biling e, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded by six young
Mexican-American activists from the agricultural fields and urban barrios
of the Central Valley of California. Radio Biling e first aired on July 4,
1980. A large volunteer body of Mexican-American farm workers and
students helped the grassroots station grow from its humble beginnings to
become a network of five stations in rural California: KSJV in Fresno,
KTQX in Bakersfield, KMPO in Modesto, KHDC in Salinas, and KUBO
in El Centro. [Contact: Hugo Morales, Executive Director, (209)
455-5757]
Reaching Out is a unique, participatory television program that was
produced following 10 weekly town hall meetings held in Oakland, CA, in
1991. A sequence of seven, 30-minute video segments, the "Reaching
Out" television series weaves highlights from the Oakland town hall
meetings with remarks made by focus group members. [Contact: Joseph
Tieger, Executive Director, (510) 832-0444]
Reading on Wheels began during the 1997-98 school year to provide
educational support and mentorship to high-risk elementary school
students in Monticello, AR. Reading on Wheels began with 6 tutors, 2
teachers, and 80 students. The local school district provided a
22-passenger bus to transfer tutors to the service sites. Housing projects
and trailer parks in high-poverty locations are the areas chosen for the
program. Tutoring sessions are held on the bus Tuesday evenings after
school, for approximately 90 minutes. Texts and other materials used to
tutor the students include characters of various ethnic and racial
backgrounds. [Contact: Sara Jordan, Advisor, (870) 367-3479]
The Rebuilding Community Campaign in Denver, CO, was founded in
1997 to build strong and effective community organizations capable of
responding to community needs. Developed by the Metropolitan
Organizations for People, the Rebuilding Community Campaign bridges
the socioeconomic diversity of Denver, while building new leadership and
surfacing new issues in low-income communities throughout the Denver
metropolitan area. [Contact: John Gaudette, Director, (303) 433-6859]
The Reconcilers Fellowship in Philadelphia, PA, is a program created by a
local church that encourages people to discuss racism. The program also
hosts a monthly Breakfast and Multi-ethnic Dialogue where people with
African, Latin, Asian, and Jewish ancestry have helped Anglos and
Europeans understand the detrimental effects of racism, such as
stereotypes, false perceptions, and harmful behaviors. [Contact: David S.
Apple, Pastoral Assistant, (215) 735-7688]
The Resource Apprenticeship Program for Students in Anchorage, AK,
was founded in 1987 to reach out to Alaska Native youth. This program
encourages students with high potential but limited opportunities to pursue
higher education, while providing them with information about
employment opportunities with natural resource agencies. [Contact: Tom
Allen, Alaska State Director, (907) 271-5078]
The Rio Hondo Project in Pasadena, CA, eliminates barriers and hurdles
that hamper the participation of underserved minority youth in the Boy
Scouts of America (BSA). The San Gabriel Valley Council BSA identified
low participation by minority youth in scouting as an issue of concern. The
Rio Hondo Project focuses on developing a clear understanding of the
underserved minority community and its special circumstances and unique
characteristics. The identified obstacles to participation are addressed
individually. [Contact: Ron Schoenmehl, Finance Director, (626)
351-5049]
Saginaw Kids All-City Choir in Saginaw, MI, was founded in 1992 to
build bridges between people of different cultural, racial, and
socioeconomic backgrounds, while empowering young people to become
leaders for social change. The Saginaw Kids All-City Choir is an
outgrowth of an all-city choir created in 1992 to complement the city's
Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Program. [Contact: Michael
Brush, Director, (517) 695-2663]
In 1996 administrators of the Samuel S. Fels Cluster of the Philadelphia
School District initiated an extensive diversity program to ensure that
students are prepared to live in a multi-cultural world. The cluster serves
eight schools with more than 9,000 students from 40 ethnic groups.
[Contact: Jan Gillespie, Fels Cluster Leader, (215) 335-5037]
The San Francisco Organizing Project (SFOP) in San Francisco, CA, is a
coalition of labor groups, neighborhood groups, and low-income housing
organizations, that works to empower local residents to create safer,
cleaner, prosperous communities and to bridge cultural, ethnic, and racial
differences. It is affiliated with the Pacific Institute for Community
Organization (PICO). The organizers working for SFOP have been trained
by PICO to empower local residents to take action. SFOP's focus on
bridging cultural, ethnic, and racial differences has people build
multi-racial organizing coalitions. By working collectively, SFOP
organizers believe that people will learn to appreciate the richness of each
other's cultural heritage. [Contact: Denise Collazo, Executive Director,
(415) 995-9898]
The Santos Rodriguez Project in Seattle, WA, studies
Chicano/Hispanic/Mexicano history and the life and work of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Both classes offer community residents an opportunity to
learn about cultural and social movements in the United States, such as the
civil rights movement. The classes also allow people to exchange ideas on
race in America that are not covered by mainstream media and the
educational system at large. [Contact: Roberto Maestas, Executive
Director, (206) 329-9442]
The Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, TN, is a non-profit conference,
education, and retreat center committed to promoting cross-cultural
understanding, education, and artistic creativity. The center's main purpose
is to enhance the awareness and understanding of the growing cultural
diversity of mid-Tennessee by providing an opportunity for the
multi-ethnic and multi-racial communities to interact. The Scarritt-Bennett
Center cohosts area "study circles" with the Nashville Coalition Against
Racism (NCAR). Study circles are community dialogue groups that
discuss racism and race relations. Discussion topics include racism, youth,
crime, and violence. [Contact: Dr. Carolyn Oehler, Executive Director,
(615) 340-7500]
Seeking Common Ground in Denver, CO, brings people from various
racial, cultural, religious, and political backgrounds together to increase
their understanding of and respect for each other. With an emphasis on
fostering dialogue among people, the program sponsors workshops, a
20-day residential program, and a year-long youth leadership program.
[Contact: Melodye Feldman, Executive Director, (303) 388-4013]
"Shades of L.A." is a radio program produced in Pasadena, CA, that
encourages listeners to discuss race-related issues. Broadcast for the first
time in October 1995, the program is funded by a grant from the National
Endowment for the Humanities. [Contact: Ilsa Setziol, Producer,
KPCC-FM, (626) 585-7564]
Shared Mission Focus on Young People (SMFYP) in Dayton, OH, is a
global initiative in the United Methodist Church (UMC) that began in
January 1997. The project is a 4-year effort to reorder the priorities of the
denomination to better respond to the needs of young people between ages
12 and 30. The SMFYP effort is urging all segments of the denomination
to "move beyond their comfort zones" and create new, cutting-edge
ministries with young people to decrease youth unemployment, challenge
racism by strengthening multi-cultural relationships, prevent violence,
nurture spiritual growth, and provide opportunities for youth to
communicate with each other in creative ways. [Contact: Linda Bales,
Director, (937) 227-9400]
SHINE (Seeking Harmony In Neighborhoods Everyday) in Princeton, NJ,
reaches out to school-age children throughout the United States to
encourage them to participate in workshops on three critical subjects:
tolerance, non-violence, and self-esteem. Upon completing these courses,
children sign the SHINE Unity Pledge that confirms their understanding of
everything they have learned and commits them to act positively and
responsibly concerning issues of diversity, racial unity, non-violence, and
tolerance. [Contact: Alan Rambam, Founder, (215) 295-1292]
"Skin Deep" is a documentary made by Iris Films in Berkeley, CA, in
1995 in response to increasing racial tensions and incidents of racial
violence on college campuses. The filmmaker visited colleges around the
country and interviewed more than 200 students before selecting a group
to participate in a facilitated weekend workshop of interracial dialogue.
[Contact: Frances Reid, Director, (510) 845-5415]
South Carolina Links, founded in 1995 in Columbia, SC, is a coalition of
four organizations that united to seek redress for racial and ethnic crimes
committed against residents in South Carolina. The four organizations are
the South Carolina Christian Action Council (a statewide ecumenical
organization), the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission, the
Palmetto Project (a statewide not-for-profit organization), and the Greater
Columbia Community Relations Council (an organization encompassing
several counties in the midlands of South Carolina.) [Contact: Julia W.
Sibley, Director, (803) 786-7115]
Southern Indiana Study Circles on Race Relations in Jeffersonville, IN,
was created to bring together people of all racial, ethnic, and religious
backgrounds to build understanding through dialogue and cooperative
effort. In 1996 Concerned Citizens for Racial Harmony, an independent
non-profit organization, initiated Study Circles on Race Relations as a
pilot program to begin a discussion on race. [Contacts: Joseph Easley,
President, (812) 282-9868, or Ted Steward, Coordinator, (812) 945-0868]
The Sponsor-A-Scholar program in Philadelphia, PA, matches at-risk
youth with mentors to provide them with academic guidance. Starting in
ninth grade, students meet with their mentors monthly for 5 years and
receive tutoring and help with financial aid and the college application
process. Each student who completes the program requirements and is
enrolled in college has access to a $6,000 fund for college-related
expenses. [Contact: Debra Kahn, Executive Director, (215) 790-1666]
The Springfield Vietnamese-American Civil Association in Springfield,
MA, was created in 1992 to empower Vietnamese immigrants and
refugees to become self-sufficient and help them adjust to American
society. The Springfield Vietnamese-American Civic Association
addresses social needs, improves communication, and increases cultural
sharing among different segments of the Springfield community. [Contact:
Juliette Nguyen, Executive Director, (413) 733-9373]
The St. HOPE Academy is a youth development organization in the Oak
Park neighborhood of Sacramento, CA. The Academy was designed to
supplement Sacramento's public education system and offer a structured,
positive environment for educational opportunities, leadership training,
character development, spiritual growth, and physical well-being. In
January 1992 public school officials, college and university officials, local
business leaders, foundations, corporations, law enforcement agencies, and
private citizens collaborated to construct a 7,000-square-foot youth
development facility composed of classrooms, and a library, small
computer lab, recreation room, counseling room, chapel, study hall, dining
area, and administrative offices. Within this facility the Academy imparts
self-confidence, self-reliance, responsibility, and leadership to
disadvantaged, minority, and low-income youth. [Contact: Kevin L.
Brown, Headmaster, (916) 451-4673]
The St. Paul's Multiethnic Center in Woodside, NY, reaches out to
immigrants and helps them integrate into the community. The center offers
several cultural programs that introduce various ethnic groups to each
other through social activities. [Contact: Dr. Louis S. Simon, Director,
(516) 876-0306 or (718) 205-7570]
The Start Up program in East Palo Alto, CA, promotes economic
development in and around the city by providing training, capital, and
other assistance to foster the establishment and growth of locally owned
and operated small businesses. The program was founded in December
1993 as a collaborative effort between students at Stanford University's
Graduate School of Business and community members. [Contact: Deborah
Wijenje, Executive Director, (650) 321-2193]
"Street Science With Dominique DiPrima" in Los Angeles, CA, is a live
radio-talk program that enables listeners to interact with a panel of
celebrities, experts, politicians, and community leaders. In order to reach
young people, the program addresses serious issues in an entertaining way
that is relevant to young people's lives. One of the show's main projects is
town hall meetings that are broadcast from college campuses, community
centers, and cultural events, bringing the issues to where people live.
[Contact: Dominique DiPrima, Community Action Director, (213)
634-1800]
The Students Against Racism Organization in Great Neck, NY,
encourages high school seniors to deliver presentations and lead
discussions in high school classes about racism and how to take an active
role against racism. Along with weekly meetings after school, seniors in
the program conduct workshops and seminars throughout the week for
groups of about 30 students at a time. [Contact: Alexander Crisses,
Director, (516) 487-9783]
Students Talk About Race (STAR) in Los Angeles, CA, works with
college, middle school, and high school students on how to discuss the
issue of race. STAR teaches college students how to facilitate discussions
on race with middle and high school students. Upon completing their
training, college facilitators pair up to visit middle or high schools that
neighbor their own college campuses. [Contact: Joseph H. McKenna,
Ph.D., Senior Program Manager, (310) 478-9547]
The Student Unity Task Force of Columbia, SC, was created by the
Greater Columbia Community Relations Council in 1996 to build
interpersonal relationships and support the development of cross-cultural
communication and leadership skills. The task force sponsors training
sessions for students, faculty, and administrators in every public high
school in Richland County. Two private high schools are also included.
[Contact: Jesse Washington, Executive Director, Greater Columbia
Community Relations Council, (803) 733-1130]
The Study Circles Resource Center (SCRC) in Pomfret, CT, is a project of
the Topsfield Foundation, Inc., a non-profit, non-partisan foundation
dedicated to advancing deliberative democracy and improving the quality
of public life in the United States. The center carries out its mission by
helping communities use study circles-small-group, democratic, highly
participatory discussions-to involve large numbers of citizens in public
dialogue and to solve problems associated with critical issues such as race,
education, crime, and youth. [Contact: (860) 928-2616]
The Summer of Unity and Liberation (SOUL) in the San Francisco-Bay
Area, CA, grew out of the 1995 student movement at the University of
California-Berkeley to support affirmative action. SOUL was founded by
four women who agreed there was a need to create a program that would
address the challenges in multi-racial coalitions as well as develop links
between college campuses and community organizations. [Contacts:
Harmony Goldberg, Education Coordinator, (510) 540-5764, or Rona
Fernandez, (510) 288-6496]
Support Training Results in Valuable Employment (STRIVE) in New
York, NY, provides young adults who have experienced difficulty in
securing and maintaining employment with the tools to successfully enter
the job market. With its central office located in East Harlem, STRIVE
also operates in Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, and Pittsburgh.
[Contact: Rob Carmona, Executive Director, (212) 360-1100]
The Task Force on Police and Urban Youth began in Boston, MA, in
December 1993 when the U.S. Department of Justice's Community
Relations Service convened a meeting of police officers, youth advocacy
agencies, and academicians to address the considerable tension between
police and minority youth throughout the State. [Contact: Marty Walsh,
Regional Director, (617) 424-5715]
The Task Force on Racism in Chicago, IL, conducts long- and short-term
projects addressing the issue of racism within the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Chicago. It also provides parishes and schools with the
means to initiate or enhance efforts to combat racism. [Contacts: James R.
Lund and Sherwen Moor, (312) 751-8390]
Teaching for a Bias-Free World in Edison, NJ, was developed in 1997 to
instruct educators about their role in eliminating bias, to assist them in
creating lesson plans that address bias, and to provide a library of these
resources. This 10-hour course for teachers examines the historical and
psychological traits that contribute to prejudice and bias. [Contact: Elaine
Koplow, Instructor, (732) 549-5543]
The Teaching Tolerance Project in Montgomery, AL, was created by the
Southern Poverty Law Center to offer free, high-quality educational
materials to help teachers promoteinter-racial and inter-cultural harmony
in the classroom and beyond. The program produces teaching kits
containing a video, a text, and a teacher's guide for kindergarten through
grade 12. [Contact: (334) 264-3121 (fax)]
Team Harmony of Boston, MA, promotes understanding and respect for
differences among young people through participation in inter-racial
projects. Based on the philosophy of having a team effort to overcome
bigotry in communities, all Team Harmony events combine entertainment,
education, and inspiration with the belief that young people must be given
a chance to make a difference. [Contact: Beth White, Event Coordinator,
(617) 536-6033]
The Teen Opportunity Program (TOP) in New York, NY, and West
Milford, NJ, empowers at-risk youngsters and teaches them the skills they
need to make positive life choices. TOP was designed to effectively
integrate an attendance improvement, dropout prevention initiative in two
inner-city schools. The program offers a weekend camp learning program
that improves self-esteem and communication and listening skills. TOP
was also designed to help youngsters from various racial and ethnic
backgrounds see that they are more alike than different. [Contact: Michael
H. Friedman, Executive Director, (212) 594-2656]
The Club was founded in the fall of 1995 in Kosciusko, MS, to provide a
forum for black and white individuals living in the community to get to
know each other and get involved in community-building projects and
activities. Through partnerships, The Club seeks to address the needs of
the community. [Contact: Preston Hughes, Coordinator, (601) 289-3999]
The Three Valleys Project (3VP) in Portland, OR, is a 2-year project
funded by the Rockefeller Foundation that builds bridges of understanding
and community and civic engagement among people of different cultures.
3VP's primary objective is to help small towns ease racial tension by
facilitating roundtable discussions among various racial and ethnic groups.
[Contact: Sharif Abdullah, Site Director, (503) 281-1667]
In 1994 the Biet Hashoah Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, CA,
established the Tools for Tolerance for Professionals training course as a
2-year pilot program under a grant from the James Irvine Foundation. The
goals of the program are to raise the awareness of intolerance using the
museum's resources and to help professionals become more sensitive to
their clients' needs. [Contact: Liebe Geft, Director, (310) 843-0017]
The Tribes Learning Community began in 1978 as a partnership among
schools, youth agencies, and health services in the area surrounding San
Francisco, CA. Tribes is designed to increase respect and build positive
relationships among racially and ethnically diverse populations. The
program engages everyone in the school system including students,
teachers, administrators, and parents. Multi-cultural and multi-lingual
trainers within schools and communities conduct sessions on how to
achieve respect for racial, gender, and other cultural differences. [Contact:
Judith Hamilton Johnson, CEO, Center Source Systems, (415) 289-1700]
Two Towns: One Community seeks to promote and sustain diversity and
integration in the towns of Maplewood and South Orange, NJ. The
program, run by the Maplewood/South Orange Racial Balance Task Force,
works to increase demand from any race that is underrepresented-minority
or non-minority-in housing, schools, and civic life as well as to provide
opportunities to discuss race-related issues. [Contact: Barbara Heisler
Williams, Executive Director, (973) 761-8410]
The Underground Railroad Education and Preservation Initiative in
Washington, DC, was created to coordinate nationwide education and
preservation efforts relating to the Underground Railroad. This initiative
fosters an appreciation for the efforts of black and white abolitionists,
enslaved blacks, Native Americans, and religious group members who
worked to destroy slavery in the United States before the Civil War.
[Contact: Nat Wood, Special Assistant to the Director, National Park
Service, (202) 208-3080]
United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) in Oklahoma City,
OK, was formed in 1976 to promote unity within individual families and
tribes, and among American Indian tribes and other peoples. In addition,
UNITY provides a positive environment for young people to share their
own tribal histories and cultures with other tribal youth to assist in the
acceptance of the differences among tribes and other peoples. [Contact:
J.R. Cook, Executive Director, (405) 424-3010]
The United We Learn Social Action Theater began in 1994 with a grant
that provided 22 members of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, WI,
community with the opportunity to attend a 2-day "train-the-trainer"
session on campus. By the end of the training, the participants committed
to create a social action theater. Overall, the program focus is to provide a
dynamic learning experience for actors and audiences that fosters open and
honest dialogue about issues of race and ethnicity. [Contact: Dr. Jennifer
B. Wilson, Executive Director for Human Resources, (608) 785-8013]
Uniting Neighbors in Truth and Equality (UNITE) in Huntington, WV,
promotes unity and racial reconciliation in the community. The
organization consists of community activists from faith, youth, and civic
groups, as well as representatives from State and local government,
educational institutions, and businesses. [Contacts: Sally Lind,
Co-Coordinator, (304) 696-5592, and Michael Thomas, Co-Coordinator,
(304) 696-4461]
UNITY in Edison, NJ, is a school club that meets to discuss issues dealing
with race relations. UNITY is run by a group of 30 to 35 trained student
leaders and offers weekly workshops for students during study hall
periods. The program encourages students to discuss bias-related issues
openly with each other, break down stereotypes, and create an open and
harmonious school atmosphere. [Contact: Elaine J. Koplow, Advisor,
(732) 549-5543]
Unity in the Community in Manassas, VA, sponsors programs to educate
the public about racial and religious tolerance. With a membership
consisting of community groups, religious leaders, families, and
individuals, the program works with the school system and law
enforcement officials to elevate the public's consciousness. [Contact:
Deborah Bass Rubenstein, Chair, (703) 791-3404]
UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc., in Arlington, VA, is a strategic alliance
of journalists of color acting as a force for positive change to advance their
presence, growth, and leadership in the fast-changing global news
industry. This alliance includes the National Association of Black
Journalists, the Native American Journalists Association, the
Asian-American Journalists Association, and the National Association of
Hispanic Journalists. [Contact: Walt Swanston, Executive Director, (703)
841-9099]
Unity Week: Seven Days of Harmony in Tulsa, OK, was sponsored in
1995 over a 1-week period and featured events that raised the racial
consciousness of the city. A steering committee was formed to oversee the
week's activities. Each day a different sector of the community (media,
government, education, etc.) took the lead in organizing specific public
forums. [Contact: Sister Sylvia Schmidt, Executive Director,
(918) 582-3147]
The University of Kansas Medical Center: A Comprehensive Diversity
Initiative in Kansas City, KS, is an interactive approach to addressing
individual prejudices, while moving toward changing systems and
practices. The initiative addresses diversity issues from personal,
professional, and organizational perspectives. [Contact: Alisa Lange,
Diversity Coordinator, ( 913) 588-5080]
The University of Maryland's Diversity at UMCP: Moving Toward
Community Program in College Park, MD, promotes coordination,
visibility, and institutional support for diversity programs throughout the
campus community. The goal of the initiative is to make diversity a more
pervasive part of the campus community by coordinating activities into a
single, united effort. [Contact: Gloria J. Bouis, Associate Director, Office
of Human Relations Programs, (301) 405-2842]
The University of Michigan's Program on Intergroup Relations, Conflict,
and Community (IGRCC) in Ann Arbor, MI, improves students'
understanding and respect for diversity while increasing their ability to
respond to intergroup conflicts. Founded in 1988 during a period of
heightened racial and ethnic tensions on campus, IGRCC promotes
constructive cross-racial and cross-cultural interactions among the
university's diverse students. [Contact: David Schoem, Assistant Dean for
Undergraduate Education, (313) 763-7139]
Up With People in Broomfield, CO, fosters leadership, global awareness,
and commitment to service among young people. The program teaches
young people to become active leaders and contributors in their countries,
communities, companies, and families. It also builds understanding among
people from different countries through an educational program that
provides students with a unique global learning experience. [Contact:
Carol Bowar, Assistant Director of Education and Community Service
Programs, (303) 460-7100]
The Urban Coalition, Community Information Clearinghouse in St. Paul,
MN, provides people with data and research about their communities,
including census analysis and information on housing and immigration
issues. In the past 6 years, the clearinghouse has provided information to
more than 300 organizations throughout Minnesota. [Contacts: Yusef
Mgeni, President, or Susan Zoff, Communications Officer, (612)
348-8550]
US & THEM: The Challenge of Diversity in Detroit, MI, promotes
understanding and reconciliation among diverse groups through education
about the psychological dynamics common to prejudice and intergroup
conflict. The program provides resources on leadership skills for
psychologists, teachers, and other professionals. [Contacts: Dr. Steve
Fabick, Project Coordinator, (248) 258-9288, or Anne Anderson,
Coordinator, Psychologists for Social Responsibility, (202) 745-7084]
The VA Minority Forum, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in
Washington, DC, began in 1993 when representatives of VA offices and
volunteer groups, such as the Asian Pacific American Heritage Council,
Blacks in Government, Black History Month, VA Hispanic Association,
VA Native American Committee, VA's National Committee on the
Employment of Disabled Veterans and People With Disabilities, and the
Federal Women's Program came together. The forum provides an
opportunity for employees to share work-related issues and concerns and
work together to identify and implement solutions. The forum inspired
development of the One-VA Employee One-Stop Web site,
www.va.gov/1vaemployee/, which is a constant source of
employment-related information and represents a collaboration of
diversity leaders within and outside VA. [Contact: Michael A. Moore,
Chair, (202) 273-5083]
Voices United, formerly Peace Child Miami, was created in 1989 to give
the young people in Miami, FL, a voice. Voices United, a non-profit
organization, empowers young people to cultivate solutions to community
problems and to promote intercultural appreciation and understanding.
Voices United also creates a forum in which young people can share their
visions and concerns and use conflict-resolution principles in their lives.
[Contact: Katie Christie, Director, (305) 274-1851]
The Walk In My Shoes Student Symposium in Santa Ana, CA, teaches
young people how to talk about the issue of race and build understanding
and tolerance. The symposium consists of student panelists, workshops,
and motivational speakers that build inter-ethnic understanding in school
settings. [Contact: Rusty Kennedy, Executive Director, (714) 567-7470]
Washington Interns for Native Students in Washington, DC, was founded
in 1993 to provide an opportunity for Native American students to learn
skills and gain practical experiences that will benefit them in their
personal, educational, and career development. Implemented through
American University, this program offers work experience along with a
six-credit course taught at American University. [Contact: Dr. Cary
Ballou, Director, (202) 885-2033]
We the People @ IBM in North Tarrytown, NY, has long regarded
diversity in the workplace as an important element in a changing business
environment. In addition to promoting and sponsoring educational
programs, which contribute to diversity and minority opportunity, IBM
recognizes the buying power of its diverse constituencies and seeks to
strengthen and benefit from corporate diversity. To address the complex
issues associated with diversity in the workplace and marketplace, IBM
relies on its diverse, successful employees to advise the company on
perceived barriers to advancement and provide their views of how to best
serve their respective constituencies. These programs, along with 26
worldwide diversity councils within the IBM structure, first established in
1992, help all employees realize their potential and contribute
substantially to corporate success. [Contact: J.T. Childs, Jr., Vice
President, Global Workforce Diversity, International Business Machines,
(904) 332-2280]
The We're All on The Same Team Cultural Diversity Education Program
in Phoenix, AZ, was created in 1997 to promote the value of cultural
diversity and to create opportunities for positive exchange among diverse
groups of people. This program was formed by the Phoenix Commission
on Human Relations to work with the city's growing diversity and
encourage residents to come together as one team. [Contact:
Dee Hansberry, Staff Liaison, (602) 261-8938]
The Wind River Initiative (WRI) in Laramie, WY, was created in 1994 to
establish a formal link between the University of Wyoming and the Wind
River Indian Reservation. Composed of representatives from various
programs and departments within the university, the initiative coordinates
all university activities and services that are provided to the residents of
the Wind River Indian Reservation. [Contact: Judith Antell, Chairperson,
(307) 766-6521]
The World Communities of Louisville, Inc. in Louisville, KY, began in
1992 as an effort to gain information for city government about the needs
of immigrants and refugees in the Louisville area. World Communities
meets monthly to discuss issues and concerns and publishes a monthly
newsletter that is sent to more than 200 groups and individuals in
Louisville. The newsletter includes a calendar of events for different
ethnic organizations, program features, and a different immigrant success
story in each issue. [Contact: Dr. Dale Tucker, Director of Human
Services, (502) 574-3069]
The Young Heroes Program was created in Boston. MA, in 1995 to unite
sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students from all racial and
socioeconomic backgrounds to perform community service. The program,
affiliated with City Year, is located in several sites around the country,
including Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Columbia SC;
Columbus, OH; Philadelphia, PA; Providence, RI; San Antonio, TX; and
Santa Clara County, CA. [Contact: Nicole Sanchez, National Director,
(617) 927-2397]
YouthBuild U.S.A. in Somerville, MA, encourages young adults to take
part in community service projects in their neighborhoods. With 108
chapters nationwide, the program offers job training, education courses,
and leadership development opportunities to unemployed and
out-of-school young adults age 16 to 24 over a 12-month period. Central
to the program's operation is that young people help to construct and
rehabilitate affordable housing in their own communities. [Contact:
Dorothy Stoneman, President, (617) 623-9900]
The Youth Together Project was created in October 1996 in response to
rising racial conflicts in California's San Francisco Bay Area schools. The
project is a consortium of multi-racial agencies: ARC Associates, East Bay
Asian Youth Center, International Institute, West Oakland Health Council,
and Xicana Moratorium Coalition. These groups believe that in order to
achieve long-term resolutions to racial conflicts in the schools, the
students must be involved in creating the solutions. [Contact: Margaretta
Lin, Project Director, (510) 834-9455]
-------------------------------
Appendix H2: Index of Promising Practices by Sector
Arts, Multimedia, and Sports
Artists Collective, Inc.--Hartford--CT
Children's Express--Washington--DC
City at Peace--Washington--DC
City at Peace-Charlotte--Charlotte--NC
Color Me Human--Hixson--TN
Community Enhancement Program--Flint--MI
Diversity/Harmony Mural Project--Van Nuys--CA
DreamYard Drama Project--New York--NY
DuPage Media and Community Network--Wheaton--IL
Flames Neighborhood Youth Association--Brooklyn--NY
Gallery 37--Chicago--IL
Great Leap, Inc.--Santa Monica--CA
Hands Across Cultures Corporation--Espa¤ola--NM
It's US: A Celebration of Who We Are in America Today--New York--NY
Joplin Globe Diversity Committee--Joplin--MO
Kentucky Commission on Human Rights--Louisville--KY
L.A. City Kidz--Los Angeles--CA
Mosaic Harmony--Oakton--VA
Multicultural Advisory Committee on the Media--Chicago--IL
Multicultural Music Group--Yonkers--NY
National Youth Sports Program--Overland Park--KS
News Watch Project--San Francisco--CA
Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multi-racial Families--Kingston--PA
Race, Relationships, and Reality--Villanova--PA
Radio Biling e, Inc.--Fresno--CA
Reaching Out--Oakland--CA
Saginaw Kids All-City Choir--Saginaw--MI
"Street Science With Dominique DiPrima"--Los Angeles--CA
Three Valleys Project (3VP)--Portland--OR
United We Learn Social Action Theater--La Crosse--WI
UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc.--Arlington--VA
Urban Coalition, Community Information Clearinghouse--St. Paul--MN
Voices United--Miami--FL
Business
Department of Defense Pilot Mentor-Protege Program--Washington--DC
Forum on Race--Seattle--WA
Memphis Race Relations and Diversity Institute--Memphis--TN
Business
Quest 21--Southfield--MI
Tools for Tolerance for Professionals--Los Angeles--CA
We The People @ IBM--North Tarrytown--NY
Wind River Initiative --Laramie--WY
Community and Economic Development
Arizona Opportunities Industrialization Center--Phoenix--AZ
Asian Neighborhood Design--San Francisco--CA
Chicanos Por La Causa--Phoenix--AZ
Cleveland Residential Housing and Mortgage Credit--Cleveland--OH
Diversity Initiative --Miami--FL
Glide Memorial United Methodist Church--San Francisco--CA
Hartford Areas Rally Together--Hartford--CT
La Casa de don Pedro, Inc.--Ridgewood--NJ
Mega Project Initiative--Washington--DC
Millennium Service Project/Global Volunteers--St. Paul--MN
Minority Training for Career Ladder in Child Care--Lawrence--MA
Multicultural Collaborative--Los Angeles--CA
Neighborhood Development Center--St. Paul--MN
New Majority Joint Venture Initiative--New York--NY
Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal --Oakland--CA
Phoenix Indian Center--Phoenix--AZ
Pro-Integrative Consultation--Philadelphia--PA
Start Up--East Palo Alto --CA
YouthBuild U.S.A.--Somerville--MA
Community Building
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Institute--New York--NY
Action for a Better Community--Denver--CO
African American, Latino, Asian, Native, and American--Brattleboro--VT
Appreciating Differences Among People and Things Project--St. Cloud--
MN
Belmont Against Racism--Belmont--MA
Bicultural Training Partnership--St. Paul--MN
Bridges Across Racial Polarization--St. Louis--MO
Brooklyn Unity Campaign--Brooklyn--NY
Building Just Communities: Reducing Disparities and Racial Segregation-
-St. Paul--MN
Can't We All Just Get Along?--Lima--OH
Casa Heiwa --Los Angeles--CA
Center for Living Democracy--Brattleboro--VT
Citizens Upholding Racial Equality--Fremont--OH
Community Building
Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth--Boston--MA
Coalition for Mutual Respect--New Rochelle--NY
Coming Together --Akron--OH
Common Destiny Alliance--College Park--MD
Common Ground--Hartford--CT
Community Action Project--Brooklyn--NY
Community Building Task Force--Charlotte--NC
Community Change, Inc.--Boston--MA
Community Connection, League of Women Voters--Harrisburg--PA
Community Cousins--Encinitas--CA
CommUNITY: Different People...Common Ground--Cincinnati--OH
Community Diversity Appreciation Teams--Des Moines--IA
CommUNITY Pride--Waverly--OH
CommUnity-St. Louis--St. Louis--MO
Contra Costa Interfaith Sponsoring Committee--Richmond--CA
Conversations on Race--South Bend--IN
Days of Dialogue--Los Angeles--CA
Diversity & Unlearning Prejudice--Los Angeles--CA
Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative--Roxbury--MA
Haitian Citizens Police Academy/Haitian Roving Patrol--Delray Beach--
FL
Healing Racism Institute--Little Rock--AR
Help Increase the Peace --Kansas City--MO
Human Relations Council--Cary--IL
Human Relations in New Orleans: A Day of Healing--New Orleans--LA
Illinois Ethnic Coalition--Chicago--IL
Interfaith Action--Rochester--NY
Interfaith Action for Racial Justice, Inc.--Baltimore--MD
Interior Alaska Center for the Healing of Racism--Fairbanks--AK
Interracial Sisterhood Project--Hayward--CA
Irish Immigration Center--Boston--MA
Just Solutions Community Mediation Service--Louisville--KY
Kansas City Church Community Organization--Kansas City--MO
Latino-Jewish Leadership Series--Los Angeles--CA
Leader Support Groups--St. Louis--MO
Lee County Pulling Together--Fort Myers--FL
Many Faces of Lynn: City of Immigrants--Salem--MA
Metropolitan Human Rights Center--Portland--OR
Moore's Ford Memorial Committee--Bishop--GA
Multicultural Center of Northwest Arkansas--Springdale--AR
Multicultural Task Force--St. Cloud--MN
Community Building
Multicultural Youth Project--Chicago--IL
National Center for Black-Jewish Relations--New Orleans--LA
National Coalition Building Institute --Washington--DC
National Conference--New York--NY
National Conversation on Race, Ethnicity and Culture--Hartford--CT
National Italian American Foundation Inter-Ethnic Affairs Institute--
Washington--DC
National Multicultural Institute--Washington--DC
People and Congregations Together--Stockton--CA
Project Change--San Francisco--CA
Project Respect--White Bear Lake --MN
Public Allies--Washington--DC
Race Relations Dialogue Month--Bridgewater--NJ
Racism Awareness Program --Akron--PA
Scarritt-Bennett Center--Nashville--TN
Seeking Common Ground--Denver--CO
"Shades of L.A."--Pasadena--CA
Shared Mission Focus on Young People--Dayton--OH
Southern Indiana Study Circles on Race Relations--Jeffersonville--IN
Springfield Vietnamese-American Civil Association--Springfield--MA
St. Paul's Multiethnic Center--Woodside--NY
Study Circles Resource Center--Pomfret--CT
The Club--Kosciusko--MS
Tribes Learning Community--Sausalito--CA
Two Towns: One Community--Maplewood--NJ
Uniting Neighbors in Truth and Equality --Huntington--WV
Unity in the Community--Manassas--VA
Unity Week: Seven Days of Harmony--Tulsa--OK
We're All on the Same Team Cultural Diversity Program--Phoenix--AZ
World Communities of Louisville, Inc.--Louisville--KY
Young Heroes Program--Boston--MA
Education
African American Economic Experience--Baton Rouge--LA
American Indian Science Technology Education Consortium--Las Vegas--
NM
Amistad Research Center--New Orleans--LA
Buffalo State College Equity and Campus Diversity Mini-Grant--Buffalo--
NY
Campus Climate Plan--San Jose--CA
Center for Educational Equity--Oakland--CA
Center for Prejudice Reduction--Great Neck--NY
Education
Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence--Santa Cruz--
CA
Central and South Florida Higher Education Diversity Coalition--Miami--
FL
Choose One--Lakewood--CO
Common Ground--New Orleans--LA
Cultural Diversity in Education, Parkland College--Champaign--IL
Cultural Diversity Reading --Columbus--OH
Diversity Roundtables--Pittsburgh--PA
E Pluribus Unum: Multicultural Institute for Teachers--Downey--CA
Education Alliance for Equity and Excellence in the Nation's Schools --
Providence--RI
Faculty Development Institute on Curriculum Infusion--Baltimore--MD
Fulfillment Fund--Los Angeles--CA
H.D. Woodson Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund--Washington--DC
Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Multicultural Center--Cocoa--FL
Hoop of Learning Partnership--Phoenix--AZ
Human Efforts at Relating Together --Los Angeles--CA
I Have A Dream--Washington--DC
Imagine South Carolina--Charleston--SC
Indian Education Office-Minnesota Department of Children,
Families and Learning --St. Paul--MN
-ISM (N.) National Diversity Project--Durham--NC
Leadership Development in Interethnic Relations--Los Angeles--CA
Leadership for Equity, Antiracism, Diversity, and Educational Reform--
Downey--CA
Loyola Marymount University CommUNITY Quilt--Los Angeles--CA
Mickey Leland Kibbutzim Internship Foundation--Houston--TX
Middle School Institute for the Study of World Peace--Northridge--CA
Minnesota Independent School Forum Diversity Project--St. Paul--MN
Minority Pathways to the Health Professions--Fort Worth--TX
Minority Round Table--Virginia Beach--VA
Mosaic Initiative--West Hartford--CT
MultiCultural Resource Center--Portland--OR
National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education--
Norman--OK
Not in Our Town Campaign--Oakland--CA
Partners in Peer Mediation--Houston--TX
Pathways to Teaching Careers Program--New York--NY
Peace Games--Somerville--MA
People Respecting Other Peoples--San Francisco--CA
Prejudice Awareness Summit--Washington--DC
Prejudice Across America College Tour--Spokane--WA
Project Common Ground--Stillwater--MN
Education
Putting Race Unity into Practice--Evanston--IL
Reading on Wheels--Monticello--AR
Samuel S. Fels Cluster--Philadelphia--PA
Santos Rodriguez Project--Seattle--WA
St. HOPE Academy--Sacramento--CA
Students Talk About Race--Los Angeles--CA
Summer Of Unity and Liberation --Berkeley--CA
Teaching for a Bias-Free World--Edison--NJ
UNITY--Edison--NJ
University of Maryland's Diversity at UMCP: Moving Toward
Community Program--College Park--MD
University of Michigan's Program on Intergroup Relations,
Conflict, and Community--Ann Arbor--MI
Up With People--Broomfield--CO
US & THEM: The Challenge of Diversity--Birmingham--MI
Washington Interns for Native Students--Washington--DC
Government
Beaver Race Initiative Development Group Effort --Beaver Falls--PA
Black History Tours--Miami--FL
Bridging the Gap --Atlanta--GA
Citizens Project--Colorado Springs--CO
Community-Based Fire Protection --Los Angeles--CA
Democracy Resource Center--Lexington--KY
Leon County's Quality/Diversity Initiative--Tallahassee--FL
Lt. Governor's Committee on Diversity--Des Moines--IA
Montana Human Rights Network--Helena--MT
Native American Intertribal Council--Orlando--FL
Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment--Seattle--WA
Oktibbeha County Race Relations Team--Starkville--MS
South Carolina Links--Columbia--SC
Underground Railroad Education and Preservation Initiative--Washington-
-DC
VA Minority Forum, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs--Washington--
DC
Health and Human Services
Asian Counseling & Referral Service--Seattle--WA
Conference on Racism: Yours, Mine, and Ours--Pennsauken--NJ
Culturally Competent Health & Human Services--St. Paul--MN
Delhi Community Center--Santa Ana--CA
Health and Human Services
Food Project--Lincoln--MA
Green Circle Program--Philadelphia--PA
Grow Your Own--Ashland--OH
Indians Into Medicine--Grand Forks--ND
Marathon County Diversity Management Education --Wausau--WI
Maricopa Integrated Health System --Phoenix--AZ
Multicultural Services Program-Catholic Social Services--Atlanta--GA
Native American Student Services, Phoenix College--Phoenix--AZ
Plan to Foster Minority Representation and Participation in
Physical Therapy--Alexandria--VA
Public Conversation Project--Watertown--MA
University of Kansas Medical Center: A Comprehensive
Diversity Initiative--Kansas City--KS
National Resources
American Institute of Managing Diversity--Atlanta--GA
Anytown--New York--NY
City Year--Boston--MA
Community Outreach--Washington--DC
Cultural Diversity Fieldbook Network Project--Amherst--MA
Institute for the Study of Academic Racism--Big Rapids--MI
Leadership Conference Education Fund --Washington--DC
Race Relations Institute--Nashville--TN
"Skin Deep"--Berkeley--CA
United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc.--Oklahoma City--OK
Religious
Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition--Atlanta--GA
Building an Intercultural Congregation--Louisville--KY
Community in Contact--Bridgeport--CT
Congress of National Black Churches--Washington--DC
Diocesan Multicultural Network--Dallas--TX
FAITHS Initiative--San Francisco--CA
First Gethsemane/Crescent Hill Reconciliation Project--Louisville--KY
Greater Boston Catholic Charities--Somerville--MA
Higher Ground--Boston--MA
Hope in the Cities--Richmond--VA
Human Relations Foundation of Chicago--Chicago--IL
Religious
Interfaith Bridge Builders Coalition--New Hartford--NY
Milestone Adventures--Barre--VT
Minnesota Churches Anti-Racism Initiative--Minneapolis--MN
Mission Mississippi--Jackson--MS
National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice--Washington--DC
National Migration Week--Washington--DC
Rebuilding Community Campaign--Denver--CO
Reconcilers Fellowship--Philadelphia--PA
San Francisco Organizing Project--San Francisco--CA
Task Force on Racism--Chicago--IL
Youth
A Better Chance--Boston--MA
Al Wooten, Jr., Heritage Center--Los Angeles--CA
Alternatives in Medicine: HIGH School Exposure--Dallas--TX
ASPIRA--Washington--DC
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Diversity Initiatives--Philadelphia--
PA
Black & White Boston Coming Together, Inc.--Boston--MA
Black/Jewish Forum of Baltimore--Baltimore--MD
BRIDGES: A School Inter Ethnic Relations Program--Santa Ana--CA
Camp Friendship--Memphis--TN
Career Beginnings--Boston--MA
Children of the Dream--Los Angeles--CA
Children's Outreach Center--East Palo Alto--CA
Coral Springs Multicultural Advisory Committee--Coral Springs--FL
Cradleboard Teaching Project--Kapaa--HI
Cultural Sensitivity: Orientation for the New Juvenile
Justice Professional--Harrisburg--PA
DIALOGO: An Education Program to Improve Human Relations--
Raleigh--NC
Dialogue: Racism--Houston--TX
Discovery: A Leadership Program for Girls and Women--New York--NY
Double Discovery Center--New York--NY
ERACE--New Orleans--LA
Exemplary Multicultural Practices in Rural Education --Toppenish--WA
Facing History and Ourselves--Brookline--MA
Global Kids--New York--NY
Greater Philadelphia High School Partnership: Students United
in Service--Philadelphia--PA
Inner Strength--Atlanta--GA
Youth
Kids' World, The Children's International Festival--Tulsa--OK
Men Against Destruction-Defending Against Drugs and
Social Disorder--Omaha--NE
M.O.S.A.I.C. Leadership Class--Sunnyvale--CA
National Youth Leadership Mission to the U.S. Holocaust
Memorial Museum--Chicago--IL
Native American Day--Fallon--NV
Network to Freedom Interpretive Studies --Goldsboro--NC
North Carolina Students Teach and Reach --Raleigh--NC
Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society--
Boston--MA
Operation Understanding DC--Washington--DC
OpNet: The Multimedia Opportunities Program--San Francisco--CA
Palms Council Project--Los Angeles--CA
Power Represented by Individuals who value Diversity
and Equality --Jenkintown--PA
Project Harmony--DeLand--FL
Publicolor--New York--NY
Resource Apprenticeship Program for Students--Anchorage--AK
Rio Hondo Project--Pasadena--CA
SHINE--Trenton--NJ
Sponsor-A-Scholar--Philadelphia--PA
Students Against Racism Organization--Kings Point--NY
Student Unity Task Force--Columbia--SC
Support Training Results in Valuable Employment --New York--NY
Task Force on Police and Urban Youth--Boston--MA
Teaching Tolerance Project--Montgomery--AL
Team Harmony--Boston--MA
Teen Opportunity Program (TOP)--New York --NY
Walk in My Shoes Student Symposium--Santa Ana--CA
Youth Together Project--Oakland--CA
-------------------------------
Appendix H3: Index of Promising Practices by Region
Midwest
Appreciating Differences Among People and Things Project--St. Cloud--
MN
American Indian Science Technology Education Consortium--Las Vegas--
NM
Bicultural Training Partnership--St. Paul--MN
Bridges Across Racial Polarization--St. Louis--MO
Building Just Communities: Reducing Disparities and Racial Segregation-
-St. Paul--MN
Can't We All Just Get Along?--Lima--OH
Citizens Upholding Racial Equality --Fremont--OH
Cleveland Residential Housing and Mortgage Credit--Cleveland--OH
Coming Together --Akron--OH
Community Diversity Appreciation Teams--Des Moines--IA
Community Enhancement Program--Flint--MI
CommUNITY: Different People...Common Ground--Cincinnati--OH
CommUNITY Pride--Waverly--OH
CommUnity-St. Louis--St. Louis--MO
Conversations on Race--South Bend--IN
Cultural Diversity in Education--Champaign--IL
Cultural Diversity Reading --Columbus--OH
Culturally Competent Health & Human Services--St. Paul--MN
DuPage Media and Community Network--Wheaton--IL
Gallery 37--Chicago--IL
Grow Your Own--Ashland--OH
Help Increase the Peace--Kansas City--MO
Human Relations Council--Cary--IL
Human Relations Foundation of Chicago--Chicago--IL
Illinois Ethnic Coalition--Chicago--IL
Indian Education Office-Minnesota Department of Children,
Families and Learning --St. Paul--MN
Indians Into Medicine--Grand Forks--ND
Institute for the Study of Academic Racism--Big Rapids--MI
Joplin Globe Diversity Committee--Joplin--MO
Kansas City Church Community Organization--Kansas City--MO
Kids' World, The Children's International Festival--Tulsa--OK
Leader Support Groups--St. Louis--MO
Lt. Governor's Committee on Diversity--Des Moines--IA
Marathon County Diversity Management Education --Wausau--WI
Men Against Destruction-Defending Against Drugs and
Social Disorder --Omaha--NE
Midwest
Millennium Service Project/Global Volunteers--St. Paul--MN
Minnesota Churches Anti-Racism Initiative--Minneapolis--MN
Minnesota Independent School Forum Diversity Project--St. Paul--MN
Multicultural Advisory Committee on the Media--Chicago--IL
Multicultural Task Force--St. Cloud--MN
Multicultural Youth Project--Chicago--IL
National Youth Leadership Mission to the U.S. Holocaust
Memorial Museum--Chicago--IL
National Youth Sports Program--Overland Park--KS
Neighborhood Development Center--St. Paul--MN
Project Common Ground--Stillwater--MN
Project Respect--White Bear Lake--MN
Putting Race Unity into Practice--Evanston--IL
Quest 21--Southfield--MI
Saginaw Kids All-City Choir--Saginaw--MI
Shared Mission Focus on Young People--Dayton--OH
Southern Indiana Study Circles on Race Relations--Jeffersonville--IN
Task Force on Racism--Chicago--IL
United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. --Oklahoma City--OK
United We Learn Social Action Theater--La Crosse--WI
Unity Week: Seven Days of Harmony--Tulsa--OK
University of Kansas Medical Center: A Comprehensive
Diversity Initiative--Kansas City--KS
University of Michigan's Program on Intergroup Relations,
Conflict, and Community--Ann Arbor --MI
Urban Coalition, Community Information Clearinghouse--St. Paul--MN
US & THEM: The Challenge of Diversity--Birmingham--MI
Northeast
A Better Chance--Boston--MA
A World of Difference Institute--New York--NY
African American, Latino, Asian, Native, and American--Brattleboro--VT
Anytown--New York--NY
Artists Collective, Inc.--Hartford--CT
Beaver Race Initiative Development Group Effort--Beaver Falls--PA
Belmont Against Racism--Belmont--MA
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Diversity Initiatives--Philadelphia--
PA
Black & White Boston Coming Together, Inc.--Boston--MA
Brooklyn Unity Campaign--Brooklyn--NY
Northeast
Buffalo State College Equity and Campus Diversity Mini-Grant --Buffalo-
-NY
Career Beginnings--Boston--MA
Center for Living Democracy--Brattleboro--VT
Center for Prejudice Reduction--Great Neck--NY
City Year--Boston--MA
Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth--Boston--MA
Coalition for Mutual Respect--New Rochelle--NY
Common Ground--Hartford--CT
Community Action Project--Brooklyn--NY
Community Change, Inc.--Boston--MA
Community Connection, League of Women Voters--Harrisburg--PA
Community in Contact--Bridgeport--CT
Conference on Racism: Yours, Mine, and Ours--Pennsauken--NJ
Cultural Diversity Fieldbook Network Project--Amherst--MA
Cultural Sensitivity: Orientation for the New Juvenile Justice
Professional--Harrisburg--PA
Discovery: A Leadership Program for Girls and Women--New York--NY
Diversity Roundtables--Pittsburgh--PA
Double Discovery Center--New York--NY
DreamYard Drama Project--New York --NY
Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative--Roxbury--MA
Education Alliance for Equity and Excellence in the Nation's Schools--
Providence--RI
Facing History and Ourselves--Brookline--MA
Flames Neighborhood Youth Association--Brooklyn--NY
Food Project--Lincoln--MA
Global Kids--New York--NY
Greater Boston Catholic Charities--Somerville--MA
Greater Philadelphia High School Partnership: Students United
in Service--Philadelphia--PA
Green Circle Program--Philadelphia--PA
Hartford Areas Rally Together--Hartford--CT
Higher Ground--Boston--MA
Interfaith Action--Rochester--NY
Interfaith Bridge Builders Coalition--New Hartford--NY
Irish Immigration Center--Boston--MA
It's US: A Celebration of Who We Are in America Today--New York--NY
La Casa de don Pedro, Inc.--Ridgewood--NJ
Many Faces of Lynn: City of Immigrants--Salem--MA
Milestone Adventures--Barre--VT
Northeast
Minority Training for Career Ladder in Child Care--Lawrence--MA
Mosaic Initiative--West Hartford--CT
Multicultural Music Group--Yonkers--NY
National Conference--New York--NY
National Conversation on Race, Ethnicity and Culture Program--Hartford-
-CT
New Majority Joint Venture Initiative--New York--NY
Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society--
Boston--MA
Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multi-racial Families--Kingston--PA
Pathways to Teaching Careers Program--New York--NY
Peace Games--Somerville--MA
Power Represented by Individuals Who Value Diversity and Equality--
Jenkintown--PA
Pro-Integrative Consultation--Philadelphia--PA
Public Conversation Project--Watertown--MA
Publicolor--New York--NY
Race, Relationships, and Reality--Villanova--PA
Race Relations Dialogue Month--Bridgewater--NJ
Racism Awareness Program (RAP)--Akron--PA
Reconcilers Fellowship--Philadelphia--PA
Samuel S. Fels Cluster--Philadelphia--PA
SHINE--Trenton--NJ
Sponsor-A-Scholar--Philadelphia--PA
Springfield Vietnamese-American Civil Association--Springfield--MA
St. Paul's Multiethnic Center--Woodside--NY
Students Against Racism Organization--Kings Point--NY
Study Circles Resource Center--Pomfret--CT
Support Training Results in Valuable Employment --New York--NY
Task Force on Police and Urban Youth--Boston--MA
Teaching for a Bias-Free World--Edison--NJ
Team Harmony--Boston--MA
Teen Opportunity Program (TOP)--New York City--NY
Two Towns: One Community--Maplewood--NJ
Uniting Neighbors in Truth and Equality --Huntington--WV
UNITY--Edison--NJ
We The People @ IBM--North Tarrytown--NY
Young Heroes Program--Boston--MA
YouthBuild U.S.A.--Somerville--MA
South
African American Economic Experience--Baton Rouge--LA
Alternatives in Medicine: HIGH School Exposure Program--Dallas--TX
American Institute for Managing Diversity--Atlanta--GA
Amistad Research Center--New Orleans--LA
ASPIRA--Washington--DC
Black/Jewish Forum of Baltimore--Baltimore--MD
Black History Tours--Miami--FL
Bridging the Gap --Atlanta--GA
Building an Intercultural Congregation--Louisville--KY
Camp Friendship--Memphis--TN
Central and South Florida Higher Education Diversity Coalition--Miami--
FL
Children's Express--Washington--DC
City at Peace--Washington--DC
City at Peace-Charlotte--Charlotte--NC
Color Me Human--Hixson--TN
Common Destiny Alliance--College Park--MD
Common Ground--New Orleans--LA
Community Building Task Force--Charlotte--NC
Community Outreach--Washington--DC
Congress of National Black Churches--Washington--DC
Coral Springs Multicultural Advisory Committee--Coral Springs--FL
Democracy Resource Center--Lexington--KY
Department of Defense Pilot Mentor-Protege Program--Washington--DC
DIALOGO: An Education Program to Improve Human Relations--
Raleigh--NC
Dialogue: Racism--Houston--TX
Diocesan Multicultural Network--Dallas--TX
Diversity Initiative --Miami--FL
ERACE--New Orleans--LA
Faculty Development Institute on Curriculum Infusion--Baltimore--MD
First Gethsemane/Crescent Hill Reconciliation Project--Louisville--KY
Haitian Citizens Police Academy/Haitian Roving Patrol--Delray Beach--
FL
H.D. Woodson Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund--Washington--DC
Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Multicultural Center--Cocoa--FL
Healing Racism Institute--Little Rock--AR
Hope in the Cities--Richmond--VA
Human Relations in New Orleans: A Day of Healing--New Orleans--LA
I Have A Dream--Washington--DC
Imagine South Carolina--Charleston--SC
Inner Strength--Atlanta--GA
South
Interfaith Action for Racial Justice, Inc.--Baltimore--MD
-ISM (N.) National Diversity Project--Durham--NC
Just Solutions Community Mediation Service--Louisville--KY
Kentucky Commission on Human Rights--Louisville--KY
Leadership Conference Education Fund --Washington--DC
Lee County Pulling Together--Fort Myers--FL
Leon County's Quality/Diversity Initiative--Tallahassee--FL
Mega Project Initiative--Washington--DC
Memphis Race Relations and Diversity Institute--Memphis--TN
Mickey Leland Kibbutzim Internship Foundation--Houston--TX
Minority Round Table--Virginia Beach--VA
Minority Pathways to the Health Professions--Fort Worth--TX
Mission Mississippi--Jackson--MS
Moore's Ford Memorial Committee--Bishop--GA
Mosaic Harmony--Oakton--VA
Multicultural Center of Northwest Arkansas--Springdale--AR
Multicultural Services Program-Catholic Social Services--Atlanta--GA
National Catholic Conferences for Interracial Justice--Washington--DC
National Center for Black-Jewish Relations--New Orleans--LA
National Coalition Building Institute --Washington--DC
National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in
American Higher Education--Norman--OK
National Italian American Foundation Inter-Ethnic Affairs Institute--
Washington--DC
National Migration Week--Washington--DC
National Multicultural Institute--Washington--DC
Native American Intertribal Council--Orlando--FL
Network to Freedom Interpretive Studies --Goldsboro--NC
North Carolina Students Teach and Reach --Raleigh--NC
Oktibbeha County Race Relations Team--Starkville--MS
Operation Understanding DC--Washington--DC
Partners In Peer Mediation--Houston--TX
Plan to Foster Minority Representation and Participation
in Physical Therapy--Alexandria--VA
Prejudice Awareness Summit--Washington--DC
Project Harmony--DeLand--FL
Public Allies--Washington--DC
Race Relations Institute--Nashville--TN
Reading on Wheels--Monticello--AR
Scarritt-Bennett Center--Nashville--TN
South Carolina Links--Columbia--SC
South
Student Unity Task Force--Columbia--SC
Teaching Tolerance Project--Montgomery--AL
The Club--Kosciusko--MS
Underground Railroad Education and Preservation Initiative--Washington-
-DC
UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc.--Arlington--VA
Unity in the Community--Manassas--VA
University of Maryland's Diversity at UMCP: Moving
Toward Community Program--College Park--MD
VA Minority Forum, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs--Washington--
DC
Voices United--Miami--FL
Washington Interns for Native Students--Washington--DC
World Communities of Louisville, Inc.--Louisville--KY
West
Action for a Better Community--Denver--CO
Al Wooten, Jr., Heritage Center--Los Angeles--CA
Arizona Opportunities Industrialization Center--Phoenix--AZ
Asian Counseling & Referral Service--Seattle--WA
Asian Neighborhood Design--San Francisco--CA
Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition--Atlanta--GA
BRIDGES: A School Inter Ethnic Relations Program--Santa Ana--CA
Campus Climate Plan--San Jose--CA
Casa Heiwa --Los Angeles--CA
Center for Educational Equity--Oakland--CA
Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence--Santa Cruz--
CA
Children of the Dream--Los Angeles--CA
Children's Outreach Center--East Palo Alto--CA
Chicanos Por La Causa--Phoenix--AZ
Choose One--Lakewood--CO
Citizens Project--Colorado Springs--CO
Community-Based Fire Protection --Los Angeles--CA
Community Cousins--Encinitas--CA
Contra Costa Interfaith Sponsoring Committee--Richmond--CA
Cradleboard Teaching Project--Kapaa--HI
Days of Dialogue--Los Angeles--CA
Delhi Community Center--Santa Ana--CA
Diversity/Harmony Mural Project--Van Nuys--CA
Diversity & Unlearning Prejudice--Los Angeles--CA
E Pluribus Unum: Multicultural Institute for Teachers--Downey--CA
Exemplary Multicultural Practices in Rural Education --Toppenish--WA
West
FAITHS Initiative--San Francisco--CA
Forum on Race--Seattle--WA
Fulfillment Fund--Los Angeles--CA
Glide Memorial United Methodist Church--San Francisco--CA
Great Leap, Inc.--Santa Monica--CA
Hands Across Cultures Corporation--Espa¤ola--NM
Hoop of Learning Partnership--Phoenix--AZ
Human Efforts at Relating Together --Los Angeles--CA
Interior Alaska Center for the Healing of Racism--Fairbanks--AK
Interracial Sisterhood Project--Hayward--CA
L.A. City Kidz--Los Angeles--CA
Latino-Jewish Leadership Series--Los Angeles--CA
Leadership Development in Interethnic Relations --Los Angeles--CA
Leadership for Equity, Antiracism, Diversity, and
Educational Reform--Downey--CA
Loyola Marymount University CommUNITY Quilt--Los Angeles--CA
Maricopa Integrated Health System--Phoenix--AZ
Metropolitan Human Rights Center--Portland--OR
Middle School Institute for the Study of World Peace--Northridge--CA
Montana Human Rights Network--Helena--MT
M.O.S.A.I.C. Leadership Class--Sunnyvale--CA
Multicultural Collaborative--Los Angeles--CA
MultiCultural Resource Center--Portland--OR
Native American Day--Fallon--NV
Native American Student Services, Phoenix College--Phoenix--AZ
News Watch Project--San Francisco--CA
Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment--Seattle--WA
Not in Our Town Campaign--Oakland--CA
Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal --Oakland--CA
OpNet: The Multimedia Opportunities Program--San Francisco--CA
Palms Council Project--Los Angeles--CA
People and Congregations Together --Stockton--CA
People Respecting Other Peoples--San Francisco--CA
Phoenix Indian Center--Phoenix--AZ
Prejudice Across America College Tour--Spokane--WA
Project Change--San Francisco--CA
Radio Biling e, Inc.--Fresno--CA
Reaching Out--Oakland--CA
Rebuilding Community Campaign--Denver--CO
West
Resource Apprenticeship Program for Students--Anchorage--AK
Rio Hondo Project--Pasadena--CA
San Francisco Organizing Project--San Francisco--CA
Santos Rodriguez Project--Seattle--WA
Seeking Common Ground--Denver--CO
"Shades of L.A."--Pasadena--CA
"Skin Deep"--Berkeley--CA
Start Up--East Palo Alto--CA
St. HOPE Academy--Sacramento--CA
"Street Science With Dominique DiPrima"--Los Angeles--CA
Students Talk About Race--Los Angeles--CA
Summer Of Unity and Liberation --Berkeley--CA
Three Valleys Project (3VP)--Portland--OR
Tools for Tolerance for Professionals--Los Angeles--CA
Tribes Learning Community--Sausalito--CA
Up With People--Broomfield--CO
Walk in My Shoes Student Symposium--Santa Ana--CA
We're All on the Same Team Cultural Diversity Program--Phoenix--AZ
Wind River Initiative --Laramie--WY
Youth Together Project--Oakland--CA
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