We've talked before about racial dynamics in the planning and organizing stages as well as in dialogues and facilitation. To round off the posts, we'll give you examples of racial dynamics to watch out for when working on action:
Scenario 1: White people are often recruited to lead action groups. While people of color may be invited to participate, they are more “for show.” Old habits and behaviors continue, and whites stay in the lead.
Possible solution: Start with an intentional plan to create co-leaders/chairs that are racially/ethnically diverse. Make a special effort to reach out to different individuals, especially young people who could build their leadership skills working alongside an older person. However, ensure that duties and responsibilities are matched to skills set. Don’t always make the younger person a note –taker. Offer training to help build the skills of your action group members.
Scenario 2: As people form new partnerships to address problems in the community, they hesitate to include people from different racial groups. People who are most affected by new policies are shut out. They have no voice in the policy making.
Possible solution: This is a particular concern. Sometimes we think we know the aspirations of those most affected by certain polices. It is especially critical for us to recruit individuals and groups who hold direct knowledge and life experience of those things we would like to change. We must recruit through a variety of ways, using multiple mediums. The key is to never stop recruiting. We seldom get the response we want with they initial invitation, but we should patiently persevere in our efforts to bring those voices in the mix and have those voices take the lead.
Scenario 3: Even though many new “actors” are speaking up and trying to make change, they are gradually closed out of the process, and things revert to “business as usual.”
Possible solution: Create a set of “working equity principles” that you actually use in meetings (before, during and after) that forces you to ask questions of how inclusive is our decision-making process; who is making the decisions most of the time; how can we create a more inclusive process that challenges our current way of working; how inclusive are our meeting places; our meeting times, etc.; you need to be constantly taking the temperature of how you model racial equity and inclusion.
Scenario 4: People with special talents are overlooked or not called upon to contribute because of racial stereotyping.
Possible solution: It’s always easier to stay with the familiar. We have to constantly be aware of our own biases. This is ongoing self-reflective work that we all need to be engaged in.
Everyday Democracy created a list of racial equity reflective questions which work groups can use as they develop their dialogue-to-change program from organizing, to facilitation, to action implementation. They are a beginning in the process of being constantly aware of the voices that are missing or under-utilized.
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