WHAT: An initiative designed to address issues surrounding race in our community, including filling in the significant gaps in our knowledge about racial backgrounds, histories, and cultures. One of the goals is to get past race as a barrier and rather to see it as an inevitable and positive aspect of humanity – and as an opportunity to enrich our understanding of, and involvement in our community.
HOW: The program will use informational videos and discussions about race in our country and community, including how today’s relationships between racial groups have developed out of our nation’s history. Experienced facilitators will lead participants through the discussions and activities, which will be held every two to three months throughout the program year. One aspect of the program, optional for participants, will involve partnering with a person of another race and agreeing to engage in some activity (mutually agreed to) monthly, something they would normally do, anyway (shopping, going for a walk, having coffee, etc.). The program would be coordinated and monitored by facilitators.
WHO: Those of us who have initiated this program are community people with a concern for issues involving race and the tensions surrounding it that continue to compromise our quality of life, especially for people of color, but ultimately for all of us. We are, in alphabetical order…
- Tracy Abler, Board President, United for Diversity
- Daisy Frazier, president of Ebony Vision
- Judy Goldsmith, community resident, educator, and long-time human rights advocate
- Margaret Jarek, newspaper columnist and American Indian
- Aracelli Oswald, 4H Youth Development Assistant, UW Fond du Lac Extension
- Scott Rodman, local attorney, Board Member, United for Diversity
- Laurice Snyder, Supervisor of Community Education Services for the Fond du Lac School District
- Ger Xiong, Business Development Specialist for ADVOCAP
WHEN and WHERE: The Humanity Project will launch on Wednesday, September 16, at 6:30 pm at the Stayer Center of Marian University, with an introductory video and discussion, which will include an outline for the year’s planned activities.
