(HELENE) COMING UP ON NEED TO KNOW....HER
VOICE IS A FAMILIAR ONE FOR PUBLIC RADIO LISTENERS,
BUT HER REQUEST MAY BE AN UNCOMFORTABLE ONE
FOR MANY.
DISTILL YOUR QUESTIONS, EXPERIENCES, HARDSHIPS,
AND DREAMS ABOUT RACE AND IDENTITY IN SIX-WORDS.
AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST MICHELE NORRIS ON
COMING FACE-TO-FACE WITH RACE IN AMERICA,
THAT’S JUST AHEAD.
ALSO ON THE SHOW, MICHELE NORRIS’S RACE
CARD PROJECT RECENTLY VISITED NAZARETH COLLEGE.
WE’LL HEAR HOW THE SCHOOL IS TAKING AN ACTIVE
APPROACH TO RACE RELATIONS AMONG STUDENTS
AND FACULTY.
IT’S ALL COMING UP RIGHT NOW ON NEED TO
KNOW.
(MUSIC)
(HELENE) RACE IN SIX WORDS: “CHECK ONE BELOW,
BLACK OR WHITE.”
“LATINA RAISED WHITE, UNACCEPTED BY ALL.”
“AFFIRMATIVE ACTION DOES NOT BENEFIT ME.”
THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF 6-WORD SUBMISSIONS TO THE RACE CARD PROJECT.
AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST AND FORMER HOST OF
N-P-R’S ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, MICHELE NORRIS,
FOUNDED THE PROJECT FIVE YEARS AGO.
THIS PAST DECEMBER, SHE ANNOUNCED HER PLANS
TO LEAVE NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO TO DEVOTE MORE
TIME TO EXPANDING THIS RAW LOOK AT AMERICA’S
VIEWS ON RACE.
NORRIS RECENTLY BROUGHT THE RACE CARD PROJECT
TO NAZARETH COLLEGE.
DURING HER VISIT SHE STOPPED BY THE W-X-X-I
STUDIOS AND SHARED MORE ABOUT OUR NATION’S
COMPLEX AND INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP WITH
RACE.
TAKE A LOOK...
(HELENE) SO MICHELE, IT ALL STARTED REALLY
5 YEARS AGO AND IT STARTED WITH THESE LITTLE
BLACK POSTCARDS ESSENTIALLY INTENDED TO START
A CONVERSATION AND WHAT’S INTERESTING IS
WE CAN FAST-FORWARD TO THIS PAST DECEMBER
AND AFTER 13 YEARS WITH NPR YOU ANNOUNCED
YOUR DESIRE TO DEVOTE MORE TIME TO EXPAND
THE RACE CARD PROJECT.
SO I WANT TO KNOW HOW HAS THIS EFFORT TO GENERATE
MORE DIALOGUE ABOUT RACE AND CULTURAL IDENTITY
IN AMERICA SURPRISED YOU AS THE FOUNDER OF
THIS PROJECT?
(MICHELE) I’M SURPRISED EVERY DAY.
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING I’M SURPRISED, I’M
SURPRISED PEOPLE TOOK UP THE INVITATION TO
SHARE THEIR STORY IN 6 WORDS.
I’M SURPRISED PEOPLE STILL USE POST CARDS.
WHEN I CREATED THIS THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT
SAID NO-ONE IS GOING TO SEND THIS IN TO YOU,
AND WE DIDN’T GO ONLINE FOR SOME TIME IT
WAS ALL POSTCARDS SO I’M SURPRISED BY THAT.
I’M SURPRISED BY THE CANDOR THAT PEOPLE
SERVE UP IN 6 WORDS AND NOW AS YOU KNOW THEY
OFTEN SEND IN BACK STORIES TO EXPLAIN THEIR
6 WORDS.
AND I’M ALSO SURPRISED BY HOW DIFFICULT
IT IS TO TAKE THIS CONVERSATION AND GROW IT
SOME WAYS IN TRADITIONAL MEDIA, BECAUSE IT’S
A VERY NONTRADITIONAL APPROACH TO STORYTELLING,
SO THAT HAS BEEN A SURPRISE ALSO.
WHAT HASN’T SURPRISED ME IS SOME OF THE
THINGS WE ARE SEEING IN THE NEWS RIGHT NOW.
THE COMBUSTIBLE MOMENT THAT WE FIND OURSELVES
IN, I AM LESS SURPRISED BY THAT BECAUSE I’VE
BEEN SEEING MANIFESTATIONS OF THIS IN THE
INBOX OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS.
IN SOME WAYS IT HAS BEEN AN ARCHIVE AND A
BAROMETER THAT HAS HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THE
FISSURES AND THE FRACTURES AROUND RACE, AND
ALSO AROUND CLASS AND AROUND AMERICAN IDENTITY.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE ARE SEEING IN THE
NEWS RIGHT NOW ABOUT PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO
TAKE THEIR COUNTRY BACK YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY PEOPLE FEEL A CERTAIN
AMOUNT OF VERTIGO IN AMERICA THAT THEY DON’T
FEEL IS THEIR ANYMORE OR THAT THEY ARE HAVING
SORT OF A STATUS ANXIETY FOR ALL KINDS OF
REASONS.
SO IT’S BEEN SURPRISING IN SOME WAYS, BUT
I’M LESS SURPRISED BY SOME THINGS AS WELL.
(HELENE) I HAVE A FEW THAT I’D LIKE TO READ
SOME OF THE RECENT SUBMISSIONS ON RACE.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER THE MEDIA’S AGENDA, WE
ALL HAVE THE SAME SKELETON, BLACK FEMALE POOR
INVISIBLE FEARED ALONE, ONCE WE ARE FRIENDS
RACE DISAPPEARS, RACE IS FAKE I AM NOT.
HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON 6 BECAUSE THAT SEEMS
SO DIFFICULT CONSIDERING THE DEPTH OF WHAT
WE’RE PONDERING TO BRING THAT DOWN TO 6.
WHY THAT NUMBER?
(MICHELE) WELL THERE ARE A FEW REASONS.
ONE, I AS A WRITER I HAD BEEN ENCOURAGED IN
MY CAREER TO USE THAT KIND OF WINNOWING EXERCISE
TO TACKLE DIFFICULT TOPICS.
IN COLLEGE I HAD A PROFESSOR WHO SAID IF YOU
CAN TAKE A TOPIC AND YOU CAN REDUCE DOWN SO
YOU ARE IN CONTROL INSTEAD OF IT BEING IN
CONTROL OF YOU.
THERE WERE LOTS OF 6-WORD EXERCISES OUT THERE
THEY’RE USING IN SPORTS, 6 WORDS MINNEAPOLIS
WHICH IS WHERE I’M FROM.
THAT PEOPLE HAD USED THAT DEVICE TO APPROACH
SUBJECTS IN SORT OF A PITHY WAY.
SO I UNDERSTOOD THAT WORK AND I KNEW IT WAS
A GOOD TOPIC AND I KNEW IF I ASKED THEM FOR
A PARAGRAPH THEY WOULD WRITE AN ESSAY, I KNEW
IF I ASKED THEM FOR A SENTENCE THEY WOULD
WRITE A PARAGRAPH AND THAT IT WOULD BE PARENTHETICAL
AND PEOPLE WOULD HAVE HYPHENS AND SEMICOLONS.
AND SO I THOUGHT PUT A FINE POINT ON IT, IT
WILL REALLY FORCE PEOPLE TO CONDENSE SOMETHING.
A REDUCTION THAT WOULD GET TO THE HEART OF
IT AND THAT’S WH7 I CHOSE 6 WORDS.
AND I KNEW IT WAS AN ARTIFICE AND I WAS A
LITTLE BIT CONCERNED BECAUSE I HAVE FACED
A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CRITICISM FROM PEOPLE
EVERY STEP OF THE WAY WHO SAID SHE’S PLAYING
GAMES WITH A DIFFICULT TOPIC OR A COMBUSTIBLE
TOPIC.
YOU KNOW THIS IS TOO SERIOUS FOR YOU TO USE
WORD TRICKERY.
YOU KNOW AND I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT AT THE
SAME TIME IT REALLY DOES ALLOW YOU TO GET
TO THE HEART OF THINGS.
I MEAN YOU JUST READ A NUMBER OF THEM THERE
ARE “LADY I DON’T WANT YOUR PURSE”.
I HAVE SEVERAL VERSIONS OF SOME “DID YOU
JUST GRAB YOUR BAG”.
YOU KNOW USUALLY SENT IN BY MEN OF COLOR WHO
TALK ABOUT THE MOMENT WHEN THEY ENTER AN ELEVATOR
OR A CONFINED SPACE OR EVEN DOWN A GROCERY
STORE ISLE AND THEY NOTICE THIS SORT OF IMPERCEPTIBLE
MOMENT WHERE SOMEONE PULLS THEIR PURSE A LITTLE
BIT CLOSER TO THEM.
AND WHEN SOMEONE GOES ONLINE AND READS THAT
IT ALLOWS THAT YOUNG MAN WHO EXPERIENCES,
JUST YOU KNOW.
IS IT THE SAME AS BEING HAND CUFFED AND THROWN
ON THE HOOD OF A POLICE CAR?
MAYBE NOT, BUT PAPER CUTS HURT TOO AND IT’S
A MOMENT THAT EXPLAINS IT, BUT IT ALSO IS
A MOMENT THAT MAKES SOMEONE THINK “OH MY
GOODNESS DID I DO THAT THIS MORNING WHEN SOMEONE
WALKED IN THE ELEVATOR?”
“WOW WHEN I DRIVE THROUGH CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS
DO I INSTINCTIVELY REACH FOR THE LOCK ON THE
DOOR WHETHER I KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD
OR NOT JUST BECAUSE I’M TOLD THAT THIS IS
SUPPOSED TO BE AN UNSAFE NEIGHBORHOOD.”
SO IT’S AMAZING HOW 6 WORDS CAN ANIMATE
PEOPLE’S THINKING IN A WAY THAT EVEN A PARAGRAPH
OR AN ESSAY CAN’T.
(HELENE) IN ROCHESTER, LOCALLY, WE’VE BEEN
HAVING RACE CONVERSATIONS.
I WOULD SAY MAYBE OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS, DEFINITELY
A CONCERTED EFFORT TO DISCUSS RACE AND TACKLE
RACISM.
AND WE’VE COVERED IT IN DEPTH IN THE PROGRAM
AND WHAT’S INTERESTING IS THAT WHAT WE’VE
COVERED WE ALSO HEAR THE STORIES OF STRUGGLE.
I MEAN THIS WORK HAS NOT BEEN WITHOUT IT’S
HARDSHIPS AND I’M CURIOUS TO KNOW BASED
ON THE QUESTIONS YOU’VE HEARD AND YOUR WORK
AND YOUR RESEARCH IN THIS, WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT
FOR US TO TALK ABOUT THIS TOPIC?
(MICHELE) WELL WE COULD DO A WHOLE HOUR ON
THAT!
SO WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT?
BECAUSE WE KEEP SAYING IT’S DIFFICULT.
I HOPE THAT OUR GENERATION CAN PERHAPS PASS
ON THE BATON IN A DIFFERENT WAY. AND INSTEAD
OF SAYING MARCH FORWARD AND HAVE THIS DIFFICULT
CONVERSATION, MARCH FORWARD AND HAVE THIS
COURAGEOUS CONVERSATION.
YOU KNOW CHANGE THE DIALOGUE AROUND THAT SO
IT’S NOT THIS SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.
IT’S DIFFICULT BECAUSE WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH
THESE CONVERSATIONS YOU ARE OFTEN NAVIGATING
A LANDMINE AND YOU MAY OFFEND SOMEONE, YOU
MAY SAY SOMETHING THAT’S BONE-HEADED, YOU
MAY SPEAK YOUR TRUTH AND THEN FOREVER BE LABELED
BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU MAY BE SEEN AS SOMEONE
WHO IS INTOLERANT OR FOREVER BE SEEN AS THE
ANGRY BLACK WOMEN OR FOREVER BE SEEN AS THE
WHITE MAN WHO DOESN’T UNDERSTAND HIS PRIVILEGE.
YOU KNOW THERE’S SO MANY WAYS THAT YOU CAN
BE EASILY CATEGORIZED JUST BECAUSE YOU HAD
THE COURAGE TO SPEAK YOUR TRUTH.
SO KEEPING PEOPLE AT THE TABLE AFTER THOSE
DIFFICULT MOMENTS IN THE CONVERSATION IS DIFFICULT.
AND IT’S DIFFICULT PRECISELY BECAUSE THE
MOMENT WE’RE IN.
WE ARE AN EVER MORE MULTI-ETHNIC COUNTRY AND
THAT CREATES A SORT OF SHIFTING OF PLACE AND
SHIFTING OF DIALOUGUE AND WHAT FEELS LIKE
A TRIUMPH FOR ONE COHORT MAY BE VERY SCARY
FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
(HELENE) IS THERE A DIFFERENT PURPOSE OR MOTIVATING
FACTOR GOING TO COLLEGE CAMPUSES AT A TIME
WHEN IT SEEMS WE’RE JUST HEARING, THE NEWS
IS ASKING THE QUESTION, WE READ THE HEADLINES,
IS THERE A RACE PROBLEM IN AMERICAN COLLEGES?
ARE WE HAVING THIS PROBLEM?
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN’T TAPPED
INTO YET?
AND I’M CURIOUS YOU KNOW SOME ROCHESTER
AREA COLLEGES HAVE HAD ISSUES OVER THE PAST
FEW MONTHS, IT SPREAD THROUGHOUT UPSTATE NEW
YORK, IT’S EVERYWHERE.
WHEN YOU BRING IT TO A COLLEGE IS THERE A
DIFFERENT PURPOSE BEHIND IT?
(MICHELE) I DON’T KNOW IF THERE’S A DIFFERENT
PURPOSE BEHIND IT, I THINK THERE’S A WONDERFUL
OPPORTUNITY WITHIN IT.
BECAUSE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE NOT DEVELOPED THE
FINELY MESHED FILTERS THAT YOU DEVELOP AS
YOU GET OLDER, AS YOU HAVE TO ORDER YOUR STEPS
MORE CAREFULLY IN A WORK ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE
IF I PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONVERSATION WILL
I LOSE MY JOB AM I GOING TO LOSE MY STATUS?
AND THE WEARINESS, YOU KNOW I AM JUST SO SICK
OF HAVING TO MEET ONCE A YEAR ON A TUESDAY
AFTERNOON FOR DIVERSITY TRAINING.
I MEAN PLEASE CAN WE NOT HAVE THIS EAT YOUR
PEAS EXERCISE AGAIN?
SO THERE’S ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE NOT
PRESENT IN THE SAME WAY IN A COLLEGE CAMPUS
AND ALSO IN A COLLEGE CAMPUS IT IS FOR MANY
PEOPLE MAYBE THE ONE TIME MAYBE THE ONLY TIME
THEY WILL EXPERIENCE DIVERSITY IN A REALLY
BROAD WAY.
COLLEGE CAMPUSES ARE DIVERSE IN ALL WAYS,
AND AS YOU GET OLDER YOU RETREAT TO YOUR COMFORT
ZONE.
AND WHETHER IT’S THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY
THAT YOU WORSHIP WITH OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD
THAT YOU LIVE IN, OR IF YOU’RE AN ENGINEER
YOU TEND TO RUN WITH ENGINEERS, OR IF YOU’RE
A BASEBALL FANATIC THAT’S HOW YOU ORDER
YOUR LIFE.
IF YOU LIVE IN THE STATES YOU MIGHT NOT TRAVEL
INTERNATIONALLY WHEREAS SCHOOLS USUALLY HAVE
THIS BIG INTERNATIONAL POPULATION.
SO IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION
IN A SPACE WHERE THE DIVERSITY IS KIND OF
BAKED INTO THE EXPERIENCE AND IT’S A GOOD
OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN A VALUABLE SKILL IN TALKING
ACROSS DIFFERENCE.
(HELENE) I WAS READING A REPORT OUT OF UCLA,
THIS WAS BACK IN 2012 THAT UNDERREPRESENTED
COLLEGE STUDENTS AT LOW DIVERSITY INSTITUTIONS
EXPERIENCE MORE INCIDENTS OF STEREOTYPING,
DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT ON CAMPUS, AND
THE STUDY ALSO NOTICED THAT THESE INCIDENTS
THEY DON’T SIMPLY DISAPPEAR IN AREAS WHERE
THERE’S HIGH DIVERSITY, BUT THEY OCCUR AT
A LOWER RATE.
I WOULD HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT TAKING THE RACE
CARD PROJECT TO COLLEGE AROUND THE COUNTRY
AND HERE IN ROCHESTER NOT ONLY DRAWS OUT DISCUSSIONS
AMONG STUDENTS, BUT ALSO CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY
AS YOU SAID FOR FACULTY.
(MICHELE) OH YEAH, OR JUST TO LISTEN TO EACH
OTHER.
PART OF, WE LIVE IN A TIME RIGHT NOW WHERE
COMMUNICATION IS VERY IMPORTANT, LOOK AT ME
I HAVE MY DEVICE RIGHT HERE, IT'S SO OFTEN
BASED ON WHAT YOU SAY AND HOW YOU EXPRESS
YOURSELF AND WHAT GETS LOST IS HOW YOU LISTEN
TO SOMEONE ELSE AND AGAIN BECAUSE PEOPLE TEND
TO STAY IN THEIR LANE YOU DON’T ALWAYS HEAR
SOMEBODY ELSE’S POINT OF VIEW AND I’LL
GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
THIS HAS HAPPENED TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN SEVERAL
INSTITUTIONS WE'VE WORKED WITH AND WORKED
IN.
WE’VE WORKED WITH SCHOOLS, WE’VE WORKED
WITH FOUNDATIONS, WE’VE WORKED WITH GOVERNMENT
ENMITIES, WE’VE WORKED WITH JUST SMALL SETTINGS
IN CHURCH BASEMENTS.
AND IN SOME CASES YOU WILL YOU WILL FIND OUT
THAT SOMEONE FEELS MARGINALIZED OR DEFINED
OR STEREOTYPED IN A WAY THAT IS SURPRISING.
ON SOME CAMPUSES, IF YOU ARE VERY CONSERVATIVE
IF YOU ARE RELIGIOUSLY OR POLITICALLY CONSERVATIVE,
YOU CAN EASILY BE STEREOTYPED.
ON A COLLEGE CAMPUSES WHICH IS THOUGHT TO
BE PROGRESSIVE SPACE, IF THAT'S NOT THE FLAG
YOU WAY, IT'S A DIFFICULT SPACE TO BE IN TO
SPEAK YOUR TRUTH AND FEEL LIKE YOU ARE NOT
DEFINED OR AUTOMATICALLY PUT IN SOME SORT
OF BOX. AND SO IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE A WAY
OF UNDERSTANDING THAT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT
WHEN YOU'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DIVERSITY
THAT TERM IS REALLY EXPANSIVE AND SPEAKS TO
DISABILITY AND SPEAKS GENDER AND SPEAKS TO
WHAT BOX YOU CHECK AND ALSO WHAT PATH YOU
FOLLOW IN LIFE.
(HELENE) THE RACE CARD PROJECT AS YOU MENTIONED
STARTED IN THE WAKE OF PRESIDENT OF OBAMA'S
FIRST ELECTION AND A LOT HAS BEEN SAID IN
TERMS OF WHAT HAS BEEN CALLED THIS RESURGENCE
OF RACISM IN AMERICA AFTER PRESIDENT OBAMA’S
ELECTION.
AND MANY VOICES HAVE WEIGHED IN ON THIS, TAVIS
SMILEY HAS SAID WHILE THIS CAN’T BE BLAMED
COMPLETELY ON THE PRESIDENT, HE SAID OVER
THE LAST DECADE, BLACK FOLK IN THE ERA OF
OBAMA HAVE LOST GROUND ON EVERY MAJOR ECONOMIC
CATEGORY.
PRESIDENT OBAMA HIMSELF HAS SAID WE’VE MADE
GAINS, THERE HAS BEEN CHANGE, BUT WE’RE
NOT CURED OF RACISM.
HE SAID IN AN INTERVIEW, SOCIETIES DON’T
OVERNIGHT ERASE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED 200-300
YEARS AGO. AND I WANTED TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS
ON THIS BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE DISCOVERED THROUGH
THE RACE CARD PROJECT AND THE SUBMISSIONS
THAT PEOPLE ARE SUBMITTING AND YOU TOUCHED
UPON THIS AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
IS RACE DEBATE AT A NEW LEVEL SINCE ELECTION
AND TENURE OF PRESIDENT OBAMA?
(MICHELE) YES, YES, YES, IT IS. AND FOR LOTS
OF REASONS AND LOTS OF WAYS BUT WE, THIS NOTION
THAT IT’S GOING TO BE OVER AND THAT IT WILL
EVER BE OVER WE NEED TO DISMISS THAT, WE ARE
A MULTIFACETED NATION, RACE HAS BEEN A PART
OF THIS COUNTRY, IT IS IN THIS COUNTRY'S FABRIC
FROM ITS VERY BEGINNING, IT IS A CHASM THAT
IS SOMETIMES VERY APPARENT BUT EVEN WHEN IT
IS NOT APPARENT THE HISTORY AND REALITY OF
RACE IS TIED UP IN THE BURLAP OF THE STARS
AND STRIPES.
IT’S THERE, IT’S ALWAYS THERE.
SO JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN’T HEAR IT, JUST
BECAUSE YOU CAN’T SEE IT, JUST BECAUSE YOU
CAN’T SMELL IT, DOESN’T MEAN IT’S THERE.
IT IS.
WE’RE IN AN INTERESTING PERIOD RIGHT NOW,
NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE ELECTION OF A MAN
OF COLOR AND A FAMILY OF COLOR HAS MOVED INTO
THE WHITE HOUSE, BUT YOU KNOW 2008 WAS A REALLY
INTERESTING MOMENT.
YOU HAD LOTS OF THINGS HAPPENING THAT CREATED
SORT OF A PERFECT STORM FOR SOCIAL UNREST
AROUND RACE AND AROUND CLASS AND AROUND FINANCIAL
MEASURES OF ALL KINDS.
YOU HAD, YES A BLACK FAMILY MOVING INTO THE
WHITE HOUSE, WHICH FORCES US AS A COUNTRY
TO THINK ABOUT HIERARCHIES AND ALSO TO THINK
ABOUT HISTORY AND WE’RE GONNA SET THAT ASIDE
BECAUSE HISTORY IS A BIG PART OF THIS AND
SOMETHING THAT I DON’T THINK WE AS A COUNTRY
HAVE EVER FIGURED OUT HOW TO REALLY DEAL WITH
SO LET’S SET HISTORY ASIDE.
SO YOU HAVE THIS HISTORIC MOMENT WHERE THE
FACT OF RACISM IS ON THE FRONT OF THE PAPER
EVERY DAY.
JUST THE IDEA OF A MAN OF COLOR LIVING IN
A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE OF COLOR WERE NOT ALLOWED
TO ENTER THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR IN MANY INSTITUTIONS
IN WASHINGTON IN MY LIFETIME AND I’M NOT
THAT OLD.
SO YOU GET THAT AND THEN YOU’VE GOT ECONOMIC…YOU’VE
GOT THIS, THE ECONOMY FELL APART.
IT JUST COMPLETELY FELL APART AND AS WE’RE
PUTTING THE ECONOMY BACK TOGETHER, THE STANDARD
METRICS TELL US THAT THE AMERICAN ECONOMY
IS ALLEGEDLY ON SOLID FOOTING.
AND IT IS BASED ON BASIC ECONOMIC MEASURES
LIKE UNEMPLOYMENT, HOUSING STARTS, YOU KNOW
IF YOU VISIT PLACES WHERE FACTORIES WERE ON
THE WANE THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IS COMING
BACK.
TALK TO AN AMERICAN ON MAIN STREET AS OPPOSED
TO WALL STREET AND YOU WILL NOT GET THAT NARRATIVE.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE ECONOMY HAS IMPROVED PEOPLE
JUST DON’T NECESSARILY FEEL IT.
THEY’RE WORKING HARDER THAN THEY EVER WERE.
THEY’RE WORKING MANY JOBS OR PERHAPS THEY
HAD ONE JOB THAT HAD GREAT BENEFITS AND A
PRESCRIBED NUMBER OF HOURS.
THEY’RE 401K’S ARE LIKE 201K’S RIGHT
NOW.
THEY’VE HAD TO DIP INTO THEIR SAVINGS.
JUST A DECADE AGO PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO IF TIMES
WERE TOUGH, THE HOUSING MARKET WAS STRONG,
YOU COULD JUST TAKE A SECOND ON YOUR HOUSE.
THAT’S JUST GONE AND PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY’RE
NOT ABLE TO PASS AS MUCH ONTO THEIR CHILDREN.
SO YOU’VE GOT ECONOMIC TO MOLD COUPLED WITH
THIS MOMENT WHERE PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT
THE AMERICAN IDENTITY IN A LARGER WAY AND
WHERE THEY FIT INTO THAT.
AND THEN YOU’VE GOT IMMIGRATION PATTERNS
THAT ARE SHIFTING IN AMERICA.
AND YOU’VE GOT A MOMENT WHERE AMERICA IS
SORT OF MID PAGE, SORT OF MID TURN IN TERMS
OF MOVING FROM ONE CHAPTER TO ANOTHER, IN
TERMS OF THE RACIAL HIERARCHY AROUND DEMOGRAPHICS
IN THE COUNTRY.
SO YOU TAKE ALL OF THAT AND THEN YOU ADD THE
DISRUPTION AROUND TECHNOLOGY AND AROUND PEOPLE
BEING MORE MOBILE, AND AROUND COMPANIES BEING
MORE MOBILE IN A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE AND YOU
TAKE ALL THAT TOGETHER AND IT’S SORT OF
A PERFECT STORM FOR SOCIAL UNREST AND WE’RE
SEEING THE RESULTS OF THAT IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT
PLACES.
THE MOST VISIBLE RIGHT NOW IS PROBABLY IN
THE POLITICAL ARENA.
AND SO WHEN TAVIS SAYS THAT BLACK AMERICAN’S
HAVE LOST GROUND, I BET THAT YOU COULD GO
TO A DONALD TRUMP RALLY AND YOU COULD FIND
LOTS OF WHITE AMERICANS WHO FEEL LIKE THEY’VE
LOT AN AWFUL LOT OF GROUND AS WELL.
AND FIND PEOPLE OF ALL STRIPES WHO HAVE LOST
GROUND.
AND IT COLORS NO PUN INTENDED, THEIR WORLD
VIEW AND THEIR PLACE IN AMERICA AND SOMETIMES
THEIR VIEW OF RACE RELATIONS IN THE COUNTRY.
BUT IT’S GOING TO BE WITH US AND I THINK
ONE SHOULD PROBABLY START WITH THAT ASSUMPTION
AND WE OFTEN DON’T, WE OFTEN DON’T.
(HELENE) MICHELE NORRIS IS CURRENTLY GROWING
THE RACE CARD PROJECT WEBSITE AND BUILDING
CONTENT AROUND THE SUBMISSIONS SHE RECEIVES
FROM RESIDENTS AROUND THE GLOBE.
IN ADDITION, SHE PLANS TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT
THE PROJECT AND DEVELOP AN ARCHIVE SO THE
SUBMISSIONS HAVE A PERMANENT HOME.
LEARN MORE OR SUBMIT YOUR OWN 6-WORD-RESPONSE
AT: THE-RACE-CARD-PROJECT-DOT-COM.
(HELENE) AS MICHELE NORRIS EXPLAINED IN HER
INTERVIEW – CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE DON’T
HAVE TO BE DIFFICULT.
INSTEAD THEY CAN BE VIEWED AS COURAGEOUS.
EMBRACING THAT TYPE OF COURAGEOUS DIALOGUE
SEEMS TO BE A FOCUS AT NAZARETH COLLEGE.
THE SCHOOL INVITED NORRIS AND THE RACE CARD
PROJECT TO MEET WITH STUDENTS, FACULTY AND
THE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY THIS MONTH.
JOINING ME NOW TO DISCUSS HOW THE COLLEGE
IS UTILIZING THE TOOLS LEARNED FROM THE RACE
CARD PROJECT IN THE CLASSROOM AND THROUGHOUT
THE CAMPUS IS NAZARETH COLLEGE PRESIDENT,
DAAN BRAVEMAN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF COMMUNICATION
AND MEDIA, LEAH STACY, AND NAZ SENIORS ADORA
EVANS AND CHASE FERREN.
WELCOME...SO WE WILL JUMP RIGHT IN AND I WANT
TO ASK YOU FIRST OF ALL PRESIDENT BRAVEMA
N WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT TO BRING US THIS LANDMINE
TOPIC AS MICHELLE NORRIS EXPLAINS IT TO THE
CAMPUS?
(BRAVEMAN) WELL I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
THINGS WE CAN BE DOING ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS
THESE DAYS IS PREPARE OUR STUDENTS TO WORK
WITH PEOPLE ACROSS RACE LINES THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AND THE SCHOOLS THEY ARE COMING FROM HIGHSCHOOLS
ARE MORE SEGREGATED THAN EVER AND THERE’S
NOT THAT OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY ENGAGE IN DIALOUGE
AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING ACROSS RACE LINES
SO WE THE COLLEGES NEED TO STEP IN AND DO
THAT
(HELENE) WE’RE AT A TIME RIGHT NOW WE ARE
HEARING PROTESTS REGARDING ISSUES OF RACE
RELATIONS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AROUND THE COUNTRY
INCLUDING SOME CLOSE TO HOME I’M INTERESTED
IN KNOWING AS STUDENTS ADORE AND CHASE HOW
IMPERITVE DO YOU BELIEVE FOSTERING CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT RACE ON CAMPUS AT INSTITUTIONS SHOULD
BE?
(ADORE) I GUESS I’LL GO FIRST I THINK IT’S
VITAL IT’S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE
ARE A LOT OF STUDENTS WHO COME TO NAZARETH
COLLEGE WHO AREN’T AS OPENMINDED AS I WOULD
LIKE TO THINK THAT I AM AND IT’S A LITTLE
FRUSTRATING WHEN YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE’S
A CLEAR DIFFERENCE IN INTELLECT AND KIND OF
I GUESS THE THOUGHT PROCESS WHEN IT COMES
TO RACE AND WHEN THAT CONVERSATION COMES ABOUT
IT’S A LITTLE DISTURBING SO I FEEL AS THOUGH
IF PEOPLE AREN’T ON THE SAME PAGE THEY NEED
TO GET THERE IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT.
(HELENE) CHASE.
(CHASE) I THINK COLLEGE IS THE BEST TIME TO
START THE CONVERSATION COLLEGE IS ALL ABOUT
STEPPING OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND THAT
IS THE ONLY WAY WE ARE GOING TO GROW YOU CAN’T
STAY INSIDE AND EXPECT TO LEARN ANYTHING NEW
SO GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE IS THE ONLY WAY YOU
ARE GOING TO START GROWING.
(HELENE) AND GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE WAS SOMETHING
I’M SURE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN SOME
OF YOUR CLASSES BECAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS
IN THREE OF YOUR COURSES YOU WORKED ON THE
RACE CARD PROJECT AND I’M CUROUS TO KNOW
ABOUT YOUR APPROACH AND HOW YOU ENGAGE STUDENTS
AND ALSO HOW YOU MADE THIS RELEVANT BECAUSE
WE DO LIVE IN A TIME WHERE PEOPLE IN OUR SOCIETY
SAY WE LIVE IN A TIME WHEN WE LIVE IN A POST
RACIAL SOCIETY WHICH IS NOT THE CASE.
(LEAH) NO SO ADORA AND CHASE ARE TAKING TWO
DIFFERENT CLASSES WITH ME CHASE IS IN EDITING
FOR PUBLICATION AND IN THAT COURSE IT’S
REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THEY NOT ONLY
LEARN THINGS LIKE AP STYLE AND GRAMMAR AND
PUNCTUATION NUT ALSO HOW TO START IMPORTANT
CONVERSATIONS IN THE NEWS ROOM IF THAT’S
WHERE THEY END UP WORKING YOU KNOWIF THE EDITORS
DON’T TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND STEP UP
TO THE PLATE WHO IS GOING TO DO THAT SO FOR
THAT CLASS THAT WAS A DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD
ADORA IS IN MY WRITING FOR DIGITAL MEDIA CLASS
WE USE A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND I LOVE THE
FACT THAT MICHELLE’S PROJECT IS ON THE WEB
BUT ALSO HAS THAT PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF
THE CARDS SO WE DECIDED TO KIND OF PUT OUR
OWN LITTLE TWIST ON IT AND PUT IT ON TWITTER
AND SO I ACTUALLY SENT THEM OUT ON CAMPUS
WHICH IS ALWAYS THEIR FAVORITE THING AND I
HAD THEM INTERVIEW A FELLOW STUDENT AND DO
THE SIX WORDS AND THEN WE CREATED A STORIFY
AND COLLECTED THEM ALL IN ONE PLACE .
(HELENE) DAAN I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT CULTURAL
COMPETENCY THAT’S SOMETHING THAT MICHELLE
NORRIS BROUGHT UP SHE SAID MORE AND MORE BUSINESSES
COMPANIES, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE
LOOKING FOR IN EMPLOYEES AND EVER MORE ETHNIC
MULTI-FACETED WORLD HOW DO WE CREATE THAT
ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES INSTITUTIONS WHEN WE LOOK
AT ETHNIC DEMOGRAPHICS AND RACIAL BACKGROUNDS
AND WE ARE NOT SEEING THAT DIVERSITY ON CAMPUSES
LIKE WE WANT TO.
(DAAN) EVERY SURVEY I’VE SEEN OF EMPLOYERS
HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED TO HIRE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
WHO ARE ABLE TO WORK IN DIVERSE SETTINGS AND
I THINK THE KEY HERE IS DIVERSITY ENRICHES
US AND IT SHOULDN’T BE SEEN AS THREATENING
AND WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF THAT IN THE NATIONAL
CAMPAIGN NOW ON HOW IT APPEARS TO BE THREATENING
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS REALLY SYSTEMATICALLY
APPROACH THIS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND PART
OF IT IS IN COURSE LIKE THE MEDIA COURSES
BUT ALSO I’VE JUST ESTABLISHED THIS SEMESTER
A CAMPUS WIDE COMMITTEE THAT IS GOING TO LOOK
AT SPECIFIC STRATEGIES FOR DOING EXACTLY THAT
SO WHEN OUR STUDENTS LEAVE WILL BE PREPARED
TO BE ABLE TO WORK AND LIVE WITH PEOPLE WHO
ARE DIFFERENT FROM THEMSELVES ALONG RACIAL
LINES AND CULTURAL LINES I THINK THAT IS CRITICAL.
(HELENE) CHASE AND ADORA BASED ON THE EXPERIENCES
THAT YOU’VE HAD WITH THE RACE CARD PROJECT
AND WITH THE COURSE WORK WHAT ARE SOME OTHER
WAYS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE KINDS OF
CONVERSATIONS DEVELOP NOT JUST ON YOUR CAMPUS
BUT ON THE CAMPUS’S OF YOUR FRIENDS AS WELL?
(CHASE) I THINK FIRST THING IS RECOGNIZING
THAT THERE IS DIVERSITY AND TRYING NOT TO
IGNORE THIS CONVERSATION THAT’S KIND OF
BEEN HAPPENING IN THE BACK GROUND AND ACTUALLY
AS PRESIDENT BRAVEMAN SAID IT AT A TOWN HALL
MEETING AT NAZ THE OTHER DAY I DON’T WANT
TO BE IN A ROOM FULL OF STUDENTS THAT ARE
TWENTY OTHER ME’S I WANT THAT DIVERSITY
I’M NOT GOING TO LEARN ANYTHING LISTENING
TO MYSELF TALK SEVEN HOURS A DAY.
(ADORA) I THINK IT’S A LITTLE HARD BECAUSE
OFTEN TIMES THIS IS MY THIRD YEAR AT NAZ ALTHOUGH
I AM A SENIOR AND OFTEN TIMES AMONGST MY FRIENDS
OR MAYBE STAFF, FACULTY I’VE ALWAYS WONDERED
HOW IS IT THAT WE CAN DO THINGS OTHER THAN
THE RACE CARD PROJECT OR SOME LECTURE AT THE
COLLEGE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE
I GUESS THOSE THIGS I’M GLAD THAT THEY ARE
SET OUT THERE FOR US TO ATTEND BUT SOME STUDENTS
JUST AREN’T MOTIVATED AND I FEEL AS THOUGH
SOME OF THE STUDENTS WHO AREN’T MOTIVATED
TO GO TO THESE EVENTS WE NEED TO REACH OUT
TO THEM AS WELL AND IT’S JUST HARD TO DO
THAT SO I FEEL AS THOUGH JUST GENERALLY HAVING
THIS SORT OF CONVERSATION JUST LOOMING OVER
THE CAMPUS WHERE IT’S CONSTANTLY LIKE THIS
IS SOMETHING TO BE HAD THEN THAT’S WHERE
THE CONVERSATIONS WILL HAPPEN IN YOUR DORM
OFF CAMPUS WHEN YOU’RE GETTING COFFEE OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
(DAAN) AND I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT FOR
CAMPUSES FOR THE LEADERSHIP TO MAKE IT VERY
CLEAR THAT THIS IS A KEY ISSUE FOR A CAMPUS
AND I’VE SAID THIS MANY TIMES I’VE WRITTEN
THIS I CAN’T IMAGINE MORE IMPORTANT PARTICULARLY
AT A SCHOOL LIKE NAZARETH THAT VALUES THE
LIBERAL ARTS AS WELL AS THE PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS
TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN HAVE CROSS
CULTURAL CROSS RACIAL COMPETENCIES I THINK
IT’S CRUCIAL.
(HELENE) BEFORE I LET YOU GO WOULD ANY OF
YOU MIND SHARING YOURE SIX WORDS?
(ADORA) MY SIX WORDS IT ‘WHY DON’T I FEEL
COMFORTABLE HERE” AND THAT JUST GOES PRETTY
MUCH ACROSS ANYWHERE THAT I AM I MAY FEEL
THAT WAY BUT MY PERSONALITY DOESN’T REALLY
LET ANY OTHER PERSON BOTHER ME.
(CHASE) ACTUALLY WHEN I DID THIS ORIGINALLY
I DIDN’T REALIZE THE SCOPE THAT MICHELLE
WAS GOING FOR WITH WHAT IS RACE TO YOU SO
ORIGINALLY I HAD “PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SIGNIFICANCE IS UP TO YOU”
(DAAN) MINE IS “RACIAL DIVERSITY ENRICHES
ALL OF US” AND I SHOULD BACK UP ONE OF MY
FAVORITE BOOKS ABOUT THIS WHOLE ISSUE IS CALLED
THE DIGNITY OF DIFFERENCE AND IT REALLY EMPHASIZES
THAT WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT ALL THIS DIFFERENCE
MIGHT THREATEN US OR IT COULD ENRICH US AND
I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE
CAN UNDERSTAND THE ENRICHING ASPECT.
(LEAH) MINE IS “INSIDE WE ARE ALL THE SAME”
(HELENE) A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY GUESTS
I APPRECIATE YOU JOINING ME.
CHASE FERREN, ADORA EVANS, LEAH STACY, AND
DAAN (DON) BRAVEMAN.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE 6-WORD SUBMISSIONS COLLECTED
BY STUDENTS FROM LEAH STACY’S DIGITAL MEDIA
CLASS AT NAZ ON OUR WEBSITE.
JUST GO TO W-X-XI-NEWS-DOT-ORG AND CLICK ON
THE “NEED TO KNOW” LINK.
THAT’S IT’S FOR THIS EDITION OF NEED TO
KNOW ON WXXI-TELEVISION.
THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN TONIGHT AND THROUGHOUT
THE WEEKEND AND ONLINE.
I’LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.
