Detroit Let’s Talk About Race

Let’s Talk About Race . . .


It started as an invitation to join the conversation.  We asked you to talk about race . . . and you did, the good, the bad and the ugly.

It was an effort to bridge the divide by sharing our experiences and framing the conversation to include:

  • acknowledgement of the past and pain of racial discrimination which still persists in this country
  • confronting individual biases which contribute to prejudices and permit discrimination to continue
  • talking to one another respectfully and candidly about race no matter how uncomfortable the conversation

The conversation remains vital, but it is important to move from conversation to action to create positive changes.  

Now is the right time to stand united in resolving the racial inequities and disparities which plague our communities across the country.  You can be part of the solution by letting your actions speak in ways which improve the quality of life for everyone.  Be determined to:

  • Complete and submit a census form and encourage others to do the same. Being counted brings additional money to your community for much needed resources and services.
  • Vote and encourage others to vote. Register to vote if you haven’t already.  Never underestimate the power of your vote in determining the leaders and direction of this country locally, statewide and nationally.  
  • Volunteer, donate money and resources to addressing the problem of racial disparities in its many forms:  housing, healthcare, food insecurity, employment, education, policing

If you would like to host a "Let's Talk About Race" community event in your District, contact Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity (CRIO) at (313) 224-4950. Thank you! Together we can make a difference!

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RECOMMENDED READINGS

 

  • Crusader for Justice by Peter J. Hammer and Trevor W. Coleman
  • Racing to Justice by John A. Powell
  • "And don't call me a racist!" by Ella Mazel
  • Sundown Towns by James W. Loewen
  • Racism without racists by Eduardo Bonilla Silva
  • Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum
  • The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
  • How to be an AntiRacist by Ibram X. Kendi
  • White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
  • So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
  • The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander