This morning I attended a press conference to publicize the work of the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond. It sounds hokey. I mean what do they mean by survival and beyond? I only became aware of this institution this Tuesday at a KMOJ/Insight News Forum at Lucille's Kitchen. I am a little embarassed at that fact as it appears this is a well known organization. Briefly, it began in New Orleans around 1980 and was the brainchild of founders James Dunn and Ron Chisom. It is a national network of community organizers and educators dedicated to building an effective movement for social change. Their work is based on the premise that racism has been consciously and systematically erected, and that it can be "undone" if people understand where it comes from, how it functions and why it is perpetrated. This is in their own words. At any rate the People's Institute North has located a base in Duluth with an office in Minneapolis run by Sandra Richardson at Sabathani Center. I sat next to Dave Hawley, a feature writer from the PiPress Mpls bureau so you will undoubtedly see an article by him. I assume there was a Strib reporter in attendance but there was nobody I recognized. Mel Reeves from The Spokesman Recorder was there. MTN was there filming the entirety of the program and major local TV stations were there as well. It was a great program of speakers with a powerful message. Unfortunately mainstream TV media where far too many people get all their news will cut it to 15 or 30 seconds, most likely featuring Mayor Sayles Belton delivering a juicy sound byte. Mayor Gary Doty of Duluth spoke of how the Institute had been a catalyst in the recent commemoration of 1920 lynchings. The Mayor, Police Chief Scott Lyons and Deputy Chif Roger Grytdahl have all attended "Undoing Racism" workshops. I heard Scott Lyons quoted on Tuesday as having said that "every police officer in America could benefit from the training" and Deputy Chief Grytdahl is quoted in literature as saying, "when it comes to police officers, I believe that learning to undo racism is just as important as learning first aid." Amen! Can i get a hallelujah! There were 16 speakers and though the program ran an hour and half it never dragged. Ron Chisom, co-founder of the Institute uerged all of us to work toward the common goal and avoid talking about one another. He's right when he says that is how we become divided and face defeat. Mahmoud El-Kati quoted Frederick Douglass: "In the struggle for social justice the only reward is to be in the struggle". And "power concedes nothing without a demand, never has, never will." It is in this context that I wish to reiterate my personal belief that the most pressing issue before our city is a frank discussion of racism. It is imbued in every other issue we confront from unemployment and livable wages to education to criminal justice and to housing. Not race. As one of the speakers noted, race is a myth. There is only one race and that is the human race. This was a great program today and to know we have this organization in our midst is a blessing to the community. Tim Connolly Ward 7 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
