Wisdom from “Facing Race 2020”
Race Forward’s Virtual Conference
“Where Do We Go From Here? Building a Just Multiracial Democracy”
was the name of the closing plenary of the Facing Race 2020 Conference presented by Race Forward. Glenn Harris outlined that people, cultural, and institutional power must all be built simultaneously to create a system that adequately serves all people in the USA. Right now, the systems are designed to exclude the many and serve only the select few.
“Because of the energy of people saying ENOUGH…we saw the wins that we did” as Judith Browne Dianis asserted.
Enough. Enough nonsensical violence against people who are trying to sleep in their own bedrooms like Breonna Taylor. Enough of denying the humanity of too many people.
“How do we turn success into significance?” -Rev. Dr. William Barber II
The Poor People’s Campaign has a robust moral agenda to shift systems towards justice, to end poverty and inequality, to address the environmental crisis of this moment, to call out unnecessary militarism and to end, once and for all, white nationalism. It is also organizing in tremendous ways to shift the power structures of the entire country, especially where white supremacy still reigns most strongly in the southern states.
We are in the “3rd Reconstruction,” which demands systemic healing and justice.
Both Rev. Dr. William Barber II and Glenn Harris called out the fact that the third reconstruction is underway. The first reconstruction happened after slavery was “ended” by the 13th Amendment in 1865. The second reconstruction was attempted after Jim Crow was “ended” with the Civil Rights Act in 1864. “Ended” is in quotes because aspects of slavery and Jim Crow are still alive in the systems of this country, particularly that of mass incarceration. Now is the time to dig up the roots of this systemic oppression.
“1 out of every 875 Black residents in the USA has died in the last 8 months from COVID-19.” - Eric Ward
Reconstruction has a long way to go, particularly with regards to health justice during this pandemic. It is time to say ENOUGH to a disproportionate number of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color dying during this pandemic without adequate access to compassionate care.
“We can and we will imagine a new future” -Andrea Jenkins
It is no small task to reimagine society in a way that is empowering to all people, excluding none. As Jenkins pointed out, Black Trans lives are the most excluded, and it is imperative to call in the edges of the edges in this movement for life.
Integration is key.
The design of this conference was exceptional. It neither overpromised nor did it demand too much of participants. Participants were led through grounding exercises before each session that prepared the mind to be a fertile ground for the seeds planted by each speaker. Thank you, Race Forward.
