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Dialogue Groups
Dialogue
Groups
are one-hour facilitated sessions of diverse individuals that
last at least 5 weeks where individuals from corporations, institutions,
and neighborhoods can create sessions for democratic dialogue among
themselves toward learning more about one another.
To register as a participant in a Dialogue Group,
click here.
For more information about Dialogue Groups and facilitators,
click here
We
are in the process of adding the notes for each dialogue group,
we thank you for your patience. Please check often for the latest
updates and additions.
2008
Notes
from the 2008 series of Dialogue Groups
(Dialogue
Group 0703 - 45)
On Tuesday, September 2, the dialogue group began its
discussion by focusing on the role of anger in the discussions
of the dialogue group--constructive or not? One person observed
that it was not so much anger but bitterness that was the point
of the last week's observation. It was not clear to the group
what difference that made as many understood that anger was the
feeling at issue. In the short discussion on the topic which
followed the view was expressed that, when anger is present, it
should be expressed but without violence. Honesty requires that.
Several participants understood that, in the case of the history
of black Americans, we can understand why they would have
experienced many things which would inevitably lead to feelings
of anger, whether expressed or not.
The next topic that was brought up by a first-time
participant was the responsibility of black Americans not to use
racism as an excuse not to take responsibility for themselves.
There was a short review of the group's past discussions on the
topic of racism and its effects within American culture. Once
again the issue of what to do about it came up, and someone
asked if this dialogue group could take positions on issues of
importance to us. It was explained that dialogue groups have
mutual understanding of the points of view persons of diverse
background with the hope that increased understanding would lead
to greater compassion and acceptance of each other's experience.
That itself should lead to increased respect for the other and
gradual dissolution of racism. Others felt that in the absence
of action racism will always be with us as a society even if
some individuals overcome differences and see others as human
beings with as much dignity as they have.
Finally the discussion turned to talking about the voting
process and the fact that the voting machines used in Georgia
cannot produce a "paper trail" and thus are subject to
manipulation. There was evidence of vote tampering in the last
two elections and the matter has not been resolved since a
recount is not possible with no record of the individual vote.
There was some fear that this could work against Obama. Our
election expert acknowledged that no paper trail is created with
the machines used in Georgia, but that is a matter for the State
legislature which has prescribed the machines to be used in the
state. Electronic voting machines were put in place to avoid the
"falling chad" problem in the Florida presidential
vote of 2000. But it may have created another problem as bad as
the one meant to be solved because of the inability of the
machines to create a mechanism for recount of disputed votes.
Although there was considerable interest in this issue, there
is really nothing that can be done about that for this election.
It was proposed that the group go back to its discussion of our
personal reactions to the "Black in America"
documentary run by CNN.
We invite anyone in the community who is interested in
sharing in our experience to join us at the next meeting of the
group on September 9. The Dialogue Group meets in the Museum
(the room directly across the large foyer area as you enter the
building), located on First Avenue, immediately to the north of
the main church (which is on the corner of First Avenue and
Eleventh Street) at the far end of a elliptical driveway. There
is limited parking in the lot in front of the entrance with more
parking on the street. If you need additional information or
directions, please contact me.
(Dialogue
Group 0703 - 44)
On Tuesday, August 26, the dialogue group held its third
discussion centered on issues arising out of the Kenny Walker
case. At last Tuesday's meeting two main issues arose out of our
dialogue: (1) that the monetary settlement was viewed by many in
the white community as a resolution of the issue while the black
community generally did not agree; and (2) that the underlying
problems had still not been addressed satisfactorily. The main
concerns related to the latter issue are that, although some
additional training of the police and deputies has taken place,
there remains a lack of confidence, particularly among black
citizens, in the integrity of the law enforcement process,
especially as it relates to the police treatment of black
citizens. Secondly, there is a deep feeling among many of the
participants that the grand jury process is flawed, resulting in
a belief that justice is unlikely to result, particularly when a
white officer and a black victim are involved.
Both of these concerns became the topic of discussion in the
August 26 dialogue. Almost universally the black participants
agreed that the amount of the settlement was very small compared
to other settlements that they have heard of which have run into
the millions. The discussion\, however, did not focus on that
issue. Rather the two concerns noted in (2) above occupied the
attention of the group. There was expressed a deep and enduring
fear of the police and profound resentment with the manner in
which black citizens feel that they are treated by the police.
They are often stopped for what they believe is no good reason
and during the process are not treated with respect. In fact,
they feel that they are treated as criminals and frequently not
given a chance to say anything in their own defense.
The discussion turned to talking about the grand jury process
and the control over it exercised by the prosecutor. The grand
jury does not perform its own investigations but is limited to
the evidence which the prosecutor presents to it. The issue of
the Public Safety Advisory Board/Review Board came up for much
discussion. That led to ideas as to how white citizens can
support black citizens in their efforts to address perceived
injustices. The meeting ended with an observation by one
participant that there was a lot of anger in the group which
seemed to make the person feel uncomfortable. The next meeting
will begin with a discussion of the role of anger in the
discussions of the dialogue group--constructive or not?
We invite anyone in the community who is interested in
sharing in our experience to join us at the next meeting of the
group on September 2. The Dialogue Group meets in the Museum
(the room directly across the large foyer area as you enter the
building), located on First Avenue, immediately to the north of
the main church (which is on the corner of First Avenue and
Eleventh Street) at the far end of a elliptical driveway. There
is limited parking in the lot in front of the entrance with more
parking on the street. If you need additional information or
directions, please contact me.
(Dialogue
Group 0703 - 43)
On Tuesday, August 19, the dialogue group held its second
discussion on the topic of the Kenny Walker case. There is no
summary for the first of these two discussions (August 14). At
last Tuesday's meeting two main issues arose out of our
dialogue. Some felt that the monetary settlement was a step in
the right direction and indicated the willingness of the city
and its business leaders to get the issue behind them. On the
other hand several participants expressed a fear that the
underlying problems had not been addressed satisfactorily.
Although some additional training of the police and deputies has
taken place, there remains considerable concern that, if similar
circumstances arose again, another incident like the Walker case
might happen again. There is still, in other words, a lack of
confidence in the law enforcement process in the city. Many feel
that it is biased against the African-American community.
A second concern expressed was a belief that the grand jury
hearing was flawed because all relevant voices had not been
heard. This resulted in a feeling of lack of trust that justice
had been achieved during the grand jury process. There was a
belief that, if the roles had been reversed and the victim had
been white, the grand jury might have resulted in a different
finding. So, not only is there a lack of confidence in the law
enforcement process and its ability to handle a black suspect
appropriately, there is a parallel distrust of the judicial
system's commitment to assess a situation involving a white
officer and a black victim adequately. Both of these concerns
left the issue still unresolved in the minds of some of the
participants.
We invite anyone in the community who is interested in
sharing in our experience to join us at the next meeting of the
group on August 26. The Dialogue Group meets in the Museum (the
room directly across the large foyer area as you enter the
building), located on First Avenue, immediately to the north of
the main church (which is on the corner of First Avenue and
Eleventh Street) at the far end of a elliptical driveway. There
is limited parking in the lot in front of the entrance with more
parking on the street. If you need additional information or
directions, please contact me.
(Dialogue
Group 0703 - 41)
Last dialogue we continued with our discussion based on the
CNN documentary on "Black in America." We had a
smaller group this week but a very animated discussion. The
topic for this week, as you may recall, was the reasons for the
over-representation of African-Americans, especially young black
males, in our prison system. In preparation for this discussion
I had sent out some statistics which reflected some of the
numbers. The discussion began with a presentation on the history
of black people in America, beginning with slavery and
progressing through until today. There was a particular focus on
the history of blacks in Columbus, particularly on how things
have changed as the black population in and around Columbus has
gradually become more urban. Notice was taken that more blacks
than whites seem to be arrested; and, of those arrested few
blacks can pay bond and thus remain in jail while awaiting
trial. One participant observed that it is easier for a judge to
sentence someone to prison for a crime if he is already in jail.
Several persons observed that the way the prison system works is
complicated, and there are no simple explanations for why the
numbers are what they are. Some discussion was then held on what
can be done to remedy this situation. Education was immediately
suggested as an important step. The more educated a person is,
the less likely he is to end up in jail. Others then talked
about the disincentives for young black men to stay in school.
Another suggestion was that whites could become more involved in
criminal justice proceedings.
Once again, the observation was put forward that a big
disappointment with the CNN series was the almost total focus on
the successes of those blacks who have made it and on the
mistakes that unsuccessful blacks had made when they were
younger. Some were able to escape their background and others
were not. But the documentary placed little or no responsibility
on what white America can or should do to address this problem.
The burden seemed to fall primarily on the shoulders of the
black American--to succeed by being smart or to fail as a result
of the mistakes made. What seemed remarkable that the blacks
seem to have bought into that analysis. The answer to the
question that was raised last meeting concerning the
documentary's exposition of the disproportionate number of young
black men in prison is still incomplete. We will begin next
week's dialogue with that question.
As a reminder, we will continue our dialogue group meeting on
August 14, next THURSDAY evening, at 6:30. This will be the last
time we meet on Thursday. Beginning the following week we will
resume our regular meetings on Tuesdays. So the meeting for the
week after next will be on Tuesday, August 19, at the same time
and place.
We extend a cordial invitation to anyone interested in
sharing in our experiment to join us at the next meeting of the
group on August 7. The Dialogue Group meets in the Museum (the
room directly across the large foyer area as you enter the
building), located on First Avenue, immediately to the north of
the main church (which is on the corner of First Avenue and
Eleventh Street) at the far end of a elliptical driveway. There
is limited parking in the lot in front of the entrance with more
parking on the street. If you need additional information,
please contact me.
(Dialogue
Group 0703 - 39)
At our last meeting we began our discussion of the CNN
documentary on "Black in America." We had about
fifteen participants, almost all of whom had viewed the
documentary. The purpose of the discussion was to share our
feelings in response to the film. We began with several of our
African-American participants describing what they felt the
message of the series was and noting that they felt somewhat sad
or perhaps even overwhelmed by what Black folks, especially
young black men are doing to themselves. At the same time they
also related some experiences of their own where they have felt
some of the same discrimination that those interviewed in the
documentary had gone through. The common experience seemed to be
that there are still far too many examples of the continuing
existence of racism in the lives of black Americans. The white
participants could identify to some degree with these
experiences and how it must have felt, although no whites had
had similar experiences. Before coming to this dialogue session,
the whites who spoke up seemed to have felt that the series was
a good report on the present situation of black Americans, even
those who have "made it" and on those who still have a
ways to go.
The final discussion centered around the fact that the
documentary spoke very little about white privilege and laid no
responsibility on white Americans to do anything about the
current circumstances of blacks in America. The documentary
seemed to focus entirely on what blacks needed to do. Just
before closing for the evening the question was raised
concerning the documentary's exposition of the disproportionate
number of young black men in prison. Following some discussion
we ended with the question of why this is. We will begin next
week's dialogue with that question.
As a reminder, we will continue our dialogue group meetings
on THURSDAY evening, at 6:30. We extend a cordial invitation to
anyone interested in sharing in our experiment to join us at the
next meeting of the group on August 7. The Dialogue Group meets
in the Museum (the room directly across the large foyer area as
you enter the building), located on First Avenue, immediately to
the north of the main church (which is on the corner of First
Avenue and Eleventh Street) at the far end of a elliptical
driveway. There is limited parking in the lot in front of the
entrance with more parking on the street. If you need additional
information, please contact me.
(Dialogue
Group 0703 - 37)
The First Presbyterian dialogue group (Dialogue Group 0703)
continued its discussion on the differences between individuals
who described racially-related experiences in their lives. There
were three new participants in attendance. The meeting again
opened with a brief summary of the last several weeks
discussion. One of the participants shared a very moving
incident involving sexism compounded by racism. The other
participants joined in the dialogue with compassion and respect.
Both white and black participants shared additional race-related
stories of their own. Several persons raised the issue that the
group would like to hear more about the experiences of the white
participants. The dialogue continued in private after the
meeting ended. A trusting community seems to be developing which
even includes those who are relative newcomers to the dialogue.
Participants seem to be picking up the spirit of compassionate
listening from those who have been with the group for longer.
Hopefully all of us who participate will continue to learn of
the ways in which racism shows itself even in our time. It is
encouraging that people are gradually doing the hard work of
moving into personal reflection on the meaning of these shared
experiences, not only for the ones relating them but also for
those hearing them.
As a reminder, to accommodate the summer schedule of the
First Presbyterian Church, we are continuing our dialogue group
meetings on THURSDAYS, at 6:30. We extend a cordial invitation
to anyone interested in sharing in our experiment to join us at
the next meeting of the group on Thursday, July 17. The Dialogue
Group meets in the Museum (the room directly across the large
foyer area as you enter the building), located on First Avenue,
immediately to the north of the main church (which is on the
corner of First Avenue and Eleventh Street) at the far end of a
elliptical driveway. There is limited parking in the lot in
front of the entrance with more parking on the street. If you
need additional information, please contact me.
(Dialogue
Group 0703 - 35)
The First Presbyterian dialogue group (Dialogue Group
0703-35) continued its animated discussion on the differences
between the black (non-white) and white experiences in America
once again last Tuesday evening. The meeting began a little
around 6:40 and included several new persons. The meeting opened
with a summary of the last several weeks discussion on
understanding black liberation theology and, subsequently,
raising the issue of white privilege. The dialogue then moved on
sharing experiences involving race and the impact that it made
of those of us who had these experiences. Compassionate
listening and respect for what persons decided to share were the
keynotes of the dialogue. Both white and black participants
shared some of the stories of their own encounters with racism.
Questions from the group followed each presentation. All in all
the discussion was a good beginning of what is likely to be a
very emotional sharing experience. Hopefully all of us who
participate will learn something about how others have
experienced the effects of racism or the absence of effects
within their own lives.
As the short summary above indicates, the dialogue group
continues to probe more deeply into each of our own personal
reflections as we examine the differences arising out of our
diverse worldviews. This is a subject which ought to be of
interest to everyone in our community. Our discussion on next
Tuesday evening will continue this dialogue. I would again
suggest that each of us spend a little time exploring this topic
and be prepared to share our findings as well as our personal
feelings on the topic.
To accommodate the summer schedule of the First Presbyterian
Church, we are going to move our dialogue group meetings to
THURSDAY, beginning next week and continuing into August when
school reopens. Once again, I extend a cordial invitation to
anyone interested in understanding others and our diverse
histories or those who have information to contribute to join us
at the next meeting of the group on Thursday, July 10, at the
First Presbyterian Church. The Dialogue Group meets in the
Museum (the room directly across the large foyer area as you
enter the building) located on First Avenue, immediately to the
north of the main church (which is on the corner of First Avenue
and Eleventh Street) at the far end of a circular driveway.
There is limited parking in the parking lot in front of the
entrance with more parking on the street. If you need additional
information, please contact me.
(Dialogue
Group 0703 - 34)
The First Presbyterian dialogue group (Dialogue Group 0703 -
34) opened with a dialogue centering on what was our first
experience with race. The white participants responded first,
followed by a non-white response to the white observations.
Then, in turn the non-white participants responded to the same
question. There was a clear difference between the responses of
the two groups. Most whites stated that their first experiences
with race were with black servants. In contrast, while some of
the non-white responses referred to their first experience with
race was their recognition of the servant relationship of their
parents to whites. Others told of experiences which they had had
as blacks where they felt discriminated against or worse. Oddly
enough, neither whites nor non-whites identified their
experience with race in terms of their own self-experience. At
the end of the discussion, the group came face to face with the
need for each participant (when they are ready to do so) to
share his or her race-related experiences with the others. Only
in that way will we be able to "walk in the other's
shoes." That is the point at which we agreed to begin our
next meeting.
We all understand that this will be a challenge. For that
reason, the sharing will be completely voluntary.
Once again, I extend a cordial invitation to anyone
interested in understanding each other and our diverse histories
to join us at the next meeting of the group at 6:30 pm on
Tuesday, July 1, at the First Presbyterian Church. The Dialogue
Group meets in the Museum (the room directly across the large
foyer area as you enter the building) located on First Avenue,
immediately to the north of the main church (which is on the
corner of First Avenue and Eleventh Street) at the far end of a
circular driveway. There is limited parking in the parking lot
in front of the entrance with more parking on the street. If you
need additional information, please contact me.
(Dialogue Group 0703 - 24)
The First Presbyterian dialogue group (Dialogue Group 0703 -
24) continued its vigorous discussion once again last Tuesday
evening. The meeting began a little after 6:30 and included two
new persons. The group opened with a couple of participants
urging the group to begin thinking about moving into action.
Several commenters opined that dialogue is itself an action--an
action to more deeply understand each other and the experiences
which we have had during our lifetimes and thus grow in
compassion. One of the new participants reviewed her experience
growing up and noted that, until recently, she had really not
understood the pain of growing up black in America. She has
started reflecting on the slavery experience, the aftermath of
the civil war, the civil rights struggle, and the impact which
all of that must have had on non-white Americans. Another
participant noted that America is a society based on white
supremacy, which was the primary message of Dr. Wright in his
sermons and speeches. The Asian perspective on being in America
was briefly discussed as well.
As the short summary above indicates, the dialogue group
continues to probe deeply into the very personal impacts of our
diverse world. This is a subject which ought to be of interest
to everyone in our community. Our topic next Tuesday will be
whether ours is in fact a society based on white supremacy. I
would suggest that each of us spend a little time exploring this
topic and be prepared to share your findings as well as your
personal feelings on the topic.
Once again, I extend a cordial invitation to anyone
interested in understanding each other and our diverse histories
or those who have information to contribute to join us at the
next meeting of the group on Tuesday, June 3, at the First
Presbyterian Church. The Dialogue Group meets in the Museum (the
room directly across the large foyer area as you enter the
building) located on First Avenue, immediately to the north of
the main church (which is on the corner of First Avenue and
Eleventh Street) at the far end of a circular driveway. There is
limited parking in the parking lot in front of the entrance with
more parking on the street. If you need additional information,
please contact me.
p.s. Please forgive me if you receive duplicate copies of
this e-mail. If there are any errors or corrections needed,
please let me know by return e-mail. Thanks.
2007
Notes
from the 2007 series of Dialogue Groups
(Dialogue Group 0703 - 4)
We had another good session at our fourth session of the
dialogue group meeting at First Presbyterian Church.
Here is a brief summary of the highlights of the meeting. The
session began with a brief wrap-up of the Jena 6 discussion of
last week. We then turned to a letter to the editor in the
Ledger which asserted a "right to hate." A lively
discussion of that letter and what it might mean ensued and led
to the question as to whether we whites really understand or
even notice what a person of color experiences in day to day
life. Several of the participants shared experiences which they
had had relating to school, shopping and when they had been
stopped by the police. Again considerable progress was made in
understanding what the non-white experience was, specifically
the black experience.
At one point the question was raised as to what we can
actually do about this situation of unequal treatment of persons
of color. We had a brief discussion of that question. It turned
out that the suggestions were general in nature and the group
determined that perhaps it is necessary to get a deeper
understanding about what one participant identified as
"leaving my house each morning as male and black" to
get a better idea about what action we personally can take.
The group will meet for the fifth time to continue our
discussion of the topic of race related issues in present day
Columbus. I hope that you will be able to come and join us for
the discussion. We meet at 6:30 in what I will call the
fellowship building immediately adjacent to the Church on the
north side. Enter from First Avenue, northbound side. There is
plenty of parking on First Avenue and limited parking in the
small lot in front of the entrance to the fellowship building.
(Dialogue Group 0703 - 3)
At the last meeting of the dialogue group we discussed the
directions and format for future meetings. The group seemed
inclined to study further the impact of racism on American
culture and specifically on the attitudes and experiences of us
as Columbus residents. One of the values that we wanted to
preserve is the group's ability and willingness to share our
personal stories, many of which have been profoundly moving. To
that end the proposal was made to combine our study with our
personal experiences by having each one of the participants take
a turn leading the group discussion and joining his/her area of
interest or study with the personal dimension of why and how
that area of interest or study has affected his/her outlook.
We will not meet during Advent and the Christmas holidays.
Our next meeting will be on January 8 at the same time and
place, i.e., at the First Presbyterian meeting hall at 6:30pm.
For additional information, please contact me or Frazer Loomis
(at floomis@synovustrust.com or by phone at (706) 644-8951).
(Dialogue Group 0703 - 2)
The last meeting of the dialogue group was a discussion of
where we will go from here. The participants have decided to
remain together as a permanent dialogue group and, consequently,
needed to determine the direction in which the group will go in
the future. We discussed several possibilities. The goal of the
group is to continue to learn more about the differences among
us and to cherish those differences. To do that will require our
continued exploration of our differences and what they mean; how
we experience our differences; and what actions we might engage
in to overcome our prejudices. The group felt that by sharing
our personal stories we are enabled to experience how others
feel and thus develop both a deeper understanding as to where we
are in our diversity and greater compassion for others.
Among the possibilities we explored were the following:
1. We could read and discuss relevant books to learn more
about racial attitudes 2. We could invite persons in the
community to come in and discuss race-related issues with us 3.
We could focus on such issues that appear in current articles
that appear on the internet or in print 4. We could obtain,
watch and discuss pertinent videos 5. We could conduct group
visitations to schools, churches, civic or political
organizations or other institutions.
None of these are mutually exclusive and the group may wish
to implement several or even all of these possibilities.
The next meeting of the dialogue group will be at First
Presbyterian on Tuesday, November 27, after a Thanksgiving
holiday. We are extending a welcome to all of you and any others
whom you may wish to invite. If you wish to come and join us,
come to First Presbyterian Church on First Avenue between 12th
and 11th. Enter the small cul-de-sac just to the north of the
church (the 12th street side). There is limited parking there
(otherwise you can use the street for parking). We meet at 6:30
pm and go for an hour. Hope to see you there.
2006
Notes
from the 2006 series of Dialogue Groups
Dialogue Group 0601
St Luke's
United Methodist Church
Facilitator-
Berrien Zettler
Dialogue Group 0602
St.
Mary’s Building
Facilitator- Steve Chittum
Session1 Notes
Session 2 Notes
Session 3
Notes
Dialogue Group 0603
St. James AME Church
Darlene J. Porter,
Facilitator
Session 1 Notes
Ongoing
Dialogue Group 1
Ruth Ann’s- Ongoing
Click here for
information
Facilitator- Lee Brantley
Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday, 7:30 am.
$5 donation requested.
Dialogue Group 3
Barbers & Friends- Ongoing
Facilitator- Willie Coleman
2005
Notes from the 2005 series of Dialogue Groups
Dialogue Group 0501
Ruth Ann’s- Ongoing
Click here for information
Facilitator- Lee Brantley
DG0501 (Race
Relations Breakfast)
Dialogue Group 0502
House of Mercy- August
Facilitator- Steve Chittum
DG0502
Comments
Dialogue Group 0503
Barbers & Friends- Ongoing
Facilitator- Willie Coleman *
*Board liaison
Dialogue Group 0504
St Francis Hospital- September
Facilitator- Ed Booth
Dialogue Group 0505
Columbus Library- July
Facilitator- Ken Crooks
Dialogue Group 0506
East Highland United Methodist Church- November
Facilitator- Berrien Zettler
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