Good morning Friend --

"It is not the responsibility of one person, one group, or even one organization to drive this work. The responsibility belongs to all of us to participate in these honest, powerful, and moving experiences, and pursue this journey together. Through racial healing, we can all forge deep, meaningful relationships, lay the groundwork to transform broken systems, and create a world in which, together, we are a new force for positive change." - Healourcommunities.org

Thank you for joining our National Day of Racial Healing event. It was our pleasure to facilitate this community discussion with many of our Durham neighbors. We thank you for being vulnerable in sharing your thoughts and feelings around racial trauma and healing. As promised, we rounded up the resources our neighbors shared in the chat during our discussion...

• Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents By: Isabel Wilkerson- https://www.amazon.com/Caste-Origins-Discontents-Isabel-Wilkerson
• So You Want To Talk About Race By:Ijeoma Oluo- https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Talk-About-Race
• Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race By: Beverly Daniel Tatum- https://www.amazon.com/Black-Kids-Sitting-Together-Cafeteria

• The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America By Richard Rothstein - https://www.amazon.com/Color-Law-Forgotten-Government-Segregated/dp

• Preemptive Love Workshops (free and online) https://preemptivelove.org/peacemaking-racism
• New Local FB page- Accountable Action Project
• State of Black Health Virtual Conference($$$) https://www.stateofblackhealth.com/home
• A Better Wake- Dismantling Systemic Racism Resources

We also wanted to include some attendee comments(Again, thank you for sharing)...

"I know everyday that I'm black. That in itself is heavy!"

"I’ve actually never thought much about how race impacts my life. probably because i am white."

"I expect that my life is far easier for being white, but my spirit is troubled by that ease. I have done a fair amount in learning about racial equity. Now I want to put that learning to use but am still trying to discern, together with a group at our church, how to do that."

"I've attended some of racial equity institutes in Durham over the years. I go and it hurts me to realize how things are still the same."

"Systemic Racism doesn't simply "rear it’s ugly head." It's voted on enacted with policies and used to disenfranchise."

“Whiteness is a state of mind; it is even a moral choice” —James baldwin"

"Racial equity efforts must be action oriented conversations with next steps and measurable outcomes."

"I recommend everyone to take a look at the 2019  Durham County Community Health Assessment Survey, which was done by the Durham County Public Health Department."

"I'm not color blind. A person's color is the first thing I see.  It's how I respond to the differences. Diversity can be our strength."

"... So important to remember allyship isn't passive. Allyship is active and requires action!"

" The most devastating, persistent barrier arise from our nation's entrenched history of racial injustice. Throughout American History, public policy has both intentionally-often violently and unintentionally disadvantage communities of color. This legacy of racism embedded in these policies had negatively impacted the well-being of past, present and future generation of color."

So, what's next?

Interested in continuing this conversation with family and friends? Head over to the National Day of Racial Healing's "Take Action" page to download the TAKE ACTION TOOLKIT and CONVERSATION GUIDE.

Also, sign up for our next Community Stories: Brookstown! This year, we're focusing on historically Black and African American neighborhoods throughout Durham. 

Thanks again for participating in our community discussion!

-Your Community Engagement Team