|
We Are All One
by Bill Drake The Union Newspaper, Letters to the Editor Grass Valley, CA Published Aug. 25, 2015 Note: This letter focuses on our “oneness.” In doing so, I do not ignore our differences, which need to be honored and celebrated. Nor do I ignore the fact that people who are not white tend to have a different experience in America than white people. In the Aug. 8 “Feedback” column, Greg Zeller makes the point that “we…need to look deeper and find the humanity in every person instead of judging people by appearance.” I completely agree. Our “sameness” is far more significant than our differences. The American Anthropological Association (AAA) notes that racial groups differ in only 6% of their genes and “that there is greater variation within [them] than between them…” They note that human cultural behavior is learned and subject to modification, and not related to “race.” On their website the AAA states that the concept of racial superiority “was invented to assign some groups to perpetual low status, while others were permitted access to privilege, power, and wealth. The tragedy in the U.S. has been that these policies and practices…succeeded all too well in construction of unequal populations.” While we are one human family, the last sentence in the quote concerns me. Until we grasp the profound truth Mr. Zeller is so aware of, and the ideal of seeing our oneness matches the reality, it is essential that we work toward justice and equality for all. This means, in part, “unlearning prejudice.” Thank you Greg Zeller for your perspective._ |
"Black Lives Matter" is Not About Better or Worse
by Bill Drake
The Union Newspaper, "Other voices"
Grass Valley, CA
Submitted August 2, 2015
Note: This was written in response to another writer's column. This version was edited to remove her name.
In an Aug. 1 “Other Voices” column (“It’s not a black-and-white issue”), the writer raised some valid concerns, but the writer misunderstood the purpose of the “Black Lives Matter” movement. One of her points was that “All Lives Matter,” and we shouldn’t “make out any race to be better or more deserving.” Her concern is valid, and I totally agree. However, the intention of the “Black Lives Matter” slogan is not to say black lives matter more, but that black lives matter just as much as white lives and the lives of other races.
In an article about the slogan “All Lives Matter,” black writer Donna Brazile notes that black deaths, including at the hands of those police who seriously abuse their authority, are not taken as seriously in our society as deaths of whites. Brazile agrees that all lives matter, but writes, “[W]hen someone says ALL lives matter, it can sound like that person is dismissing the specific pain behind the [‘Black Lives Matter’] slogan.” That pain comes from seeing such recent videos as that of a law officer shooting a black man in the back and appearing to plant a weapon next to the body. Were it not for that video, the murder might have gone unquestioned due to the officer’s falsifying his report.
As the “Other Voices” author rightly points out, whatever violence occurs within black communities should be a matter of concern, but that does not negate the importance of also being concerned about undue police violence towards blacks. These are two different issues.
I am very glad we have a local police department, and I am not suggesting all, or even most, law officials abuse their authority, but it is clear to me that some do. One possible factor that has to be considered when a white officer abuses his (/her) authority with a black person is conscious or unconscious bias or racism. In an experiment in Denver, police officers and members of the community were presented photos of both black and white men with objects that were either a gun or something harmless like a wallet. For each picture the participant had to quickly select a “shoot” or “don’t shoot” button. The officers were better at deciding whether or not the subject was armed, but the test results demonstrated a bias against the black men.
In February, FBI director James Comely gave a speech at Georgetown University. While expressing well deserved gratitude toward law enforcement officers and the risks they take, Comely also acknowledged that there are biases within law enforcement. As reported in the New York Times (Nov. 21, 2014), a Durham, NC coalition of community members presented to their police department data showing that “Durham police searched black male motorists at more than twice the rate of white males during stops. Drugs and other illicit material were found no more often on blacks.” Confronted with the evidence, the police department changed some of its policies.
The justice department’s March report on police tactics in Ferguson, MO, concluded that the city unfairly targeted African Americans for tickets and arrests. In St Louis, over many years, poor blacks were jailed for being unable to pay a traffic fine. (The St. Louis Tea Party coalition joined the ACLU in supporting a measure before the state assembly to stop this practice.) These are just a few examples. The point is not to attack our police departments but to change policies that unfairly target blacks, to find ways to weed out officers who are likely to abuse their authority, and to train the remainder to guard against unconscious biases.
The “Other Voices” article included a beautiful conclusion: “[We need to] all work together to ensure that everyone, regardless of race, creed, or color has the same opportunity….” A part of doing that is seeing that black lives matter just as much as other lives and working to counter racism where it exists in our society, in our community, and in ourselves.
Bill Drake lives in Nevada City. He co-founded Creating Communities Beyond Bias, an organization that endeavors to help Nevada County become an empowered community that supports and honors diversity. Among other things, CCBB does workshops on unlearning prejudice for local students. He is the author of Almost Hereditary, A White Southerner’s Journey Out of Racism, A Guide to Unlearning and Healing Prejudice. His website is www.healracism.com.
The Union Newspaper, "Other voices"
Grass Valley, CA
Submitted August 2, 2015
Note: This was written in response to another writer's column. This version was edited to remove her name.
In an Aug. 1 “Other Voices” column (“It’s not a black-and-white issue”), the writer raised some valid concerns, but the writer misunderstood the purpose of the “Black Lives Matter” movement. One of her points was that “All Lives Matter,” and we shouldn’t “make out any race to be better or more deserving.” Her concern is valid, and I totally agree. However, the intention of the “Black Lives Matter” slogan is not to say black lives matter more, but that black lives matter just as much as white lives and the lives of other races.
In an article about the slogan “All Lives Matter,” black writer Donna Brazile notes that black deaths, including at the hands of those police who seriously abuse their authority, are not taken as seriously in our society as deaths of whites. Brazile agrees that all lives matter, but writes, “[W]hen someone says ALL lives matter, it can sound like that person is dismissing the specific pain behind the [‘Black Lives Matter’] slogan.” That pain comes from seeing such recent videos as that of a law officer shooting a black man in the back and appearing to plant a weapon next to the body. Were it not for that video, the murder might have gone unquestioned due to the officer’s falsifying his report.
As the “Other Voices” author rightly points out, whatever violence occurs within black communities should be a matter of concern, but that does not negate the importance of also being concerned about undue police violence towards blacks. These are two different issues.
I am very glad we have a local police department, and I am not suggesting all, or even most, law officials abuse their authority, but it is clear to me that some do. One possible factor that has to be considered when a white officer abuses his (/her) authority with a black person is conscious or unconscious bias or racism. In an experiment in Denver, police officers and members of the community were presented photos of both black and white men with objects that were either a gun or something harmless like a wallet. For each picture the participant had to quickly select a “shoot” or “don’t shoot” button. The officers were better at deciding whether or not the subject was armed, but the test results demonstrated a bias against the black men.
In February, FBI director James Comely gave a speech at Georgetown University. While expressing well deserved gratitude toward law enforcement officers and the risks they take, Comely also acknowledged that there are biases within law enforcement. As reported in the New York Times (Nov. 21, 2014), a Durham, NC coalition of community members presented to their police department data showing that “Durham police searched black male motorists at more than twice the rate of white males during stops. Drugs and other illicit material were found no more often on blacks.” Confronted with the evidence, the police department changed some of its policies.
The justice department’s March report on police tactics in Ferguson, MO, concluded that the city unfairly targeted African Americans for tickets and arrests. In St Louis, over many years, poor blacks were jailed for being unable to pay a traffic fine. (The St. Louis Tea Party coalition joined the ACLU in supporting a measure before the state assembly to stop this practice.) These are just a few examples. The point is not to attack our police departments but to change policies that unfairly target blacks, to find ways to weed out officers who are likely to abuse their authority, and to train the remainder to guard against unconscious biases.
The “Other Voices” article included a beautiful conclusion: “[We need to] all work together to ensure that everyone, regardless of race, creed, or color has the same opportunity….” A part of doing that is seeing that black lives matter just as much as other lives and working to counter racism where it exists in our society, in our community, and in ourselves.
Bill Drake lives in Nevada City. He co-founded Creating Communities Beyond Bias, an organization that endeavors to help Nevada County become an empowered community that supports and honors diversity. Among other things, CCBB does workshops on unlearning prejudice for local students. He is the author of Almost Hereditary, A White Southerner’s Journey Out of Racism, A Guide to Unlearning and Healing Prejudice. His website is www.healracism.com.
The Confederate Flag and Racism
by Bill Drake
The Union Newspaper, “Other voices”
Grass Valley, CA
Published July 4, 2015
Note: "[California]" added to published letter for this post
I was born in 1945 in Virginia and grew up during the Jim Crow era, when the law of the land kept blacks and other minorities in an inferior position. My family, which firmly believed in white supremacy, was proud of the Confederate flag, our Southern heritage, and our connection to slavery.
My mother’s paternal grandfather was Lt. Col. William Henry FitzGerald, a slave owner and Civil War hero who commanded Mississippi’s Tallahatchie Rifles under General Robert E. Lee. A statue in honor of him and his regiment can be found at the Tallahatchie County court house in Sumner. After the war, he helped create the Jim Crow era as a Mississippi state senator. My mother’s maternal grandfather also fought for the South. At least three generations of my mother’s ancestors on that side of her family were slave plantation owners.
As I gradually came to confront my own racism (which I still struggle with) and oppose the racism in my family and our country, my view of the Confederate flag, and my family history, changed.
The Confederate flag can not just be found in the South. I have seen it on Nevada County [California] vehicles and flying beside a Grass Valley [California] home. I am always amazed to hear people say that the flag is not related to slavery and racism. This is a very naive view at best. Of course one could say that the South’s decision to form the Confederacy related to a belief in state’s rights. However, the principle factor in the decision to secede from the Union was the fact that Lincoln, who opposed the spread of slavery, was elected president. There would not have been the issue of states rights were there not a concern that the institution of slavery might become threatened.
If anyone doubts my contention that the formation of the Confederacy, and therefore the flag that represented it, were not related to racism, I offer these words from a speech given on March 21, 1861 by Alexander H. Stephens, the Vice-President of the Confederacy:
“The new [Confederate] constitution has put to rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to . . . slavery[,] as it exists amongst us the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution. . . .
“Our new government is founded[,] . . . it’s cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. Thus, our new government is the first in the history of the world based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.”
The Confederate flag is tied to a belief in white supremacy. It relates to racism just as much as the Nazi swastika. It is a symbol that is deeply offensive to many of our nation’s citizens, and it is well past the time that it should be removed from public display.
Bill Drake is the author of Almost Hereditary: A White Southerner’s Journey Out of Racism, A Guide for Unlearning and Healing Prejudice. He co-founded Creating Communities Beyond Bias, which works to reduce prejudice in Nevada County, CA by doing workshops for students and other activities. His website is www.healracism.com.
The Union Newspaper, “Other voices”
Grass Valley, CA
Published July 4, 2015
Note: "[California]" added to published letter for this post
I was born in 1945 in Virginia and grew up during the Jim Crow era, when the law of the land kept blacks and other minorities in an inferior position. My family, which firmly believed in white supremacy, was proud of the Confederate flag, our Southern heritage, and our connection to slavery.
My mother’s paternal grandfather was Lt. Col. William Henry FitzGerald, a slave owner and Civil War hero who commanded Mississippi’s Tallahatchie Rifles under General Robert E. Lee. A statue in honor of him and his regiment can be found at the Tallahatchie County court house in Sumner. After the war, he helped create the Jim Crow era as a Mississippi state senator. My mother’s maternal grandfather also fought for the South. At least three generations of my mother’s ancestors on that side of her family were slave plantation owners.
As I gradually came to confront my own racism (which I still struggle with) and oppose the racism in my family and our country, my view of the Confederate flag, and my family history, changed.
The Confederate flag can not just be found in the South. I have seen it on Nevada County [California] vehicles and flying beside a Grass Valley [California] home. I am always amazed to hear people say that the flag is not related to slavery and racism. This is a very naive view at best. Of course one could say that the South’s decision to form the Confederacy related to a belief in state’s rights. However, the principle factor in the decision to secede from the Union was the fact that Lincoln, who opposed the spread of slavery, was elected president. There would not have been the issue of states rights were there not a concern that the institution of slavery might become threatened.
If anyone doubts my contention that the formation of the Confederacy, and therefore the flag that represented it, were not related to racism, I offer these words from a speech given on March 21, 1861 by Alexander H. Stephens, the Vice-President of the Confederacy:
“The new [Confederate] constitution has put to rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to . . . slavery[,] as it exists amongst us the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution. . . .
“Our new government is founded[,] . . . it’s cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. Thus, our new government is the first in the history of the world based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.”
The Confederate flag is tied to a belief in white supremacy. It relates to racism just as much as the Nazi swastika. It is a symbol that is deeply offensive to many of our nation’s citizens, and it is well past the time that it should be removed from public display.
Bill Drake is the author of Almost Hereditary: A White Southerner’s Journey Out of Racism, A Guide for Unlearning and Healing Prejudice. He co-founded Creating Communities Beyond Bias, which works to reduce prejudice in Nevada County, CA by doing workshops for students and other activities. His website is www.healracism.com.
Racism and Poverty in America
by Bill Drake
The Union Newspaper, “Other voices”
Grass Valley, CA
Published May 4, 2017
Racism has been a significant contributor to poverty for racial minorities in the U.S.
Historically it has been directed at indigenous peoples, Asians, Hispanics, and blacks.
American slavery existed for 240 years and was followed by a century of harsh “Jim Crow” laws in the South (which sometimes applied to all non-whites) and blatant racism in the North. During this time, blacks and other minorities were generally excluded from land grants and employment opportunities that strengthened our country. Even after the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s, while things improved, discrimination continued in the areas of housing, employment, and education. Inherited wealth and cultural exposure to social skills and social connections related to getting better jobs, better housing, and a better education have also put whites at an economic advantage.
But do we really have racial discrimination in housing and employment today?
In 2012, the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development published, “Housing Discrimination Against Racial and Ethnic Minorities,” based on 8,000 experiments conducted in 28 cities. During the experiments, two equally matched individuals, one white, and the other non-white, inquired about rentals.
The study showed that “Black, Hispanic, and Asian renters are all told about fewer housing units than equally qualified white renters…. The fair housing challenges facing the United States today extend beyond the discriminatory practices documented by this study. Beginning with the Great Migration of blacks from the rural south to northern and mid-western cities, discrimination by landlords and real estate agents blocked minorities from moving into white neighborhoods and produced high levels of residential segregation in metropolitan areas across the country.
“Too often, blacks and other minorities were excluded from neighborhoods with high-quality housing, schools, and other public services. Lenders have been less willing to invest in predominantly minority communities or have offered predatory loans and loan terms that stripped wealth from minority homeowners…. Today, even middle-class minority neighborhoods have lower house price appreciation, fewer neighborhood amenities, lower-performing schools, and higher crime than white neighborhoods with comparable income levels. Rigorous research documents the high costs of racial and ethnic segregation—not just for individuals but for society as a whole.”
In anther study, social scientists emailed nearly 5,000 resumes in response to a wide variety of job ads in Chicago and Boston papers. For the randomly assigned fictitious names of the applicants, names were used suggesting either black or white applicants. Some applicants appeared highly qualified, while others did not.
Applicants with white-sounding names received 50% more callbacks for interviews. The researchers noted that, “The racial gap is uniform across occupation, industry, and employer size….Differential treatment by race still appears to be prominent in the US labor market.” (“Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination,” Bertrand and Mullainathan, The American Economic Review)
As long as there is racism in America minorities will have an economic disadvantage.
by Bill Drake
The Union Newspaper, “Other voices”
Grass Valley, CA
Published May 4, 2017
Racism has been a significant contributor to poverty for racial minorities in the U.S.
Historically it has been directed at indigenous peoples, Asians, Hispanics, and blacks.
American slavery existed for 240 years and was followed by a century of harsh “Jim Crow” laws in the South (which sometimes applied to all non-whites) and blatant racism in the North. During this time, blacks and other minorities were generally excluded from land grants and employment opportunities that strengthened our country. Even after the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s, while things improved, discrimination continued in the areas of housing, employment, and education. Inherited wealth and cultural exposure to social skills and social connections related to getting better jobs, better housing, and a better education have also put whites at an economic advantage.
But do we really have racial discrimination in housing and employment today?
In 2012, the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development published, “Housing Discrimination Against Racial and Ethnic Minorities,” based on 8,000 experiments conducted in 28 cities. During the experiments, two equally matched individuals, one white, and the other non-white, inquired about rentals.
The study showed that “Black, Hispanic, and Asian renters are all told about fewer housing units than equally qualified white renters…. The fair housing challenges facing the United States today extend beyond the discriminatory practices documented by this study. Beginning with the Great Migration of blacks from the rural south to northern and mid-western cities, discrimination by landlords and real estate agents blocked minorities from moving into white neighborhoods and produced high levels of residential segregation in metropolitan areas across the country.
“Too often, blacks and other minorities were excluded from neighborhoods with high-quality housing, schools, and other public services. Lenders have been less willing to invest in predominantly minority communities or have offered predatory loans and loan terms that stripped wealth from minority homeowners…. Today, even middle-class minority neighborhoods have lower house price appreciation, fewer neighborhood amenities, lower-performing schools, and higher crime than white neighborhoods with comparable income levels. Rigorous research documents the high costs of racial and ethnic segregation—not just for individuals but for society as a whole.”
In anther study, social scientists emailed nearly 5,000 resumes in response to a wide variety of job ads in Chicago and Boston papers. For the randomly assigned fictitious names of the applicants, names were used suggesting either black or white applicants. Some applicants appeared highly qualified, while others did not.
Applicants with white-sounding names received 50% more callbacks for interviews. The researchers noted that, “The racial gap is uniform across occupation, industry, and employer size….Differential treatment by race still appears to be prominent in the US labor market.” (“Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination,” Bertrand and Mullainathan, The American Economic Review)
As long as there is racism in America minorities will have an economic disadvantage.
Local author honors Martin Luther King Jr.
by Ivan Natividad
January 20, 2015
The Union Newspaper
Grass Valley, CA -- To celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, local patrons attended a lecture by Nevada County activist Bill Drake, author of “Almost Hereditary: A White Southerner’s Journey Out of Racism, A Guide for Unlearning and Healing Prejudice.”
“He was a very profound visionary,” Drake said. “For me, he’s been a great inspiration in my life — his spiritual wisdom and great vision. He wasn’t just working for black people, he was working for all humankind. He wanted to create a just society, a beloved society and a fair world. His sense of seeing how we’re all connected was almost unheard of at that time.”
In honor of the great civil rights leader, Drake invited an audience of more than 70 to participate in a discussion about Drake’s own past as a young child of the South, describing how he broke away from the prejudiced upbringing his family raised him to believe.
“My mother was my link to white supremacy,” Drake said Monday night. “It was like she poisoned me with a poisoned apple, bite by bite by bite. The poison was so strong for me that as a young man I would say derogatory things to people in black neighborhoods.”
Held at 7 p.m. at the Unity in the Gold Country Spiritual Center in Grass Valley, the free event featured poems and readings from the diary of Drake’s great-great-grandmother, whose sons fought in the Civil War and owned slave plantations in Mississippi.
Jeannie Wood, executive director of the Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra, attended the event Monday night and said Drake’s lecture promoted diversity in the local community, something her organization supports.
“I think it’s great timing especially with the movie out now, ‘Selma,’” Wood said. “Everything is so timely and relevant with what the world is going through right now and in the United States … (Martin Luther King Jr.) was a leader and still is, and being Asian-American we ran on the coattails of what he paved for all of us.”
Grass Valley couple George and Barbara Dean said the speaking was a chance for them to relive their own personal experiences.
“I was stationed in Arlington, Va., during the ‘I have a dream speech,’” George Dean said. “I was inspired quite greatly during that time, and it was a very moving time and I still remain connected to it.”
“For me coming here is to honor Dr. King and to support the kind of things that are being done in our community to honor him, and also to look within ourselves to see what prejudices that are lurking there that we may not know are there,” Barbara Dean added.
Drake also gave attendees an opportunity to understand how the history behind prejudice in the United States relates to modern day discrimination.
“I think part of what I’d like to see is people be inspired. Inspired to work toward social justice,” said Drake. “To work towards countering prejudice, and have more of a sense of the past so they can relate it to the present. That’s really important and helpful at looking at what we do today.”
As the co-founder of Creating Communities Beyond Bias, a local group offering workshops for high school students related to unlearning prejudice,
Drake has taken a proactive approach to helping young kids understand ways to combat racist and prejudice inclinations by sharing his own experiences.
Nevada Union High School senior Grace Baker is a student leader of NU’s social justice group, which meets every Tuesday during lunchtime, to address concerns around prejudice on campus and in the community.
“It’s something that we should really face as a high school just at Nevada Union. I think that people should know about the roots of racism and changing those attitudes,” Baker said.
Baker added that Drake’s event helps to further the local conversation on race relations for people of all ages.
“The fact that some people think that racism doesn’t exist anymore is the main problem,” Baker said. “We need to notice that it still does exist and I think that it’s really important to see that people can overcome it and unlearn those behaviors. So I think this is a great way to open our eyes and learn and teach others to unlearn them.”
To contact Staff Writer Ivan Natividad, email [email protected] or call 530-477-4236.
January 20, 2015
The Union Newspaper
Grass Valley, CA -- To celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, local patrons attended a lecture by Nevada County activist Bill Drake, author of “Almost Hereditary: A White Southerner’s Journey Out of Racism, A Guide for Unlearning and Healing Prejudice.”
“He was a very profound visionary,” Drake said. “For me, he’s been a great inspiration in my life — his spiritual wisdom and great vision. He wasn’t just working for black people, he was working for all humankind. He wanted to create a just society, a beloved society and a fair world. His sense of seeing how we’re all connected was almost unheard of at that time.”
In honor of the great civil rights leader, Drake invited an audience of more than 70 to participate in a discussion about Drake’s own past as a young child of the South, describing how he broke away from the prejudiced upbringing his family raised him to believe.
“My mother was my link to white supremacy,” Drake said Monday night. “It was like she poisoned me with a poisoned apple, bite by bite by bite. The poison was so strong for me that as a young man I would say derogatory things to people in black neighborhoods.”
Held at 7 p.m. at the Unity in the Gold Country Spiritual Center in Grass Valley, the free event featured poems and readings from the diary of Drake’s great-great-grandmother, whose sons fought in the Civil War and owned slave plantations in Mississippi.
Jeannie Wood, executive director of the Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra, attended the event Monday night and said Drake’s lecture promoted diversity in the local community, something her organization supports.
“I think it’s great timing especially with the movie out now, ‘Selma,’” Wood said. “Everything is so timely and relevant with what the world is going through right now and in the United States … (Martin Luther King Jr.) was a leader and still is, and being Asian-American we ran on the coattails of what he paved for all of us.”
Grass Valley couple George and Barbara Dean said the speaking was a chance for them to relive their own personal experiences.
“I was stationed in Arlington, Va., during the ‘I have a dream speech,’” George Dean said. “I was inspired quite greatly during that time, and it was a very moving time and I still remain connected to it.”
“For me coming here is to honor Dr. King and to support the kind of things that are being done in our community to honor him, and also to look within ourselves to see what prejudices that are lurking there that we may not know are there,” Barbara Dean added.
Drake also gave attendees an opportunity to understand how the history behind prejudice in the United States relates to modern day discrimination.
“I think part of what I’d like to see is people be inspired. Inspired to work toward social justice,” said Drake. “To work towards countering prejudice, and have more of a sense of the past so they can relate it to the present. That’s really important and helpful at looking at what we do today.”
As the co-founder of Creating Communities Beyond Bias, a local group offering workshops for high school students related to unlearning prejudice,
Drake has taken a proactive approach to helping young kids understand ways to combat racist and prejudice inclinations by sharing his own experiences.
Nevada Union High School senior Grace Baker is a student leader of NU’s social justice group, which meets every Tuesday during lunchtime, to address concerns around prejudice on campus and in the community.
“It’s something that we should really face as a high school just at Nevada Union. I think that people should know about the roots of racism and changing those attitudes,” Baker said.
Baker added that Drake’s event helps to further the local conversation on race relations for people of all ages.
“The fact that some people think that racism doesn’t exist anymore is the main problem,” Baker said. “We need to notice that it still does exist and I think that it’s really important to see that people can overcome it and unlearn those behaviors. So I think this is a great way to open our eyes and learn and teach others to unlearn them.”
To contact Staff Writer Ivan Natividad, email [email protected] or call 530-477-4236.
