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Racism and racial prejudice and value of listening

- Dick Myers -

Friday, July 3, was a special meeting of our group for several reasons.

First, of course, was the fact that it preceded our national holiday by one day, during which we celebrate the nation that we have all believed that we lived in. Recent news makes it seem that the nation we honor is merely an aspiration, not a reality. On this holiday, we should honor the value of having that aspiration. It is what has bound us together and struck a chord around the world   that has inspired so many good things. Many people have come here from all over the world because of that inspiration and have improved their lives and this country by doing so. That, too, is real, and we need to remember it.

In our April 16 meeting, we felt that we should reach out to other villages to learn about what they are doing and share what we are doing. We can report some success in that initiative.

Other things made this meeting noteworthy:

• We had two visitors from Texas and Massachusetts, non-Village members, who were interested in the topic and wanted to learn more about the Village movement.
• We had two visitors from villages in Northern California, who heard about our discussion, one from San Francisco and one from Marin County.
• We had a representative from a hub-and-spoke Village in Portland OR who is starting a diversity-oriented group there and wanted to learn more about our procedure and activities.
• A Netflix movie, “I am not your Negro”, was recommended as viewing for the group. This is a movie about James Baldwin that has been available free on Netflix, which we believe now requires a subscription.
• A point was raised about the importance of listening when in discussions about race and racism. Recognize the fears of people who are not accepting of the need to address this issue in society. This idea echoes the lesson seen in the seminar presented by the Village Movement California in a recent session.
• We had a brief discussion on the differences between racism and racial prejudice.
• Someone commented that “young people are the salvation of the country; skepticism of change is overwhelming.”

All said, it was one more stimulating and rich discussion of an important issue in our time.