One thought on “The Experience of Racism in Ithaca, NY, with Lisa P. Christian and Jay Smith”
I have just now finished listening to you Peaches, Lisa, Jay, and Eric in conversation about racism in Ithaca. It was my second listening, yet the notes I jotted remind me of concepts, feelings, observations and experiences so big and real that I need repeated exposure and to talk face to face with you as in the very conversation I witnessed here, to own the lessons. Grateful to hear feelings of real people’s experience, yet humbled or embarrassed by my inability to remember it all. Knowing better and caring about (loving) Peaches and Jay, I think I remember more of what they shared.
Examples: Jay mentioned to me The Cedar Cabin Sangha, knowing I identify more with Buddhism/meditation than ‘religions’ as an invitation to participate with him and them. I have another commitment to two young women of color that same night and I regret a missed opportunity ~ especially after hearing about the Sangha for people of color only.
Personalizing offenses taken DOES get people off the hook for taking care of their own feelings. White Fragility was good at pointing that out ~ but it’s true, reading books is way less authentic because as someone said, it denies peoples personal experience. Couldn’t agree more when Peaches said, “If you lump me together with all blacks then you start applying ‘Race Rules’ when you don’t even know a person as an individual!” That was helpful. I couldn’t agree more that we have to do relentless and constant interrogation of ourselves, as Jay pointed out J. Krishna Murti said.
Europeans do need to go out of our way to get to know Black people better, specifically because blacks have to live in a white dominated culture. And there is no ‘manual’ we can read ~ we need to know each other by breaking bread together. “Respect me and respect my rights (and dignity) as a human being!” as Jay said, is what belonging is all about and gets rid of ‘othering’ people causing the division called racism.
Love’s Executioner ~ ‘We must be concrete and correct in our communication & ‘equitable currency’ were both thought provoking ~ yet I can’t completely recall.
I can believe what was stated, that “Abuses become institutionalized in Cornell and since Cornell makes up “the company town”. Which is why continual conversations and letter writing are so important to sticking up for people being abused. It is a concrete way to interrupt a racist orientation in Ithaca. I have learned the truth about constant processing for the rest of my life being essential. Peaches’ example of having received a recommendation to a ‘really good doctor’ and then her experience of being treated poorly because she is black is horrific, awful, unacceptable, AND believable! We must have all eyes and ears on racism to speak up for our friends and neighbors, black human beings who deserve the same respect and rights as whites. We will intervene, speak to store managers with racist employees, write letters…
It’s after midnight and way past my bedtime. I certainly hope this is coherent because I don’t know how to save it. Thank you participants for all your time and caring to be heard.
I have just now finished listening to you Peaches, Lisa, Jay, and Eric in conversation about racism in Ithaca. It was my second listening, yet the notes I jotted remind me of concepts, feelings, observations and experiences so big and real that I need repeated exposure and to talk face to face with you as in the very conversation I witnessed here, to own the lessons. Grateful to hear feelings of real people’s experience, yet humbled or embarrassed by my inability to remember it all. Knowing better and caring about (loving) Peaches and Jay, I think I remember more of what they shared.
Examples: Jay mentioned to me The Cedar Cabin Sangha, knowing I identify more with Buddhism/meditation than ‘religions’ as an invitation to participate with him and them. I have another commitment to two young women of color that same night and I regret a missed opportunity ~ especially after hearing about the Sangha for people of color only.
Personalizing offenses taken DOES get people off the hook for taking care of their own feelings. White Fragility was good at pointing that out ~ but it’s true, reading books is way less authentic because as someone said, it denies peoples personal experience. Couldn’t agree more when Peaches said, “If you lump me together with all blacks then you start applying ‘Race Rules’ when you don’t even know a person as an individual!” That was helpful. I couldn’t agree more that we have to do relentless and constant interrogation of ourselves, as Jay pointed out J. Krishna Murti said.
Europeans do need to go out of our way to get to know Black people better, specifically because blacks have to live in a white dominated culture. And there is no ‘manual’ we can read ~ we need to know each other by breaking bread together. “Respect me and respect my rights (and dignity) as a human being!” as Jay said, is what belonging is all about and gets rid of ‘othering’ people causing the division called racism.
Love’s Executioner ~ ‘We must be concrete and correct in our communication & ‘equitable currency’ were both thought provoking ~ yet I can’t completely recall.
I can believe what was stated, that “Abuses become institutionalized in Cornell and since Cornell makes up “the company town”. Which is why continual conversations and letter writing are so important to sticking up for people being abused. It is a concrete way to interrupt a racist orientation in Ithaca. I have learned the truth about constant processing for the rest of my life being essential. Peaches’ example of having received a recommendation to a ‘really good doctor’ and then her experience of being treated poorly because she is black is horrific, awful, unacceptable, AND believable! We must have all eyes and ears on racism to speak up for our friends and neighbors, black human beings who deserve the same respect and rights as whites. We will intervene, speak to store managers with racist employees, write letters…
It’s after midnight and way past my bedtime. I certainly hope this is coherent because I don’t know how to save it. Thank you participants for all your time and caring to be heard.