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Discussion Group

 
Discussion #15:  The 1619 Project (Continued) - Tuesday, April 5th from 7-8:30 PM
 
Read the book everyone is talking about! Join your neighbors on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at 7 PM as we continue our thought-provoking discussion centered around The 1619 Project. By now, most of us will have read at least part of the book, and we will be discussing our experiences reading. All are welcome.
 
Please RSVP if interested, and/or if you have any questions, address them to coh.di.committee@gmail.com by April 4th to receive the Zoom link.
 

Discussion #14:  The 1619 Project - Tuesday, March 1st, from 7-8:30 PM

We’re moving in a slightly different direction for the next few months.  Join your neighbors as two regular participants facilatate a thought-provoking discussion centered around The 1619 Project. We will kick off the conversation with an introduction to the book, *no prior reading is required to join on March 1st, and all are welcome! 

 
Please RSVP for Zoom information by February 27th to COH.DI.Committee@gmail.com.
 

Discussion #13:  Presentation of Video “Let’s Grow” - Wednesday, February 23rd, from 7-8:30PM. 

This very powerful and emotional 16 minute video is described as being:  “A ground-breaking and disruptive spoken word film that depicts the polarizing struggle between black and white people in America. ‘Let’s Grow’ bravely confronts the uncomfortable and polarizing conversations Americans are having today in an emotional and unapologetic manner.”     
                                 
As always, we will follow the video with a discussion.  *There are no advance readings, and the discussion following will be totally participant driven, meaningful and enlightening.  
 
Please RSVP for Zoom information by Tuesday, February 22nd, to COH.DI.Committee@gmail.com.
 

Discussion #12: The History of Discriminatory Housing in the U.S. - CONTINUED (Wednesday, November 17th at 7pm) 

In September, the Croton D&I Committee Discussion group began a discussion around historical housing practices and the connection to today's wealth gap...but so much material and so little time! Join us for the continued conversation as we dig a little deeper into the resources originally provided on the D&I Discussion group website (see D&I Discussion #10).

If interested in joining the discussion, please RSVP by Tuesday, November 16th, to COH.DI.Committee@gmail.com.

Discussion 11:  Christopher Columbus and Indiginous Peoples Day - Wednesday, October 27th – 7pm –

Please join the Village of Croton Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the upcoming discussion on the polarized perceptions of one of America’s most infamous historical figures – Christopher Columbus – and the day that was originally named for him. From celebrating this Italian explorer’s achievements and "discovery" of the New World to denouncing him for his role and complicity in the resulting African-American Slave Trade and suppression of Indigenous people, share your views on the celebration vs. the controversy in a conversation that welcomes all points of view! 

We recommend you view/read the below resources prior to the meeting, if your time allows:
 
Please watch the video in advance and bring any comments/questions/concerns.  We will NOT be re-playing the video as part of the discussion.
 
Please RSVP for Zoom information by Tuesday, Oct. 26th to COH.DI.Committee@gmail.com.

Discussion #10: The History of Discriminatory Housing in the U.S. (Wednesday, September 8th at 7pm) 

Join us for the continued conversation around systemic, institutional racism with a focus this time, specifically on housing and its role in the wealth gap. This review will focus on certain practices - including red-lining and the administration of the GI Bill -  that contributed to a significant wealth disparity between whites and POC that persists today. If you are not familiar with this topic, it will be a VERY enlightening conversation! 
 
We recommend you review as many of the below as your time allows, though for time management purposes, the discussion will focus on the first two videos -  
 
VIDEOS: 
  1. **Segregation by Design (Rothstein)  (17min)
ARTICLES:
  1. Article based on Richard Rothstein’s book The Color of Law (as is 1st video)
 
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
  1. Retail Redlining in New York City: Racialized Access to Day-to-Day Retail Resources (actual study, lengthy with stats)
If interested in joining the discussion, please RSVP by Monday, September 6th, to COH.DI.Committee@gmail.com.
(Zoom link will be sent out September 7th.)
Discussion #9: June 24, 7pm.  The Evolving Language of Gender and Sexuality. Pride Month celebrates diversity and love in so many ways, it may be hard to keep up with the current parlance. Have you seen anyone with "preferred" pronouns? Or perhaps you've wondered about variations of colors in Pride flags? No idea what's going on with the letters in LGBTQIA+....? Join us as we reflect on definitions of gender, sexuality, and biological sex and the evolving (and sometimes confusing!) lexicon around these topics.
 
We recommend you review the following resources related to the topic:
 
 
Discussion #8: Personal recollections on the Asian-American Experience (Wednesday, 5/26, 7pm). Please join us for personal stories shared by two of our committee members on growing up Asian-American, in America. Reflecting on their parents' journeys as well as their own, exploring the "Model Minority" myth, this discussion will expand our understanding of the challenges Asian-Americans have faced in America.
 
We recommend the following materials to be reviewed in advance of the discussion: 
 
  1. For many, the recent harassment of Asian-Americans has been a stunning reminder that your face can still mark you as foreign.
 
If interested, please RSVP for Zoom information by Monday, May 24th to COH.DI.Committee@gmail.com.
Discussion #7:  History of Race (Thursday 4/22/21 from 7-8:30PM)
As a prelude to future discussions on the complex topics of systemic racism, we will be going back in time to origins of our systems - the how and the why. After watching a video on History of Race together, we will discuss issues raised in the film and how our history and the founding principles of the United States ultimately created a platform for systemic racism which impacts us all today.
Recommended readings and videos in advance of the discussion:
VIDEOS
READINGS
OPTIONAL
For a look into “whiteness” and what it’s meant for EU immigrants over the centuries as well as 2 articles about the role of white women in slavery -- 
Discussion #6: What is systemic racism? Is it real, and why should it matter to me? (3/16/21): The Village of Croton's Diversity and Inclusion Committee invites you to join the conversation that will delve into systemic racism, a pervasive construct of oppression that has been so finely threaded throughout this country's cultural fabric that many question that it exists at all.
 
In advance of the discussion, the Committee recommends reading/viewing the following -  
  3. Systemic racism is real (including the video at the end)
  4. Discussions matter and make a difference - Statement from Lonnie G. Bunch
  5. OPTIONAL resource as an "fyi" and for general reading/education as your time allows:  The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture launched Talking About Race, a new online portal esigned to help individuals, families, and communities talk about racism, racial identity and the way these forces shape every aspect of society, from the economy and politics to the broader American culture.
 
Discussion #5: Understanding Black History Month, its origins and its future (2/10/21): In celebration of Black History Month, the Village of Croton's Diversity and Inclusion Committee invites you to a community discussion on how Black History Month came to be, sharing perspectives on its success (or failure) to achieve its objectives, and reactions to the provocative suggestion that it may no longer be relevant. 
 
The Committee recommends the following readings in advance of the discussion:
 
Post-Discussion References and Resources Recommended by the Participants:
Videos viewed during the discussion:
Additional articles to read:
Points of Interest:
Book recommendations:
  2. Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson
Podcast recommendation:
  1. Code Switch - NPR -  It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for! Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. 
Discussion #4: Effective Communications (1/7/21): We will be discussing methods of effective communication, particularly addressing the communication challenges, fears and biases that often appear when engaging with people that are different from ourselves.  Led by Michael Mui - a Military Equal Opportunity Professional with the Air National Guard. Michael is trained as a Human Resource Advisor by The National Guard Bureau Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He is also trained as an Equal Opportunity Leader by New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs. 
Presented in celebration of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this month, and in recognition of his ability to communicate the importance of peaceful protest.
Session 3 (11/10/20): Our discussion session will explore the documentary 13th, a powerful history of race and the oppression of Blacks in the United States, released about four years ago. Atlantic Magazine wrote "...13th is a documentary about how the Thirteenth Amendment led to mass incarceration in the United States, but it’s also a gorgeous, evocative, and maddening exploration of words: of their power, their roots, their permanence.” Croton-on-Hudson resident Jessa Mittleman recommended this documentary and will be facilitating the discussion. The film provides an eye-opening understanding of our history, linking together events and developments that we do not usually connect, and revealing the nature and origins of many aspects of America today. To view the full documentary "13th" please use the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krfcq5pF8u8.
If you would like further background on the history of slavery and racism in America, we also recommend The Invention of Race, a 53-minute podcast from wnyc.org. It poses the question "Where did the idea of human races come from?" and it traces the effects of this idea on the development of our nation.
Session 2 (10/13/20): Our second discussion session continues with the exploration of “white privilege”. We start with a short video of a Black woman explaining how someone used her “white privilege” to help her in a grocery store.  From there we discuss the article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” written by Dr. Peggy McIntosh, focussing on privileges expressly mentioned, as well as others of which we may be aware.
Session 1 (9/15/20, 10/6/20): Our discussion session one is based on an eighteen minute TedTalk video by Dr. Peggy McIntosh.  As a Professor of Women’s Studies at Wellesley College in the 1980s, she recognized sexism on the part of male professors who attended a monthly discussion group at Wellesley, who always had reasons why women’s studies could not be added to a general curriculum.  Yet, “these were very nice men.”  In thinking back to articles written by Black women six years earlier, which stated that white women were oppressive to work with, she had an “ah ha!” moment in recognizing a correlation between sexism and racism, which caused her to think about and self-reflect to settle her quandary of “how can these very nice men be oppressive” and “how can we very nice white women be oppressive.”  Issues of unconscious bias, lessons learned without realizing, the meritocracy system vs a privileged system, and unacknowledged privilege based on skin color are discussed.
'How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion." Peggy McIntosh at TEDxTimberlane Schools