Empowering People Working with Youth to Understand and Prevent Racism

OJJDP

12 Jan 202488:51

EducationalLearning

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TLDRThe webinar, 'Empowering People Working with Youth to Understand and Prevent Racism,' hosted by Trevor Wulff and Eileen LeFurgy from OJJDP's NTTAC, featured a panel of experts discussing the impact of racism on youth and strategies for prevention. Chyrl Jones, Deputy Administrator for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, introduced the speakers, including Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr., a civil rights activist and cousin of Emmett Till. The discussion covered the history of institutional racism, the evolution of racism in the digital age, and the importance of cultural humility and empathy in addressing racial biases. Panelists emphasized the need for open dialogue, education, and the development of strategies to counteract hate and promote racial equity, particularly in the context of youth mentoring and support.

Takeaways

📚 Emphasize the importance of education in understanding and addressing racism, including the role of media and schools in shaping perceptions.
💪 Recognize that changing ingrained habits and behaviors takes time and persistence, highlighting the power of resilience in combating racism.
🔄 Understand that racism is a learned behavior, which means it can be unlearned and changed through conscious efforts and systemic changes.
👥 Acknowledge the role of community and collective action in challenging and changing racist attitudes and practices.
📉 Note the historical context of racism, from slavery to the Jim Crow era, and its continued evolution in modern society.
🏛 Discuss the impact of landmark Supreme Court cases on racial segregation and the progression towards civil rights.
🏢 Recognize the ongoing issues of institutional racism, such as redlining and the disproportionate sentencing in the criminal justice system.
🌐 Highlight the rise of cyber-racism and the role of social media in propagating racism through memes and online platforms.
🚫 Stress the need to actively counteract hate speech and harmful online behaviors rather than normalizing or ignoring them.
🧘‍♂️ Encourage the development of cultural humility and self-awareness as tools for personal growth and societal change.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the webinar?
-The main topic of the webinar is 'Empowering People Working with Youth to Understand and Prevent Racism'.
Who is conducting the Q&A session during the webinar?
-Ms. Stephanie Rapp, a program manager at OJJDP, is conducting the Q&A session.
What is the role of Chyrl Jones in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention?
-Chyrl Jones is a Deputy Administrator for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, overseeing several programs and initiatives, including mentoring, tribal youth, gang prevention, and more.
Who is Reverend Wheeler Parker, Jr. and why is he significant in the context of this webinar?
-Reverend Wheeler Parker, Jr. is a cousin of Emmett Till and the last living witness of Emmett's kidnapping in 1955. He is significant as he provides a personal perspective on racism and its impact.
What is the importance of the James Byrd and Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act in the context of federal hate crime legislation?
-The James Byrd and Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act is significant because it provides federal jurisdiction over hate crimes, expanding the ability to prosecute such crimes beyond state-level statutes.
How does Reverend Parker describe the nature of racism?
-Reverend Parker describes racism as a learned behavior, implying that it can be unlearned and changed through persistent effort and the right influences, such as media, schools, and books.
What is the role of Dr. Andrea Coleman in the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention?
-Dr. Andrea Coleman serves as a senior policy advisor, acting as a research liaison between OJJDP and the National Institute of Justice, authoring publications, and advising on juvenile justice policy issues.
What is the connection between the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act and the struggle for racial justice?
-The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act is named after Emmett Till, a victim of racial violence. Its signing into law represents a significant milestone in the struggle for racial justice and anti-lynching legislation in the United States.
What are some of the strategies proposed to mitigate racism and its impact on youth?
-Strategies proposed include promoting cultural humility, understanding and addressing biases, teaching empathy, creating environments where all feel they belong, and educating about the history and systems that perpetuate racism.
How does Tanya Odom emphasize the importance of understanding bias in addressing racism?
-Tanya Odom emphasizes understanding bias by highlighting the need for self-awareness and the recognition that everyone has biases that can be unconscious. She suggests that acknowledging and addressing these biases is a crucial step in mitigating racism.
What is the significance of the 'Pyramid of Hate' model in understanding the escalation of hate?
-The 'Pyramid of Hate' model illustrates how hate can escalate from small acts like microaggressions to larger acts of violence and oppression. It serves as a tool to educate about the potential consequences of unchecked hate and the importance of addressing even seemingly minor acts of prejudice.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Introduction to the Webinar on Racism

Trevor Wulff, from OJJDP's NTTAC, introduces the webinar on preventing racism, joined by Eileen LeFurgy and other panelists. They cover housekeeping notes, including the recording of the event, availability on multimedia and YouTube, closed captioning, and technical support. A Q&A session is planned with a certificate to be provided at the end. The importance of respectful conduct is emphasized, and panelists are introduced, including Ms. Stephanie Rapp, Ms. Chyrl Jones, and Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr., a cousin of Emmett Till and the last living witness of his kidnapping.

05:01

📚 Understanding Racism as a Learned Behavior

Reverend Parker discusses racism as a learned behavior that can be unlearned, emphasizing the importance of persistence in fighting racism. He highlights the role of media, schools, and literature in changing habits and attitudes. Drawing from personal experiences, including the story of Emmett Till and the anti-lynching bill, he stresses the need for laws to change behavior, even if they cannot change hearts. Parker also talks about the positive change seen in reactions to the murder of George Floyd and encourages maintaining a positive attitude and commitment to the cause.

10:03

🔍 Institutional Racism and Its Historical Context

Andrea Coleman delves into the history of institutional racism, starting from the arrival of Africans in Virginia in 1619 to the economic impact of the cotton gin invention. She discusses the Fugitive Slave Acts, Jim Crow laws, Black Codes, literacy tests, poll taxes, and all-white primaries. Coleman also covers significant Supreme Court cases like Dred Scott v. Sandford and the impact of these historical events on the present-day experiences of Black people in the United States.

15:09

📉 Landmark Supreme Court Cases and Their Legacies

Continuing the discussion on institutional racism, the presentation touches on the significance of Supreme Court cases like Brown v. Board of Education, which ended segregation in schools, and Plessy v. Ferguson, which upheld racial segregation. It also mentions more recent cases such as Meredith v. Fair, Loving v. Virginia, and Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. The talk emphasizes the ongoing struggle against racism and the need for continuous effort and legislation to address it.

20:11

🏛️ Current Racism and Hate Crime Statistics

The presenter discusses the current state of racism, referencing recent laws like the Fair Housing Act and the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. They highlight issues such as redlining, housing discrimination, and the disproportionate sentencing of crack cocaine offenses. The discussion also addresses the Shelby County v. Holder case, which affected voting rights, and the prevalence of hate crimes. The presenter stresses that reported hate crimes are significantly underreported and shares examples of recent hate crimes to emphasize the ongoing issue.

25:12

🌐 The Evolution of Racism in the Digital Age

Kyle Walker addresses the evolution of racism, particularly on social media platforms. He discusses the concept of cyber-racism and online colorism, where digital racism targets people of color, especially dark-skinned individuals. Walker talks about the harmful effects of social media on mental health and the propagation of hatred through anonymity and misinformation. He also touches on the role of comedic conformity in masking racism and the need to challenge online hatred and promote healthy masculinity.

30:14

🤝 Cultivating Empathy and Addressing Bias

Tanya Odom focuses on strategies to mitigate racism, emphasizing the importance of cultural humility over cultural competence. She discusses understanding personal bias and the impact of microaggressions on individuals. Odom also talks about the concept of weathering, which refers to the cellular impact of racism on marginalized people. She suggests that educators should validate the experiences of students, create inclusive environments, and understand the generational differences in perspectives on racial justice.

35:14

👥 Collective Action Against Racism

The panel concludes with a discussion on how to raise children to be unbiased and how to deal with leaders who deny the existence of racial issues. The panelists suggest using history and data to show the manifestation of racism, moving the conversation from individual to structural, and using media to create empathy. They emphasize the importance of addressing racism directly, educating, and fostering a sociological understanding of the world to combat conformity and promote unity against oppression.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Racism

Racism is a belief that one race is superior to others, often leading to discrimination and prejudice. In the video, racism is a central theme, discussed in historical and contemporary contexts. The speakers address racism's learned nature and its pervasive presence in various societal structures and media.

💡Microaggressions

Microaggressions are subtle, often unintentional, discriminatory actions or comments that communicate hostile or derogatory slights based on differences like race or ethnicity. The panelists discuss how microaggressions can have a cumulative negative impact on individuals and how they should be addressed in educational settings.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It is highlighted in the video as a crucial skill for educators and mentors to develop in order to support youth of all races effectively. Empathy is linked to the ability to address and challenge biases and microaggressions.

💡Institutional Racism

Institutional racism refers to the ways in which racial discrimination is built into the policies and practices of social, economic, and political institutions. The video discusses the historical development of institutional racism, its impact on laws and policies, and its ongoing presence in systems like housing and education.

💡Cultural Humility

Cultural humility is an ongoing process of self-reflection and learning about one's own cultural biases and how these may impact others. It is presented in the video as a preferred approach over cultural competence, emphasizing the continuous nature of learning and unlearning biases to foster more inclusive environments.

💡Hate Crimes

Hate crimes are criminal acts motivated by prejudice or bias against a particular group, often defined by race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. The video touches on the importance of understanding the distinction between general misconduct and hate crimes, and the need for clear communication and action when they occur.

💡Cyber-Racism

Cyber-racism involves discriminatory or abusive behavior online that targets individuals or groups based on race or ethnicity. The video discusses the emergence of cyber-racism on social media platforms, its隐蔽 (subliminal) nature, and the role of memes and online forums in propagating racial hatred.

💡Social Media

Social media is a term that refers to online platforms that facilitate the sharing of ideas, images, videos, and texts among users. In the context of the video, social media is identified as a space where new forms of racism and bias can manifest, including cyber-racism and the spread of harmful ideologies.

💡Toxic Masculinity

Toxic masculinity refers to societal norms and expectations that define manhood as dominant, aggressive, and emotionally stoic, often at the expense of others. The video discusses how toxic masculinity can contribute to a culture of conformity and aggression, particularly in online spaces.

💡Cultural Ignorance

Cultural ignorance is a lack of knowledge or awareness about other cultures, which can lead to stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. The speakers in the video use the term to describe a root cause of microaggressions and the importance of education in overcoming this ignorance.

💡Unconscious Bias

Unconscious bias refers to the automatic, subconscious attitudes or stereotypes that we hold, which can influence our actions and decisions without us realizing. The video emphasizes the role of unconscious bias in shaping behaviors and the importance of recognizing and addressing these biases to mitigate racism.

Highlights

Trevor Wulff and Eileen LeFurgy introduce the webinar on preventing racism, emphasizing the importance of respect and providing resources for technical assistance.

Chyrl Jones outlines the mission of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), focusing on racial equity and the development of effective juvenile justice systems.

Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr., a cousin of Emmett Till and the last living witness of his kidnapping, shares his insights on racism as a learned behavior that can be unlearned.

Dr. Andrea Coleman discusses the history of institutional racism, linking it to current issues of hate crimes and the need for awareness and education.

Kyle Walker, a senior film student at Morehouse College, addresses the evolution of racism, particularly focusing on its subliminal presence in online and social media spaces.

Tanya Odom emphasizes the cumulative impact of microaggressions on marginalized individuals and the concept of 'weathering' at a cellular level due to prolonged stress.

The panelists stress the importance of cultural humility and ongoing learning as opposed to achieving cultural competence.

The discussion highlights the need for empathy and understanding of individual reactions to biases and microaggressions.

Tanya Odom speaks on the generational differences in the approach to racial justice and the shift from colorblindness to acknowledging and addressing systemic racism.

Kyle Walker proposes that combating racism requires understanding the subcultures of hatred and the need to move beyond past atrocities.

The panelists agree on the importance of immediate intervention when racist behavior is observed, advocating for clear and direct communication.

Andrea Coleman suggests using historical and experiential learning tools, like the blue-eyed/brown-eyed exercise, to teach empathy and understanding.

Tanya Odom discusses the value of creating an environment of inclusion with clear guidelines on acceptable behavior, emphasizing the need for productive discomfort.

The panel explores the role of media in shaping perceptions of racism and the potential of film to educate and provoke empathy.

Kyle Walker emphasizes the importance of males having open conversations about socially constructed behaviors and the impact of conformity on perpetuating biases.

The webinar concludes with a call to action for participants to be proactive in mitigating racism in their communities and spheres of influence.

Transcripts

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Related Tags

Racism Prevention Youth Empowerment Webinar Insights Social Justice Hate Crime Cultural Humility Microaggressions Media Influence Educational Strategies Civil Rights Emotional Impact