Police Race Education
to Community Roundtables!
by John Wason
In traveling around the Twin Cities,
many of you may have noticed at least one of the three
billboards advertising something called community-wide
"Roundtables" on the topics of race relations,
education, or police/community relations. These signs
herald the latest and most ambitious round in a series
of grassroots discussion groups that have quietly
been having an impact in Champaign-Urbana since 1997.
Until very recently called "Study
Circles" here in C-U, the idea of holding grassroots,
diverse discussion groups as a means of addressing
complex or divisive community issues is not unique
to our community.
Though there are several national organizations
that promote some variation on this theme, the Study
Circles Resource Center is perhaps the most ambitious.
Established in Pomfret, Connecticut, in 1989, the
Center is a project of the Topsfield Foundation, which
describes itself as a "private, nonprofit, nonpartisan
foundation whose mission is to advance deliberative
democracy and improve the quality of public life in
the United States." The Study Circles Resource
Center creates study circle organizing and discussion
materials, distributes those materials free of charge
to organizers of large study circle programs in local
communities, and provides free technical assistance
to organizers. Nationally, 203 communities in 35 states
currently have ongoing community-wide study circle
programs, including nine that are active in Illinois.
Locally, the program began with pilot
groups in 1997 and 1998, at the instigation of people
involved with the YWCA, the Baha'i faith, and the
City of Champaign. Under the sponsorship of the City
of Champaign's Office of Community Relations, the
program has continued since then to attract new participants.
Until recently, the topic under discussion
was race relations and how to improve them in our
community. This summer, several groups met to discuss
the theme of education. And this coming fall, in addition
to the other two topics, there will be groups focusing
on police/community relations.
So what exactly is a Study Circle/Roundtable?
In its essence, a Study Circle is a
group composed of 8-12 people who meet for two hours
once a week for a period of six weeks (or more if
the group so decides) to address a critical public
issue in a democratic and collaborative way. Participation
is entirely free of charge. An attempt is made to
achieve the broadest possible diversity in terms of
race, ethnicity, gender, age, and economic level.
Each group has one or two trained facilitators
(normally people who have participated in a previous
study circle). The job of a facilitator is not to
tell the group what to think, but to assist the group
in keeping the discussion focused, making sure that
everyone has a chance to participate, helping the
group consider a variety of viewpoints and explore
areas of common ground, and asking the difficult questions
that may lead to constructive solutions to community
problems.
Typically, a study circle progresses
from a session on personal experience ("how does
the issue affect me, or how has it affected me personally?")
to sessions providing a broader perspective ("what
are some alternative ways of looking at this issue?")
to a session or sessions on action ("what can
we do about the issue here in our community?").
At the very least, a study circle offers
a person the opportunity to meet, get to know, and
exchange ideas with others in the community who are
unlike himself or herself, people of different backgrounds
and perspectives. It can be a broadening, stimulating,
enriching experience that expands one's world view
and creates bonds of unity and fellowship between
people who might otherwise never have met one another.
At its best, a truly cohesive study
circle can also have a more directly positive impact
on the community as a whole.
As an example, one of the 1998 pilot
groups discussing racism decided at the end of the
six weeks to continue meeting on a regular basis to
explore educational enrichment for children who were
not succeeding in the regular public school system.
This study circle group formed the nucleus of what
is now called the Champaign-Urbana Charter School
Initiative, a coalition of people who have been working
ever since to plan and establish a charter school
in the community.
This summer, three study circles focused
expressly on the topic of education. Of those three
groups, two have remained active after the "official"
end of the study circle program. One group decided
to concentrate its efforts on the current search for
a new superintendent of schools for the Champaign
Unit 4 School District. Two of the group's members
volunteered to be candidates for the school board's
search and interview committees. The group formulated
criteria for the prospective superintendent that emphasize
his or her background and previous experience in dealing
with racial and ethnic diversity.
Another of this summer's education study
circles illustrates how flexible the concept of a
Study Circle can be. It was comprised entirely of
parents (and one teacher) from just one of the community's
elementary schools. Organized by one of the parents
who had previously participated in a Study Circle
on race relations, this group wanted to concentrate
on ways of improving the school in question. After
much discussion of the issues unique to their school,
the participants formulated specific strategies to
assist the PTA in fostering better communication between
parents, teachers, and administrators, and other creative
ideas. They hope that these ideas will help make the
school a more nurturing place for teachers to work
and children to learn and grow.
Recent changes in the local Study Circle
program include changing the name of "Study Circles"
to "Community Roundtables", and expanding
the administrative base to include the University
of Illinois campus YWCA's Program Coordinator for
Social Justice. Future plans include the implementation
of Roundtables for younger community members at the
University of Illinois, Parkland College, and the
three local high schools, as well as a possible collaboration
with the Independent Media Center in developing a
film discussion series.
The potential of Community Roundtables
is limited only by the energy and creativity of those
who choose to get involved.
Other Diversity Training Opportunities
in C-U
by Shelley Masar
In addition to the Study Circles/Community
Roundtables program, there are a number of other people
and organizations in Champaign-Urbana that can offer
discussion, training, and service experience in racial
reconciliation and diversity exposure.
Diversity Works, Inc. Experienced
diversity educators Pauline Kayes and Lorena Johnson
provide comprehensive training for business, education,
and community groups. For information and fees call
Pauline Kayes at 378-5135.
Joycelyn Landrum-Brown is an
assistant professor of education at the University
of Illinois, where she coordinates the Program in
Inter-group Relations. She served as a consultant
for the Champaign Public Schools equity audit, for
which she planned a community dialogue. She can train
people of all ages to facilitate dialogue on issues
of human difference. For information and fees call
Ms. Landrum-Brown at 244-3356, or e-mail her at jlandrum@uiuc.edu.
Imani Bazzell, a community activist
and educator, offers an interactive five-part workshop
series that "helps participants understand the
complexities of racism by offering an accessible theoretical
framework to ground their thinking and decision-making
in. Through the use of instruction, video, storytelling,
brainstorming, group sharing, and direct problem solving,
participants gain practical strategies for parenting
and teaching around this and related issues."
For information and fees contact Ms. Bazzell at 351-2597.
The New Covenant Fellowship,
124 W. White St., Champaign, is a 25-year-old interracial
congregation formed with the intention of contributing
to social justice and racial reconciliation. Their
leadership can provide racial reconciliation training,
discussion, service work, and healing prayer for adults
and youth. Fees, if any, are nominal. For information
call Ron Simkins at 355-2038.
The Baha'i Center, 807 E. Green
St., Urbana, is organized around the philosophy that
all races are one. Local Baha'is are more involved
in mixed-race activities and service than in diversity
training per se, but the Louhelen Baha'i School near
Flint, Michigan, offers workshops in race unity. The
Louhelen workshops take place over two weekends
(Sept. 21-24 and Dec. 7-9, 2001) and the fee, $350/person,
covers food and lodging for both weekends. Financial
assistance is available. For information call Louhelen
at 810-653-5033. To participate in other Baha'i race
unity programs call Amy or Michael Felty at 359-1313.
For UI Students Only:
The UI Counseling Center, Room 110, Student
Services Building, 610 E. John St., Champaign, offers
its Inter-group Relations Program of for-credit courses
for U of I students. The Center also offers staff
development for campus departments and training for
students who want to learn to facilitate dialogue
around issues of human difference, including race
and ethnicity. For a complete list of Inter-group
programs and an introduction to their training model,
see their Web site at www.intergrouprelations.uiuc.edu.
Related Training
The Office for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and
Transgender (LGBT) Concerns, 322-A Illini Union,
1401 W. Green St., Urbana, is sponsored by the Office
of the Dean of Students at the University of Illinois.
The LGBT Office sponsors the ALLY Network Group composed
of University and community members who seek to provide
safe spaces for LGBT discussion and concerns. The
Office has a lending library that is open to the community,
and volunteers will talk or devise diversity training
for groups or individuals. There is no fee. For information
see their Web site at www.odos.uiuc.edu/lgbt,or e-mail
the co-directors, Curt McKay at curtb@uiuc.edu or
Pat Morey at p-morey@uiuc.edu, or call the LGBT office
at 244-8863.
The Jewish Federation, 503 E.
John St., Champaign, is a nonprofit organization dedicated
to helping persons of Jewish origin orbackground who
are in need locally, nationally, and internationally.
They provide diversity lectures and workshops for
interested community groups. There is no fee for nonprofit
organizations. Call Lee Melhado at 367-7872.
Reconciliation Service Work
The Restoration Urban Ministries, 1207
N. Mattis , Champaign, is committed to "reconciliation
and sharing the love of Jesus." The interracial
staff and volunteers at their 70-room facility provide
Christian transitional housing for the homeless. They
also offer their Self-Sufficiency Program, including
addiction recovery, work skill classes, and other
training to help people"get back on track and
be useful members of society." In addition, they
have a food pantry, a clothing room, and an outreach
center for children and senior citizens that is located
in a north Champaign neighborhood. Volunteers are
welcome, whether they are Christian or not. The experience
will be diverse in many ways. For information call
Linda at 355-2662.
The UIUC Baha'i Association works
with youth probation officer Theo Carter to foster
racial understanding at the Champaign County Youth
Detention Center. Volunteers conduct activities for
the youth incarcerated at the detention center every
other Saturday. For information e-mail AllenEghrari
at omid19@juno.com.
FALL ROUNDTABLE SCHEDULE
MONDAY 7:00-9:00 pm
Lincoln Square Mall, Urbana
Race Relations Roundtable
TUESDAY 7:00-9:00 pm
Salem Baptist Church, Champaign
Education Roundtable
WEDNESDAY 3:00-5:00 pm
Douglass Branch Library, Champaign
Police/Community Relations Roundtable
WEDNESDAY 7:00-9:00 pm
First United Methodist Church, Urbana
Race Relations Roundtable
THURSDAY 7:00-9:00 pm
Mellon Administration Building, Champaign
Police/Community Relations Roundtable
SATURDAY 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Champaign Police Station Conference Room
Education Roundtable
SATURDAY 10:00 am-12:00 pm
YWCA - U. of Illinois Campus
Police/Community Relations Roundtable
Schedule:
Registration Ends Wednesday, September 5, 2001
Kickoff Rally Saturday, September 8, 2001
Meetings Begin Week of September 17, 2001
Meetings End Week of October 22, 2001
For further information and registration:
City of Champaign Office of Community Relations 351-4455
YWCA 344-0721
