Rotareminder for May 24, 2022

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In remarks centered around racism, Dr. Geraldine Hayes-Nelson, Christie Anderson, and Renee Ruchotzke (who fielded post meeting Q&A), offered their own experiences and thoughts on racism in our broader community, and the path going forward for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

 

As a young person raised in a Baptist church, Dr. Nelson grew up believing that being good and getting an education were central to achieving success in life.  The “content of one’s character” should define how one is assimilated into mainstream society.  Her life experiences however, painted a different picture.  Her family would be viewed as “blockbusters” – families of color that choose to live in white neighborhoods.  It wasn’t that families were overtly unfriendly, but it was her first experience with what some refer to today as “micro-aggressive” behavior. 

 

In college, Dr. Nelson, for the first time, experienced “white privilege” as fellow classmates had equipped their rooms with the spoils of having resources that were otherwise lacking in the African American community.  Moreover, she noticed how female classmates would not use the same washroom sinks.  It was not until her enrollment in the ROTC program when a superior officer pointed out to her that because she was a female and black, that the military could not protect her.  This was the triggering moment for her to become an activist for social justice. 

 

Dr. Nelson’s involvement as President of the Portage County NAACP; her services to first-generation under-resourced students and their families; and her near lifelong commitment to positive change, serve as evidence of her mission to be the change she hopes to see.

 

Her hopes for herself and other minority groups is to have a chance to “have a seat at the table…”

 

Ms. Anderson extended these comments by stating that white individuals live in an unintentional bubble, who must make the effort to extend outside of the same.   African American individuals on the other hand, are compelled to step out of theirs every day.  The latter are, in general, reluctant to speak up about racism for fear of the possible consequences.  Even in a community such as Kent, characterized as a progressive community more accepting to DEI, hurdles still exist.  A quick study of the City of Kent shows that ~20% of the local population is non-white, while only 3% of its entire workforce for the City is non-white.  These statistics suggests that communities like Kent must reinvent their outreach process to engage minorities to create a workforce representative of communities they serve. 

 

What some experts have concluded is that open conversations about race present a better long-term solution for communities to blend together where all can derive some benefit.

 

Christie ended her remarks by paraphrasing the opening lines of a Star Trek episode to describe her wishes for all future communities “…Brotherhood and Equity are the final frontiers for the City of Kent…”

 

Due to time constraints, Renee Ruchotzke agreed to field some questions after the meeting.

 

Today’s responder to the program was MaryBeth Harper.   

 

May 31 - Carol Crimi -Kent Rotary Foundation

 

Respectfully submitted,