Targeting More Nw Minds, Hearts

Wed., Sept. 22, 1999

Doug Floyd For The Editorial Bo

Let’s be realistic. One more race relations event is not going to soften the hearts of the Spokane area’s bigots. Nor can it wring much more passion out of the human rights activists who already are totally dedicated to the cause.

There is, however, a large population in the middle - those who aren’t racists, who believe in treating everyone fairly and decently, but who just don’t see race issues as relevant to their lives. How can they be engaged in the conversation? How can their energies and insights be tapped?

One possibility will be tested Friday evening at the Avista Corp.’s auditorium, 1411 E. Mission, when a series of five free public performances gets under way. Spread out between now and Nov. 6, the programs will rely on music, film and drama to stimulate frank but respectful discussions about diversity in this predominantly white region.

Organizers of the series, funded by a $10,000 grant from Foundation Northwest, see this humanities-based effort as a way to reach citizens who ordinarily avoid such events. Each program (they feature a speaker, ballet, drummers, film and a stage drama) will be followed by a panel discussion by the Spokane Task Force on Race Relations, with the audience free to join in.

It’s good to see creative ways to bring fresh faces to the table, especially in a safe, nonchastising environment. Even among allies - actual or potential - race is a tense and difficult topic for conversation. A judgmental atmosphere would deter the kind of dialogue that can generate learning and understanding.

Frankly, many Spokane-area residents who value universal human respect are put off by the growing harangue against this region as narrow-minded and intolerant.

“I’ve been here 10 months and I’m even getting tired of it,” said Stacy Hersrud, executive director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center and a co-chair of the upcoming series. But all of us, in Spokane and elsewhere, have a lot to learn about our own prejudices, or how differently the world looks through minority eyes and experiences.

We shouldn’t expect this experiment to produce life-transforming results - for individuals or for the community. But as new people join the conversation, it is plausible to hope for at least incremental growth in the understanding of human rights issues in the Spokane area. That in turn improves our chances of marginalizing the hard-core bigots and steadily improving the quality of life for everyone in the community.

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