Saturday October 10th, 2015 I nervously stepped into Pigott Building as though I had never been inside before; as if I hadn’t spent the last 2 years strolling through the heavy doors and under the vibrant Chihuly Sculpture to classes on all three floors. This time I entered Pigott to attend the 11th annual Seattle Race Conference. The lobby of the familiar building felt different, decorated in color tapestries and full of Seattle community members. A friendly and enthusiastic volunteer showed me to the check-in table and I was off an adventure of self-exploration and deep conversation.
The Opening Ceremony set an honest tone with a story from the organizers of the conference. They shared that there hadn’t been a conference the pervious year because after the most recent one, the board of organizers realized the group dynamic was plagued with the same micro-aggressions and implicit biases they worked to break down. Following the humbling opening, the first keynote address by Seattle U’s very own, Dr. Samuel Y. Song furthered the theme of self-reflection.
The first session I attended was titled Why White People Need to Talk About Racism and How to Do It: Presented by, Peggi Erickson. We spent a lot of time discussing what made it difficult for white people to recognize their privilege and the role we play in a white supremacist society. One young man made the observation that because our capitalist society values productivity, vulnerability is often discouraged and thus we do not feel comfortable exploring the parts of ourselves that may reveal guilt or shame.
After a busy but delicious lunch, I attended a second keynote address by Dr. Leticia Nieto. Her presentation was wonderful. She began and ended her talk with a song, which set a warm and welcoming tone for the entire discussion. A quote that stuck with me was, “If an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends. If broken by an inside force, life begins. Great things always begin from inside.”
After that, I attended my final session called, Practical Strategies for Reducing Bias in the Classroom. The greatest take away from this discussion was that while no one is born with bias, it is learned very early on. Schools are some of the best places to intercept harmful ideas such as racism but it’s also often where racial biases are perpetuated so it’s important that people who work in schools, with children, must work hard to be aware of their biases.
Splinter Dance Company closed the full day with an emotionally moving dance performance.
For more resources regarding racial justice, visit the Seattle Race Conference Facebook page.