YWCA holds 5th annual Stand Against Racism

ASHEVILLE – It doesn’t look like separate drinking fountains anymore. But that doesn’t mean the conversations should stop. It only means they get harder.

Racism still lurks around every cubicle, every school district, church and public office.

“Addressing the difference between Jim Crow-era racism and the institutional racism we see today can be tough, and incredibly important,” said Angel Redmond, outreach coordinator at the YWCA.

“The disparities in education, employment and healthcare are still so real but very much hidden, and statistics almost have to be the reminder that racism still exists because it’s not as (much) in our faces.

“We have to remind people that psychologically it’s still having the same toll on blacks as it was during that era. It seems we’re moving forward, but there are issues that are stopping us from growing.”

The YWCA of Asheville isn’t asking any of these places to eradicate racism this month, but they do want you to take a stand.

The YWCA of Asheville, along with YWs across the country, will hold its fifth annual Stand Against Racism event this year, asking schools, businesses, churches, community groups and individuals to hold public and private events this month ranging from sold-out entertainment events to internal staff meetings on the issue.

The series of events culminates with the YWCA’s annual Black & White Gala on May 1, with proceeds from the dinner and dance party supporting YW programming to eliminate racism and empower women.

“We end up having a lot of very heavy, very tough conversations in these weeks,” said Beth Maczka, the Asheville YW’s executive director. “I think there’s a lot of value in having a shared positive experience, just getting on the dance floor with a lot of people who don’t look like yourself. We have to rejoice and connect with each other, and then keep that going all year.”

In 2013, more than 310,000 people nationwide took a stand against racism by participating in an event or taking an individual action, helping to raise awareness that racism hurts everyone. In Buncombe County, about 5,000 people and 99 organizations took a stand against racism.

“Partnering with the YW and other organizations on the Stand Against Racism is one more way to identify the structures of institutional racism that still exist in our mountain home, and then find ways to tear them down,” said Deborah Miles of the Center for Diversity Education.

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College will hold one of the largest Stand events on April 28. A-B Tech and its partner, the YWCA, and sponsors — City of Asheville, MAHEC and UNCA — will offer a community progress report and panel discussion, as well as networking and professional development opportunities including developing a resumé, recognizing unconscious bias, navigating social norms, best hiring practices and more.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Sarah Nuñez and panelists will include Gene Bell, Terry Bellamy, Althea Gonzalez, Beth Maczka and James Lee.

As a participating site, each host will hold its own private or public Stand Against Racism event at a location of its choosing. Participation in the Stand Against Racism is free, and becoming a participating site is simple.

The YWCA will provide all the necessary materials and documents. Each organization’s “Stand” will differ — from gatherings and discussions at work to larger-scale stands like rallies and marches.

“We do still have people say in the community, ‘Do we really still need that? Truly?’,” YWCA spokesperson Adrienne Ammerman said. “There are people who don’t realize the pervasiveness of racism, or the fact that it even still exists, so any conversations we can have matter.”

“Sometimes I feel like the older generation of blacks have been put in a place of fear for speaking out, and they’re less willing to join in the conversation,” Redmond said.

“Then we have a younger generation who isn’t experiencing it because they’re playing the cards they’re dealt,” she said. “I see that most in education numbers and the suspension rate, the school-to-prison pipeline. I see it, and it’s still wreaking havoc. Sometimes those statistics are the only tangible thing to remind us of that.”

In the Asheville City school district, 76.6 percent of white students scored proficient in reading tests, as compared with 22.6 percent of African-Americans, a gap of 54 percentage points.

The previous year, 94.3 percent of white students scored proficient, while the African-American rate was 33.8 percent, a 60.5 percentage-point difference.

The good behind closed doors

Maczka said much of the progress they hear about happened behind closed doors in area businesses and organizations.

In her own experience as the former director of the community foundation, Maczka said they had an eye-opening discussion of the “invisible backpack,” the idea that whites have a proverbial knapsack of unearned resources and privileges.

As part of the 2013 Stand Against Racism, UNCA’s Center for Diversity Education, Buncombe County and the City of Asheville held a day-long conference called “Realizing the Benefits of a Diverse & Inclusive Workforce.”

Following the conference, a new collaboration of “anchor institutions,” including the region’s educational systems, six largest employers and several community groups formed the Western North Carolina Diversity Engagement Coalition.

The coalition has met for the past year to create corporate policies to recruit, retain and promote underrepresented populations.

“That can be so huge, having this conversation that you wouldn’t otherwise have been compelled to have,” Maczka said. “I think we may never know what the full impact of the Stand Against Racism is. Hopefully these internal shifts are happening whether we see them or not.”

TAKE A STAND

• More than 50 Stand Against Racism events are scheduled to take place throughout Buncombe County. See the full list or get involved at www.ywcastand.org

• The ninth annual Black & White Gala will be 6:30-10:30 p.m. May 1 at the Crowne Plaza Expo Center. Tickets are $50; proceeds benefit YWCA programs. Visit www.ywcaof asheville.org and click on “events.”