Discussing race and healing with Richard Davis
Post by Carell Casey on 10/8/2012 12:15pm
"I never wanted to be black. I wanted to be white, because I never saw any white people swinging from trees," said Richard Davis, Professor of Bass at the University of Madison School of Music, and President of Madison Wisconsin Institute for the Healing of Racism.
Davis, whose family came to the Northern United States during the great migration at the turn of the century, said it is common for people of minority races to feel compelled to excel, in order to be treated even close to fairly.
"My mother told me I had to get the best grades because of my skin color," he said. "One time I brought home a test with a 96 on it and she said, real calmly, what happened to the 100? I made the mistake of saying the next person got a 93 and bragged about my 96. Next thing I knew I was picking myself up off the floor. You get the message," he said.
Because racism is still so prevalent, the Institute, whose mission is to to raise consciousness about the history and pathology of racism and help heal racism in individuals, communities and institutions, runs classes several times a year in Madison that are open to the public for a low fee of $20 for 10 weeks of 2 hours sessions.
“I only hope that I can somehow change who I am in my remaining lifetime and pass on to my children what little I now know so they do not have to wait 46 years to finally learn the meaning of racism,” said former student University of Wisconsin Police Captain Dale G. Burke.
Davis first became aware of this work when a friend called him to tell him to tune into a radio show featuring Nathan Rutstein, co-author of Healing Racism in America: A Prescription for the Disease. "I think you would like him," the friend said "because he sounds like you." So he did and while listening, said to himself "Wow, I've been waiting to hear someone talk that way!" Davis traveled to Michigan to see Rutstein speak in person.
"I was so impressed by him," he says "what a manner, such a gentle nature, and kind eyes. I thought - this guy has character!" So he called him up and asked him if he would be willing to travel to Madison to deliver a lecture at the university, and he agreed. Davis spent the next seven years training with him and now trains facilitators himself.
One tenant of this work, Davis puts forth, is that "In efforts to deal with that pervasive disease racism, human relations practitioners have become increasingly convinced that the American form of the disease is most effectively treated as a white problem that severely damages its white victims, as well as those against whom it is directed," as written in White Awareness by Judy Katz. "More, since white racism is a white problem, it is the business of white people to resolve it. We must not," says the author, "place the burden of changing white attitudes and behavior upon the members of minority races. It is not their responsibility to tell us how to change. It is ours," she writes.
And people are changed in profound ways by attending these courses. Some students come back to the class again and again. Some eventually become facilitators themselves. Others take the work back out into the world and into their lives. Davis said he had a couple of students who learned how to listen in class, then took this new skill home with them and used it to fix their marriage. He also said that learning to listen was a breakthrough for himself that has made him a better person. "[Rutstein] taught me that if you listen hard enough, with your intention, you can hear things that are not even being said," he comments. "One time I was listening to this woman, and even though I did not offer up even one solution, she said I gave her the answer, because she came up with it just by talking it out."
Reading material assigned in the classes include White Like Me by Tim Wise, a prominent anti-racist writer and educator who will be coming to speak at Beloit college next week. He has been called, “One of the most brilliant, articulate and courageous critics of white privilege in the nation,” by best-selling author and professor Michael Eric Dyson, of Georgetown University. His new book Dear White America: Letter to a New Minority challenges the assumption that white Americans still set the cultural norm and discusses what it means to be part of a fast-changing, truly multicultural nation.
Wise is speaking on issues of race in America at Beloit College in October 10.
For more on Richard Davis: http://www.richarddavis.org
For more on Tim Wise: http://www.timwise.org
Tim Wise, Speaking on Issues of Race in America
Wednesday, October 10th, 8pm, FREE
Eaton Chapel, Beloit College
Carell Casey is a contributing writer for dane101.
She is also a musician (both solo and as a singer/songwriter, and guitarist in local band Fire and Love), is a Holistic Life Coach and Intuitive Counselor, and advocates for Animal Rights, Peace, Equality, Justice, and Racial Healing.
Contact her at:
That was 15 years ago, I went
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That was 15 years ago, I went to the city on business, leaving coach outlet online the subject of business, I go to the mall to buy some gifts to colleagues. Usually, when I go shopping like to carry some coins, because the mall near sometimes begging people to twelve coins in my heart will ease some. This day as well, still some coins in the pocket, coach factory outlet so I will give a coach outlet store bunch of little beggars begging ten a few coins scattered. Just then, I saw a boy holding a sign high and looked at me, no doubt, that he would like to get my attention. I went to him in the past, to see his girl of coach purses outlet thirteen-year-old, poorly dressed very clean, hair combed neatly. He is not like the others hands take a Tang Cigang, his brand side painted with a boy in a shoe, the side that says - "I want a shoeshine box.
I was doing investment business, anyway, there is still time, I asked the boys how much money is needed, the boy said: "125."
I shook my head, and said he wants the shoeshine box is too expensive. Boy say no more expensive, also said he has been to four wholesale markets, have seen, want to buy a dedicated box, stool, good clean oil, good soft brush, the dozen shoe polish, to reach 125 yuan his request. Boy, speaking in tongues, right rhythmic.
I asked him how much money is now in the hands, the boy imagined, said to have 35 yuan, 90 yuan less also. I have carefully looked at the boy, determined he was not a little liar, then took out his wallet, took out 90 yuan, said: "90 dollars to you, be my investment. Condition, took the money from you this moment, we are a partner. I stay for five days in the city within five coach factory online days, you should not only gave me 90 dollars, I would also like to have a dollar of interest if you promise this condition, 90 yuan is now owned by you. "
The boy excitedly looked at me Mankoudaying the. The boy also told me that he read the sixth grade, every week only to go on three days lessons, other days to cattle, sheep, help mothers farming, his results did not slide down over the top three, so he Best. I asked him why they buy the shoeshine box, he said that the family was poor, and he wants to take advantage of the summer and save enough tuition.
I looked at the boy in an appreciation of the psychological, then take him to the wholesale market to buy a shoe shine boxes and various other shoeshine appliances. Boy carrying a box, ready to be placed under the stall at the mall entrance. I shook my head and said, as his partner, in order to recover their costs, and the obligation to remind him to choose the place of business. Mall within the free shoe shine, a lot of people know. Boy seriously thought, asked: "election in the hotel opposite how?" I thought, here is a tourist city, a car a car every day to live in the hotel, they traveled the next day to travel definitely need shoes polished. Think of these, I promised him.
So the boy settled in the vicinity of the coach outlet hotel entrance, his shoeshine box into a little farther away from the door, he see no one around and said to me: "Why do not I paid a dollar interest? You should know my level of service. "Puchi" laugh, this little guy was witty, he is going to give me Shoe of which $'s interest with shoeshine charges arrived. I appreciate his shrewd, they sit him on the bench, said: "if you polished bad to prove that you're lying, my investment to a dishonest person to prove my investment failed." The boy's head Akira like a rattle, says he is the best, and his shoeshine training practice at home for a month. You know, not many people in rural areas and a few pairs of good shoes, he is the one to let them shoes out, carefully wipe polished.
A few minutes later, looking at the shoes light can Kam people, I nodded with satisfaction. Out of coach outlet store your pocket red pen, wrote the two characters in his left and right cheek: "Best" boy music. Just then, a minibus car with a car over visitors, he quickly carrying a shoeshine box ran over and pointed to his face after another to get off the travelers, said: "This is my reward customer, you want to try? your shoes I would become a mirror. "In this way, the boys busy ...
The next day, I came to the hotel to see the boy early to keep stalls, he excitedly told me yesterday he earned 50 dollars removing me 18 yuan, dinner spend three, his net surplus of 29 yuan. I patted him on the head, and bless him for good. He said that last night, did not sleep Bridge, but sleep Chase Shop, but did not pay 5 dollars bunk money, I doubt how beds will not pay money? In this case, the boy smiled smugly: "I help the boss and the boss rub a dozen pairs of shoes, tonight, I also do not have money to stay."
Five days passed quickly, I want to leave this city, and five days, the boy also 18 yuan, also enough 90 yuan. The boys know that I coach factory outlet online am louis vuitton purses the manager of an investment company in Beijing, said to be and so he graduated from university, will go to Beijing to look for me, saying, he stretched out a small black hand, I have also lent a hand, the two stingy clenched together ......
Stroke, was actually 15 years.
I left the original investment in the company, he opened a trading company. This day, I'm the office boggling, because of the unexpected loss of a large number of goods, working capital is facing difficulties, the Quartet in debt payment. Just put down the phone, the secretary came in and said there was a young man of cheap coach purses about my lunch, I asked who Touyebutai, secretary to come up with a key chain, put on my desk, looking at this key chain, and I froze lived, that the above is a glass Winnie, Winnie the coach factory forehead engraved on three words: "I am the best".
I think of it, this key chain, stuffed into his palm gift 15 years ago I Shoe juvenile parting handshake.
By noon, I walked into the hotel, book a good seat stood up in suits and ties, the young people of the British Gas is pressing. His subtle smile, slightly curved waist towards me. From his face, I found little then shadow Shoe young. Tea, he took out a five million check, said: "I want to invest in your company, the profits arrived back within five years."
5 million, it is timely help!
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