Best of 2014 - How We Talk About Race In N.H.

This spring, after racist remarks by Los Angeles Clippers Owner Donald Sterling and Wolfeboro Police Commissioner Robert Copeland, outrage dominated national headlines. Now, after events in Ferguson and New York City, race relations seem more fraught than ever, but a call for a more honest conversation about race still resonates.

This program originally aired on June 5, 2014.

GUESTS:

• Loretta Carle Brady – associate professor of psychology at St. Anselm University and diversity columnist for the New Hampshire Business Review.
• Dottie Morris – Chief Officer of Diversity and Multiculturalism at Keene State and “Hero for Justice” of NH-YWCA
• Eva Castillo – coordinator for the New Hampshire Alliance of Immigrants and Refugees and member of the Manchester Police Commission

LINKS:

• NHPR's report on Copeland's resignation: "Although Police Commissioner Robert Copeland submitted a letter of resignation earlier today, the people of Wolfeboro worry about the possible long-term impact the racial controversy could have on their town."
• a Chronicle Vitae piece about why people have a hard time discussing race: Far too many of us consider the act of talking about structural racism—analyzing it, discussing it, or just pointing out that it exists—to be racist in and of itself. That’s especially true when we feel that the topic is going to make whites uncomfortable. Surprisingly, this belief crosses racial boundaries.
• opinion piece on what Donald Sterling did right:  "Conversations on race are deeply personal and require that we talk to each other, one on one and face to face. But they also require trust. Time and time again, we have seen that there is absolutely no trust at the national level to have these complicated and uncomfortable discussions."