Race, Redemption and Restoration - A Significant Conversation

by Margaret Drew

This past Friday I was privileged to participate in a conversation on Race, Redemption and Restoration sponsored by the Public Welfare Foundation of Washington, D.C.  The conversation brought together a nationwide group of those working with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals.  I was humbled to be in a room filled with the formerly incarcerated and those who support them.  As a white woman, I was there to learn.  And I dd.  The discussions gave me a broader perspective on the historical background of mass incarceration, which has been effective through a combination of voter suppression strategies, "war on drugs" and other tactics to enhance black oppression and the suppression of everyone of color.  

The conversation was honest and magnificent.  Many in communities are doing amazing work to support the formerly incarcerated, including working to change laws and policies that aid unjust arrests and sentencing; developing housing, and creating communities that foster dignity. Future posts will focus on some of the organizations providing innovative and effective supports.

I wish I could better capture the conversation's tone, as well as the caring and brilliance of the day.  But for now let me restate part of the discussion and something that is obvious.  The most effective action that a white person can take is to inform and influence other whites.  Tempering the resistance to creating racial equity is something that whites are particularly well poised to do.  How to transform racist views is something whites must learn.   The oppressed carry enough burdens.    Building white empathy is insufficient because creating empathy alone does not result in change.  White people have to figure this out and carry the burden of the conversation.   It is not up to the oppressed to teach  others how to change.