In the aftermath of Ferguson, voices in our region have called for many things – for peace, for justice, for dialogue, for answers, for change, for healing. The issues at hand are complex, which makes the call for leadership all that much greater.
While we cannot predict what lies ahead, FOCUS St. Louis will continue to do our best to support our region and its citizens. We will strive to be a neutral convener and facilitator and to empower our community to work together.
In the face of pain and conflict, it can be tempting to turn away, but as we reiterate time and again in our programs, leaders show up. Our hope is that our FOCUS alumni, friends and community we serve will continue to “show up,” in ways both big and small, to influence positive community change.
Our frustration and sadness over what is still lacking or broken should not overshadow our gratitude for what we do have, or our motivation to make things better for our neighbor and region. One of the ways in which we can begin to do that is to build community and trust, one conversation at a time.
In 1993, the Bridges Against Racial Polarization program was founded by two Leadership St. Louis alumni, Daniel Schesch and Gregory Freeman. The program allowed participants to get to know people from other races and cultures while increasing their awareness and understanding of racial issues. In May 2002, the Bridges program was one of 19 initiatives across the United States to be recognized as a “Solution for America” by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change.
The format of the program is simple – groups of eight to 15 individuals meet six times a year over a potluck supper and have meaningful discussions about race and culture. The goal of the program is to build trust and friendship across races, cultures and backgrounds.
In light of the crisis in Ferguson, FOCUS St. Louis recently sought to engage citizens from our region on the issues involved during An Evening of Learning at the Missouri History Museum. The starting point and framework for the evening was the 2002 FOCUS task force report, prepared by 30 citizens, that looked at the state of racial equality in the St. Louis region over an 18-month period.
The task force’s report found that while individual attitudes toward race have improved substantially, there had only been marginal institutional progress. The report looked at the intersection of race with education, economic development, housing, transportation and community engagement, all points of discussion for our evening.
We learned from attendees that we are a very divided community and have much work to do. This isn’t just about Ferguson, but the painful reality that racism is systemic in our community.
We learned that we in the St. Louis region have an historic opportunity to bring about real change, and the optimism and commitment to move forward.
We learned that we need to develop action planning groups about policy change. There is no single course forward or magic fix – lasting and meaningful change will require effort on many fronts, from many individuals, communities and organizations.
As a neutral convener, our goal in bringing the community together was not to chart a course of action or try to quickly “fix” the problem, but instead to move the conversation forward and open eyes, minds and hearts to the many ways that each individual can be an agent of change. Because, as we’ve seen through the Bridges program and many other FOCUS programs, changing attitudes, perceptions and beliefs starts on a personal and individual level.
The recent events in Ferguson highlight the importance of programs such as Bridges as vehicles for addressing racial polarization in the St. Louis region through dialogue in relaxed settings. Programs like Bridges address change on a personal level using the development of relationships and self enlightenment as lightning rods for individual growth and broader community impact.
If you are interested in starting or joining a conversation, contact us at FOCUS—314-622-1250, ext. 105.
Yemi S. Akande-Bartsch is Executive Director of FOCUS St. Louis.
