What Happens When
E.R.A.S.E. Race Comes to town! (Covid-adapted)
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, this plan has been updated as of February 2021. What was to be a 3 year project is now simply an objectives-based campaign to bring unity to as many cities as desire to host ERASE Race over the coming years. Covid taught us, if nothing else, that all of our cities and states are unique in their makeups and reactions to issues. It is the same concerning the idea of "race." Therefore, our approach to UNITY in each state, city, venue or forum, will vary as well. We are beginning to canvas cities and states to host forums, training/education and information events towards meeting our objective of "erasing race." Local volunteers will be needed to do most of the planning for their city, region or particular event. Here are possible events:
Event 1 - Welcoming Program
Provides background and introduction of ERASE Race to city officials and guests. This event may have additional speakers or entertainment and multimedia to introduce ERASE Race personnel and mission. Everything should serve to clarify why we are here and what we hope to do in the coming days, months and even years.
Event 2 - Education & Training
The concept and construction of "race" is a little known, however well studied, phenomenon in American history. It's origins and applications in North America, while similar to other countries involved in the transatlantic slave trade, are unique. Exploring these root issues give us all new insight into how it has affected our history and how we continue to proliferate many of the negative messages that are so deeply embedded in the construct itself. Drawing upon a rich reservoir of this knowledge, training is provided to go beyond a historical understanding of "race," but also into deconstruction activities in order to prevent a future with implications from the past.
Event 3 - Forums for Dialogue
The advent of virtual meeting technologies allows us to create forums for continuing dialogue and conversations that are so necessary for understanding as we build cross cultural unity in America. Sometimes the answer is simply in the dialogue and not in the work that the dialogue will inevitably produce. The aim is to promote greater degrees of understanding before we begin the work because sometimes it clarifies what the work is that needs to be done. These virtual forms could in some venues change to in-person events based on adaptations to Covid-19.
Event 4 - Intentional Integration
We have spent the last 400 years as separate, segregated people within a multi-ethnic country built on the idea of one people called Americans. We have fallen short in many ways and now is the time where we take action to live out the hope of America. One people, one culture, one America. Churches, businesses, institutions and organizations all have a role to play. Only our imaginations limit us on how we can actively and intentionally engage others to realize the vision articulated in our founding documents. America.
The American Unity Tour
Join us as we travel the country sharing the message of Unity and the truth about historically mistaken concepts regarding race.
Making America Think Again!
