Frustration. Fear. But, ultimately, hope.
These were a few of the emotions expressed during the recent Racial Healing Circles offered to the Child & Family Services’ team. Held over Zoom, these sessions were an opportunity to have an honest, judgment-free discussion regarding the way staff members are feeling in response to current racial injustice issues.
“C&FS has a responsibility not only to those we serve, but also those we employ, to open a dialogue about racism and inequity, and truly listen,” said Elizabeth McPartland, President and CEO of C&FS. “Racial healing circles are an opportunity for colleagues to share their experiences and perspectives while in a safe environment. Recognizing that many are already feeling isolated due to working remotely, these virtual conversations are one way to have a critical discussion.”
Facilitated by Rene Petties-Jones, Community Engagement and Development Director of the National Federation for Just Communities of WNY, Inc., employees broke into small groups led by moderators. Using prompts to open the discussion and encouraging everyone to speak using “I” statements reflecting each person’s own experience, the moderators gave everyone the chance both to listen and to be heard.
“Racial Healing Circles have the power to transform, to elevate, to engage,” Rene said. “They are ways in which we begin to create and find safe space to talk about issues that impact us all. When developing the Racial Healing Circles for Child & Family Services, and knowing so many people needed and wanted to be heard, we tried to bring in the important elements of cross-cultural communication into our current virtual reality.
According to a recent ABC News poll following the death of George Floyd, approximately 75% of Americans believe there is a racial injustice problem in the United States. This is up over 30% from a similar survey taken in December, 2014. As tensions are raised, it is critical that people continue discussing how progress can be made.
As Rene told us, “Our hope is that this is just the beginning and that growth will happen as everyone moves forward to a better place of understanding during these challenging times.”