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On Monday, April 19, more than 500 members of the metro community listened as Naomi Tutu, international scholar and human rights advocate, addressed the need for an ongoing dialogue about race and racism in her keynote speech at The Saint Paul Foundation’s “Facing Race Ambassador Award Celebration” at the Prom Center in Oakdale, Minnesota. Facing Race is a special initiative of The Saint Paul Foundation that uses discussion tools to provide a greater understanding of race issues and what the community can do to create a more open and equitable society. The third child of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Naomi Tutu highlighted her experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa and the ravages of staying silent about race and racism. “Racism will not end simply because we pretend it does not exist,” said Tutu. “In fact, the more we try and hide from it the more insidious it becomes. We can only conquer racism in ourselves and in our communities when we face up to it and challenge it. Having the courage to speak out about racism is the only way to heal our society of its impact."
The 2010 “Facing Race Ambassador Award” honored Herbert A. Perkins and Margery K. Otto, co-directors of the Antiracism Study-Dialogue Circles (ASDIC). Long before becoming co-directors of the ASDIC, Perkins and Otto each spent many years working to heal American race relations. They met while volunteering on an anti-racism team and today their ASDIC circles provide participants the opportunity to engage in dialogue, build relationships across racial and ethnic barriers and commit to positive change. Since 2006, more than 500 people have participated in the ASDIC circles. “We recognize that one or two people alone do not create anti-racism transformation,” said Herbert Perkins, The Facing Race Ambassadors Award co-recipient. “Social change happens through communities of people working together. We accepted the award on behalf of, and in recognition of, the dedicated, inspired work of a whole community of people.” “This award is about celebrating the value and necessity of a community-wide dialogue on race,” said Carleen Rhodes, president of The Saint Paul Foundation. “Herb and Margery’s work demonstrates that when individuals are transformed, our communities are transformed. Naomi Tutu’s words reinforced a need for continued dialogue and change at both the individual and community level.”
Along with the “Facing Race Ambassador Award” recipients, the initiative honored three other Ambassadors for their efforts to advance the dialogue against racism in the East Metro area. They included Dr. Eric J. Jolly, president of the Science Museum of Minnesota; Angelique Kedem, Minnesota coordinator for the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI); and Ouida Crozier, coordinator for Diversity and Cultural Competency at the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Click here to listen to an interview with Naomi Tutu
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