The Pacific Educational Group (PEG), a consulting firm committed to forging racial equity, believes that an earnest and honest discussion on race and racism is the first step to eliminating racially predictable outcomes of our lives. It has developed Courageous Conversation™, a process to understand and discuss race explicitly. Each year, at a National Summit and Regional Summits in some cities, PEG brings together dedicated racial equity leaders and the community to engage in a deepened conversation about systemic racism and its impact on opportunity and achievement for all people.
This year, it held its regional summit for the first time in Bellevue on June 27-28.
Eastside Pathways board chair, Alaric Bien; board member, Alka Manchanda; and communications & operations manager, Sujata Agrawal share their experience of attending the Beyond Diversity session – the starting point for Courageous Conversation.
Alaric Bien, board chair of Eastside Pathways
I was fortunate to be able to spend two days at the Pacific Education Group’s Beyond Diversity training at Odle Middle School with 350 other colleagues from across the western United States. I have to say, it was more than impressive to see that many people come to Bellevue to talk, and learn about racial equity! People in education, government, nonprofit, and the business sectors – all focused on how we can interrupt those aspects of systemic racism that create inequities throughout our society.
We are all impacted by institutionalized and systemic racism, whether we are aware of it or not. Just because we don’t have to think about the issue, doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect us. Some of us are faced with it almost all the time. Some of us rarely, if ever, need to confront it. Whether seeing people like yourself portrayed on TV in a positive light, or being able to utilize public services without fear that you might be mistreated, our systems are built to prioritize and privilege some of us over others.
So what does this mean for our kids? What do we need to do to change our educational system so that each and every child has the opportunities they need to succeed? I believe the first step is for every one of us to learn about the issue and to continue that learning ever more deeply over time. We also must work within our institutions and systems to ensure that our policies and practices do not disproportionately affect one group more positively or negatively than another. We must not be afraid to speak our truths, and we must always call out injustices where we see them.
I believe in my heart in the principle of fairness, of equity for children of all backgrounds. I feel angry and at the same time sad that some in our community are inherently not afforded the same advantages as others. But I think that we here in Bellevue and across the Eastside can come together to solve these inequities. And that is what I recommit to doing after these two days of training – continuing to work toward a fair, and just, and racially equitable community for all. Please join us!
Alka Manchanda, board member of Eastside Pathways
The PEG Summit on Racial Equity was an eye-opener for me. I had heard such great reviews about the summit before going in but it exceeded all expectations for me. All the exercises were so thought-provoking and really had me digging into my past and my upbringing to figure out the root cause of my biases.
The two days just flew by. I don’t think we got enough time to delve deep into the last exercise and invariably we ran out of time for each group to present their key findings.
I would highly recommend anyone working in the field of racial equity and or anyone who has a desire to understand why we think the way we think, to take this seminar. Luis Versalles, our facilitator, from the Pacific Education Group was authentic and genuine and really spoke from his own experiences, which made our discussions a lot more meaningful.
Am so glad that I got the opportunity to attend this summit.
Sujata Agrawal, Communications & Operations Manager at Eastside Pathways
Attending my first Courageous Conversation summit was an intense and moving experience. Having recently joined Eastside Pathways, I was excited at the opportunity to immerse myself in understanding and learning about having a conversation and discussion around racial inequities.
As someone who did not grow up in the United States, I sometimes struggle to understand the inequities that exist in society here. But I do have a parallel – the caste system that is prevalent in India has many similarities to what I observe here – and that gives me an anchor point to be a part of a discussion.
What I heard over the two days were voices – a medley of color, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sharing their truth. I heard stories of struggles and discrimination, but also stories of support and hope.
People shared their deepest experiences so that others in the room could, for that brief period, walk in their shoes and understand what that’s like. They shared their thoughts and perspectives so that others could comprehend and learn.
The most impactful moment for me was the visual representation of the ‘White Privilege Exercise’ as people stood around the room according to their scores. It spoke volumes about the inequities that exist on the Eastside. It is this image that we need to change – for ourselves and for the kids who are growing up in what is a very diverse community on the Eastside. We need to work together to make changes in our policies and systems so that all kids have the same opportunities, advantages, and the encouragement to achieve and be what they want to be.
It is courageous conversations, like these, that enable us to understand what should be so that we are conscious of what actually is.