Aug. 22, 2014 Memo from Media and Climate Communications Specialist for Amherst Carol Ross on why...

Hello all! Foremost, I did listen to the show and I want to acknowledge all of the panelists today! Without giving it too much energy, I also want to share my reasons for not participating today. I am not sending this to the press but I am going to protect the integrity of this work! Feel free to share your thoughts. Much respect! ~Carol If we are truly serious and genuine about creating a space for progressive and proactive discourse in our community, we have to be committed to authenticity and determined to create an appropriate platform to do so, and not succumb to or encourage sensationalism, rhetoric, impatience or insensitivity to the variety of voices and needs within our community. I believe the administration’s request to postpone, in consideration for inviting expert panelists to provide substance, tangible pathways and proper context was reasonable and speaks to this goal. It also speaks to the administration’s commitment to this effort. My request to refrain from participating in what I felt would be a basic media tactic called race-baiting (as an unfair and misguided attempt to provoke participants), was honored and supported by this administration. This was not an affront to any of the panelists, as Mr. Flaherty suggested multiples times, which in and of itself is divisive. If Mr. Flaherty was truly committed to the well-being of our community and truly concerned about racism, he would have respected and understood the concerns expressed during our conversation of August 20 about the potential negative impact of conducting a dialog about racism out of context of the larger issues facing us as a community and society, and without expert input regarding tangible pathways that lead to equitable outcomes. Based solely on inflammatory statements in an email sent by Mr. Flaherty two days before the discussion, with reasonable concern, the administration simply asked Mr. Flaherty to postpone the discussion to a later date with the assurance that the panel would include those who could effectively address systemic racism and truly move the dialog forward. Instead, Mr. Flaherty made the decision to continue the dialog not only without regard for the complexity and sensitive nature of this issue, but also took the opportunity to state publicly that the reason for the request for postponement was due solely to a fear of backlash from the audience. Yes, community-wide conversation and discourse is central to the success of any initiative aimed to positively impact any community at large. However, if we are to progress as a people and as a community, it must be based on practical methodology. This type of media coverage, which omits the prevalence of systemic racism is harmful to the community and stifles the public’s understanding of its underlying causes. Without making the distinctions between internal, interpersonal, institutional and structural racism, and without considering hegemony as one of the most prevalent yet least talked about aspects of how racism is maintained (and includes other aspects of oppression such as class, gender, sexuality), the public is once again left with a false view of how the compounding effects of racism impacts our experience of it. There is simply no benefit in rehashing old dialog without the genuine intent to incorporate dialog that focuses on action and impact. The decision to postpone is sound. Amherst Together will not be a side show to appease sensationalism. We have real work to do, that will take patience and collaborative effort. It is truly time to expand our understanding of ALL forms of oppression and cultivate dialog that reaches the core of humanity and begs the question, “who are we really and how are we going to live together?” Amherst as a community is in desperate need of healing and coming together. Amherst is also an amazing community with the resources, passion and ability to do just that. I’m happy to participate in dialog where those goals are shared.

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In one of her first actions as Media and Climate Communications Specialist for Amherst, Carol Ross pulled out of participating in a WHMP forum on race and tensions in the town's school district and sent this email to school staff and parents explaining why.

Transcript of Aug. 22, 2014 Memo from Media and Climate Communications Specialist for Amherst Carol Ross on why...

Helloall!Foremost,IdidlistentotheshowandIwanttoacknowledgeallofthepaneliststoday!Withoutgivingittoomuchenergy,Ialsowanttosharemyreasonsfornotparticipatingtoday.IamnotsendingthistothepressbutIamgoingtoprotecttheintegrityofthiswork!Feelfreetoshareyourthoughts.Muchrespect!~CarolIfwearetrulyseriousandgenuineaboutcreatingaspaceforprogressiveandproactivediscourseinourcommunity,wehavetobecommittedtoauthenticityanddeterminedtocreateanappropriateplatformtodoso,andnotsuccumbtoorencouragesensationalism,rhetoric,impatienceorinsensitivitytothevarietyofvoicesandneedswithinourcommunity.Ibelievetheadministrationsrequesttopostpone,inconsiderationforinvitingexpertpaneliststoprovidesubstance,tangiblepathwaysandpropercontextwasreasonableandspeakstothisgoal.Italsospeakstotheadministrationscommitmenttothiseffort.MyrequesttorefrainfromparticipatinginwhatIfeltwouldbeabasicmediatacticcalledracebaiting(asanunfairandmisguidedattempttoprovokeparticipants),washonoredandsupportedbythisadministration.Thiswasnotanaffronttoanyofthepanelists,asMr.Flahertysuggestedmultiplestimes,whichinandofitselfisdivisive.IfMr.Flahertywastrulycommittedtothewellbeingofourcommunityandtrulyconcernedaboutracism,hewouldhaverespectedandunderstoodtheconcernsexpressedduringourconversationofAugust20aboutthepotentialnegativeimpactofconductingadialogaboutracismoutofcontextofthelargerissuesfacingusasacommunityandsociety,andwithoutexpertinputregardingtangiblepathwaysthatleadtoequitableoutcomes.BasedsolelyoninflammatorystatementsinanemailsentbyMr.Flahertytwodaysbeforethediscussion,withreasonableconcern,theadministrationsimplyaskedMr.Flahertytopostponethediscussiontoalaterdatewiththeassurancethatthepanelwouldincludethosewhocouldeffectivelyaddresssystemicracismandtrulymovethedialogforward.Instead,Mr.Flahertymadethedecisiontocontinuethedialognotonlywithoutregardforthecomplexityandsensitivenatureofthisissue,butalsotooktheopportunitytostatepubliclythatthereasonfortherequestforpostponementwasduesolelytoafearofbacklashfromtheaudience.Yes,communitywideconversationanddiscourseiscentraltothesuccessofanyinitiativeaimedtopositivelyimpactanycommunityatlarge.However,ifwearetoprogressasapeopleandasacommunity,itmustbebasedonpracticalmethodology.Thistypeofmediacoverage,whichomitstheprevalenceofsystemicracismisharmfultothecommunityandstiflesthepublicsunderstandingofitsunderlyingcauses.Withoutmakingthedistinctionsbetweeninternal,interpersonal,institutionalandstructuralracism,andwithoutconsideringhegemonyasoneofthemostprevalentyetleasttalkedaboutaspectsofhowracismismaintained(andincludesotheraspectsofoppressionsuchasclass,gender,sexuality),thepublicisonceagainleftwithafalseviewofhowthecompoundingeffectsofracismimpactsourexperienceofit.Thereissimplynobenefitinrehashingolddialogwithoutthegenuineintenttoincorporatedialogthatfocusesonactionandimpact.Thedecisiontopostponeissound.AmherstTogetherwillnotbeasideshowtoappeasesensationalism.Wehaverealworktodo,thatwilltakepatienceandcollaborativeeffort.ItistrulytimetoexpandourunderstandingofALLformsofoppressionandcultivatedialogthatreachesthecoreofhumanityandbegsthequestion,whoarewereallyandhowarewegoingtolivetogether?Amherstasacommunityisindesperateneedofhealingandcomingtogether.Amherstisalsoanamazingcommunitywiththeresources,passionandabilitytodojustthat.Imhappytoparticipateindialogwherethosegoalsareshared.
Fromapersonalstandpoint,theparticipantsonthepaneltodayalreadyknowthattheyhavemyfullrespectandloveandthatIwilldoeverythingIcantocreatesafespacesforexpressionandcollaboration.~CarolRoss