Rabbi Hillel Katzir of KRFC Radio Fort Collins interviewed Katherine Valdez, Mia Donley and Victoria Baumgart of Diverse Fort Collins for the “Faith In Progress” public affairs program.
They discussed Diverse FoCo’s origins, purpose and goals; how the national landscape has changed since the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and many others, and the subsequent worldwide peaceful demonstrations in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement; and upcoming opportunities to advance racial justice in Fort Collins.
(Register for the Sept. 15 or Sept. 28 Action Committee information meetings here.)
The interview will air at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15 on 88.9 FM (listen live here) and will be available as a podcast afterward. Watch the video.
Video Available of Sept. 3 Town Hall on Action & Allyship
Fort Collins Interfaith Council and World Wisdoms Project presented the fourth and final Town Hall on Thursday, Sept. 3 from 9 – 11 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST).
The event began with a talk on allyship amd action, followed by seven-minute presentations by Diverse Fort Collins, Northern Colorado Intertribal Pow Wow Association, The BIPOC Alliance, Fort Collins International Center, The Family Center/La Familia, and New Eyes Village.
Founder Katherine Valdez represented Diverse FoCo.
Watch the video here.
RESOURCES ADDED OFTEN
We add new resources all the time!
On our News page, read about the 2021 City Manager’s Recommended City Budget, the call for volunteers to serve on the new Colorado Redistricting Commissions, and check out links to NPR’s Code Switch and other resources.
On our Resources page, read Lessons on Peaceful Protesting by My Black Colorado
On our Vote! page, see links to racial justice-focused candidates in the Nov. 3 general election.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Here’s one of our most popular social media posts:
“Yes, Women Could Vote After The 19th Amendment — But Not All Women. Or Men.” by Melissa Block, NPR
And here’s a new post that summarizes the reasons for #BlackLivesMatter (Thanks to Denise for sharing this):
“The following is an EXCELLENT summary. Pass it on to those who you think are open, but don’t yet understand…
Don’t really get all the BLM stuff?
Hope this helps:
400 years ago white people enslaved black people.
And sold them.
And treated them as less than human.
For 250 years.
While white men built the country and created its laws and its systems of government.
While 10, 15 generations of white families got to grow and flourish and make choices that could make their lives better.
150 years ago white people “freed” black people from slavery.
But then angry white people created laws that made it impossible for them to vote.
Or to own land.
Or to have the same rights as white people. And even erected monuments glorifying people who actively had fought to keep them enslaved.
All while another 5, 10 generations of white families got to grow and accumulate wealth and gain land and get an education.
60 years ago we made it “legal” for black people to vote, and to be “free” from discrimination.
But angry white people still fought to keep schools segregated.
And closed off neighborhoods to white people only.*
And made it harder for black people to get bank loans*, or get quality education or health care, or to (gasp) marry a white person.
All while another two to three generations of white families got to grow and pass their wealth down to their children and their children’s children.
Present day:
And then we entered an age where we had the technology to make PUBLIC the things that were already happening in private– the beatings, the stop and frisk laws, the unequal distribution of justice, the police brutality (in the south, police began as slave patrols designed to catch runaway slaves).**
And only now, after 400+ years and 20+ generations of a white head start, are we STARTING to truly have a dialogue about what it means to be black.
White privilege doesn’t mean you haven’t suffered or fought or worked hard.
It doesn’t mean white people are responsible for the sins of our ancestors.
It doesn’t mean you can’t be proud of who you are.
It DOES mean that we need to acknowledge that the system our ancestors created is built FOR white people.
It DOES mean that Black people are treated at a disadvantage because of the color of their skin.
It DOES mean that we owe it to our neighbors– of all colors– to acknowledge that and work to make our world more equitable.
Because Black Lives Matter.
Understanding why we have to say this matters.
Your voice in this movement matters.
Recognizing privilege, power and history matters.
copied and pasted – PLEASE DO THE SAME”
* Learn more about redlining and other unconstitutional practices by joining our discussion of THE COLOR OF LAW: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein on Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. See details and register here.
**Read about how our modern police forces grew out of Night Patrols and Slave Patrols in So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and register for our January/February/March discussions. See details and registration here.
Diverse Fort Collins is a volunteer-driven community project connecting people with resources and each other. We are dedicated to advocating for antiracism and racial equity.
Let’s co-create an inclusive community!
Diverse Fort Collins 