ERASE Racism announces the launch of a region-wide discussion titled “How Do We Build a Just Long Island?” The discussion will begin with five public forums in 11 days – from November 29 to December 10. They will be held in five communities spread across Nassau and Suffolk counties: Hauppauge, Hempstead, Melville, Riverhead, and Stony Brook.
The discussion is generated by the fact that Long Island is one of the most racially segregated regions in the country, and that a more inclusive society is needed for Long Island to be just and economically competitive in the 21st century. The initial five forums will focus on increasing Long Islanders’ shared understanding of structural racism, its history on Long Island, and its implications. Through interactive exercises and conversations, the participants will explore what can be done to achieve the many benefits of more inclusive communities. The five public forums will take place as follows:
- Thursday, November 29, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn, Stony Brook – co-hosted by the Center for the Study of Inequalities, Social Justice, and Policy, Stony Brook University;
- Tuesday, December 4, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Riverhead Senior Center, Riverhead, NY – co-hosted by the Town of Riverhead’s Anti-Bias Task Force;
- Wednesday, December 5, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Hofstra University Club, Hempstead, NY – co-hosted by The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University;
- Thursday, December 6, from 8:00 to 10:00 am at the Bank of America Building, Melville, NY – co-hosted by the Long Island Association;
- Monday, December 10, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Radisson Hotel, Hauppauge, NY.
The region-wide discussion that will begin with these five forums is designed to spark a crucial public conversation about moving forward from segregation to inclusion and equity. The initiative is made possible by a generous grant from the Large Grants Program of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY – with additional support for communications from the Rauch Foundation.
“Segregation is not only wrong,” said Elaine Gross, President of ERASE Racism, “it’s causing Long Islanders to miss out on benefits that are proving vital to a competitive economy and workforce in the 21st century. This much-needed public discussion will illuminate and explore the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
Registration for the public forums is required and can be made at http://www.eraseracismny.org. For additional information, contact Elaine Gross at elaine(at)eraseracismny.org or 516-921-4863.
About ERASE Racism: Founded in 2001, ERASE Racism is a regional organization that leads public policy advocacy campaigns and related programmatic initiatives to promote racial equity in areas such as housing and public school education. It engages in a variety of research, education, community organizing, and policy advocacy to identify and address institutional and structural racism, primarily on Long Island. ERASE Racism’s vision is transformed, integrated communities in which no person’s access to opportunity is limited by race or ethnicity.
