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Last Update:
May 3, 2008
©2008
Center for the Healing of Racism
Impact of the Center's Work
The Center for Healing Racism has achieved national importance. According to The Center for Living Democracy, of 181 organizations "battling racism" the Center for Healing Racism ranked among the top 22 such institutions. In addition, during the summer of 1997, The Center sent six delegates to the historically acclaimed Race Relations Institute at Fisk University where they were involved in developing resolutions concerning public policy around issues of racism in law, politics, education, health, entertainment, economics, business, and religion.
In 1998 four consultants discussed Dialogue:Racism for an audience of fellows at the Institute for International Education.
Testimonials
The text of Jackie Newberry's speech at the Center's 2002 Juneteenth event
“Since joining the Center for the Healing of Racism in 1991, my association has been somewhat spiritual. My feelings against racism come from within, and discovering the Center allowed me to be with people who either felt the same way I did or ones that needed me to help them heal from the horrible disease called racism I have made some lifetime friendships that I will cherish the rest of my life.”
— Merle Kaufman“I am a European-American male. In 1995 I walked into my first Dialogue:Racism. It was liberating. I became friends with a diverse group of people who are dedicated to ending racism. Now, as an educator, I no longer just teach from books on multiculturalism. Scholarship is a powerful tool. But it is my relationship with real people—dedicated and inspired people—that has deepened my own self-understanding in the way I relate to students and, therefore, the way my students are empowered to carry on their own work toward dismantling White Supremacy. The Center for Healing Racism is a beautiful gift.”
— Randall Spinks“I had a burning inside—and didn't even know it! It took a lady named Cherry Steinwender named after one of the good fruits of life, to bring this passion to my attention . . . and then powerfully & lovingly develop it. I saw Cherry via video in 1995. I was captivated by her dynamic style. I immediately wanted mentoring from her.”
— Stephen R. Brown“When I encountered the Center´s trainers and Dialogue:Racism an immediate sense of recognition arose. As a concerned white male I had always felt estranged by what I had heard and read about racism. My liberal view of taking the side of the oppressed people had seemed useful as a legal and humanitarian approach. But it was not about me, so I had never engaged working to end racism in an experiential way.
“The most valuable experience in Dialogue:Racism was my recognition and reawakening when I realized that the trainers were succeeding in breaking the old habit of seeing us, of seeing human beings, as necessarily divided into races. This is a wonderful breakthrough for all of us as westerners. The only other place I had ever experienced this was in southern Asia in the presence of highly realized teachers who had studied and practiced eastern philosophy all their lives.
“With practical and compassionate skill the trainers are able to show respect for our ordinary mind which does see others and ourselves as belonging to different races. While at the same time they lead us to the work of overcoming this ancient habit that was instilled in us by the people 'we love and trust'.
“For me, the fruits of this training include initiating dialogues with other white men in which we begin to look at our privileges and the oppressions that often arise from our privileged actions and our privileged silences. In addition, with the supportive encouragement of Mrs. Cherry Steinwender, I have begun to write about these dialogues in the hope that the reports may be of use in training´s for overcoming racist habits.”
— David Potter