GROUP 6: Moderators - Michelle Charles, David Dutwin

Why did you come here tonight?

• Interesting and important topic
• Have useful and important things to say
• Interaction on a topic with which it is difficult to interact
• Contribute to solving problems pertaining to race
• Take advantage of this opportunity to discuss race
• Hear the opinions of others
• Curiosity

Stories:

• When diverse people gather they can come together and understand each other
• People don't necessarily vote solely according to race, although (race) is used for political purposes at times
• Flight to the suburbs: due in part to the association between inner-city schools being predominantly black and corrupt. Hard to disentangle racial identification and quality of schools (State Administration doesn't care)
• Housing discrimination still exists but younger generation perhaps discriminates less. Discrimination can go both ways. "Cues" to racial bias - things like accent and origin.
• Citizen Voices taught us that different races/ backgrounds do share commonalities and concerns (helped reinforce that belief). But these instances are too rare; neighborhoods are largely segregated, but why?
• . Some neighborhoods "static" in terms of culture, beliefs, economies: people stay put over the years (tradition, ideology)
• Neighborhoods/ Citizens segregated by personal choice - stereotypes die hard
• Fear of violence for someone who would like to move. People don't want to be a minority in a neighborhood: whites afraid of violence in black neighborhoods, blacks afraid of violence in white neighborhoods
• Sometimes, experiences go against your expectations
• Segregation of city more due to economic status
• Different socio-economic status have different values, problem with Section 8
• Negative perceptions between groups create a volatile atmosphere: for example, white police/black neighborhood; end result, needs of both groups are not met; black neighborhood unsure of police, police unsure of reception
• (Feltonville) neighborhood activities bring groups together; but when bad things happen, the blame game can be racially biased or divide between neighborhoods [highest crime area]
• Undesirable neighbor left integrated neighborhood because of racism
• Bias goes beyond color, religious bias still exists (Jewish members at the Union League). The American Dream still exists
• Disagreements can become catalysts for larger racial divides. Misperceptions can create real divisiveness. Divisions/ differences in perceptions, when addressed, can result in progress.

Additional Issues/Stories about Philly:

• Nonverbal behavior between people: no eye contact, people in own personal shells
• Whites refuse to ride subway
• . Within groups, lack of friendliness
• More trust by businesses in white and more affluent neighborhoods
• Philadelphia cliques - same race, different neighborhood = no interaction
• Race seen as a division between people in same socio-economic status
• Economic compatibility does not equal equality

What's Missing?

• Fear and insecurity -> people are afraid of Philadelphia because of crime
• Fear of racial intermarriage
• Lack of seriousness in attacking problems of the under-class
• Voices of poor, public housing residents - neighborhoods crumbling, continue to crumble
• Programs like operation sunrise are just pushing the problem along
• Public school system
• Problem with geography (too much land in Philadelphia): breeding of crime, no industry coming in, plug into regionalism
• Vouchers perceived as primarily helping public schools (seen as black)
• Ethnic groups owning or operating businesses in other ethnic groups' communities
• Asians and Hispanics
• Fear of passing through Philadelphia neighborhood - tougher town (muggings, theft)
• Perception and reality of crime