Based on our discussion tonight, I would say Philadelphia's most important challenge or opportunity regarding race and diversity is...

GROUP 1:

• Improve understanding of diversity; changing perceptions, improving communications, breaking down (language) barriers.
• Creating = rights: educational, economic, social opportunities
• What is/who is Philadelphia? Government can ensure only fair treatment of Citizens of group, not government's job to get rid of prejudices (this is beyond government). With education and dialogue, only you can get past prejudice
• Understanding is the challenge
• We need fairness in treatment of people = opportunity (in education, better housing, and by eliminating racial profiling)
• (We need to start with our children)

Commonalities:

• Understanding of diversity
• Fairness
• Role of education
• Government can only do so much, we need to take individual responsibility
• Need for dialogue

What's missing:

• Need honest dialogue on issue & candidates need to honestly approach issues of race
• Role of economics
• These are tools for reaching a (?) society. Understanding is more than tolerating

GROUP 2:

• Get rid of our pre-conceived notions about one another
• Education - must provide a quality education, give people positive experiences when young
• Next mayoral election needs to focus on issues important to Philadelphia & keep the race card out of it
• Need more community events to talk about important issues to community
• More wide-spread economic development for all groups of people
• Teach skills to contribute to community as well as academics
• Political leadership must (?) to think about new ways of doing things and create new coalitions - not old ways of doing things
• Must talk with and not past each other

GROUP 3:

• Translating oppression into empowerment
• Transforming decay into healthy environments
• Change way that news and history are told
• Challenge: start at the top with incoming administration and address it directly
• Tailor solutions to Philadelphia
• Address problems in neighborhood
• Recognize overt and covert racism
• Challenge: unite neighborhoods, foster overall vision
• Hold people responsible - everyone, including self for racism

GROUP 4:

• Disparity in educational opportunities
• Economic inequities
• Cross neighborhood lines
• Different voices
• Pre-crisis intervention
• Reach unreachable
• Continue attack institutional racism - legislation and enforcement
• Attack expectation of white power - "whiteness"
• How to get institutions to recognize built-in levels of racism and deal with it out of self-interest
• Given lack of diversity in Philly neighborhoods, how do you build stable, diverse neighborhoods?

GROUP 5:

• To open honest communication within the many groups which make up our city to identify problems and create solutions which can be adopted by our institutions
• Gaining familiarity with members of diverse groups; equal access to education, jobs and all city services
• Neighborhood and transportation planning to facilitate the above
• Open up frank dialogue to eliminate stereotypes
• To help generate good, living wage jobs so all can enjoy a good quality of life
• Political system must respond and set the tone in the city with transportation and economic planning

GROUP 6:
Groupings/ clusters:

• Neighborhoods: static, no changes, incentive now to reach out; housing (public) discrimination; white flight
• Public institutions: schools, businesses, Septa, police
• Pride - none by Philadelphians, doesn't translate to newer residents