|
|
Race Matters Follow-up Conference
July 12, 2006
Meeting Notes
NEXT MEETING: August 23, 2006;
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at
United Way of Central NM offices
2340 Alamo SE
2nd floor conference room
|
|
Working definition of Structural Racism: policies
and practices that create an advantage for white people, and a disadvantage
for people of color.
Jamal Martin recommended the article about affirmative action for
whites, found in the California News Reel's website. Here is the link:
http://www.newsreel.org/guides/race/whiteadv.htm
This meeting's purpose was to work on strategies to improve adolescent
well-being right now. Each focus area proposed one or two concrete
initiatives, and then all participants voted on the measures they
felt to be most salient.
Child Welfare
A memorial to create a cultural liaison position in all CYFD offices
to assist foster parents and children. This individual would help
families access community events, and assist with culturally-specific
aspects of child rearing - like proper hair care for African-American
foster kids. (6 votes)
A study and remediation plan to look at race and the child welfare
system, how disproportional is it in NM, and what can be done to affect
change? Kay Monaco discussed a report by the Texas equivalent of CYFD
which implemented cultural competencies and different kinds of services
for families of color. (3 votes)
Juvenile Justice
A study examining disciplinary discretion at APS, particularly who
gets detained and who gets sent home for the same infraction by race,
class and gender. Creating a means to collect data at the school level.
(6 votes)
Tom Scharmen's suggestion: Improve the quality and consistency of
data collected on race and ethnicity. (10 votes)
Health Care
The conundrum of incarceration as a strategy to treat mental illness.
Why is incarceration used as a way to obtain behavioral health care?
Can there be more diversionary tactics? Pressure on the legislature
is needed to ensure that appropriate treatment is provided. (15 votes)
Linked to this was Jamal Martin's suggestion of conducting a study
to examine the links between structural racism and its contributions
to behavioral health problems. (14 votes)
Media
Monitor local coverage about youth of color and involve young people
in examining the racial composition of media staff. (3 votes)
Reproductive Health
Implement a legislative strategy to mandate comprehensive sex education
and access to confidential health services for adolescents. (12 votes)
Kay Monaco proposed the importance of a legislative racial impact
statement akin to the fiscal impact reports already produced by the
Legislative Finance Committee for all introduced bills. Legislators
may be convinced of the importance of this analysis through a fact
sheet on structural racism. We would need to present at the legislature,
and then also have a strong cheering section, to show the public support
for this measure.
The next meeting will be convened on Wednesday, August 9th between
2 - 4 p.m. (Meeting changed to August 23rd.)
at the United Way conference room, 2340 Alamo SE, 2nd floor, Albuquerque
87106.
