Sunday, April 7, 2002
What do you think?
Neighbor to Neighbor organizers are considering ways to keep the effort going.
The Enquirer asked the Rev. Duane Holm, director of the Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati, and Steven Adamowski, superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools, to tell us what their institutions are doing to address racial issues.
Click here for excerpts from their responses, and for parts of a speech given by Cincinnati City Manager Valerie Lemmie last week to the Human Relations Commission.
If you have a suggestion, contact us and include your name, address, daytime phone number and e-mail address. You may:
• E-mail to neighbors@enquirer.com
• Fax your response to 513-755-4150.
• Send a letter to: Neighbor to Neighbor, The Cincinnati Enquirer, 7700 Service Center Drive, West Chester, OH 45069.
The Police
Violence up, arrests down
Changes made since April 2001
Q&A with Police Chief Streicher
Q&A with former F.O.P. president Keith Fangman
Neighbor to Neighbor
Community meetings produce results
Going beyond polite silence
What your neighbors said
 What do you think?
What's happening in 145 communities
A sampling of communities:
• Mount Healthy
• Pleasant Ridge
• Milford
What institutions are doing
Related Links
Neighbor to Neighbor home page
Matters of Race: Bridging the divide in Greater Cincinnati
On the Same Page Cincinnati
Live Without Hate
Common Ground
Cincinnati 2001: Year of unrest
Unrest in the city: Archive of riot coverage
Unrest photo timeline
Jim Borgman on race
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Neighbor to Neighbor asked participants to answer these four questions. Top 10 responses to each:
Where do we agree?
- Education on race issues is critical, especially to reach the young.
- We all need to get to know people different from ourselves.
- It’s important to celebrate diversity.
- Racism exists; some people have fewer opportunities and more obstacles.
- Economic disparities contribute to racial tensions.
- Fear of people who are different is part of the problem.
- More frank, interracial talk is needed.
- Police-community relations must be improved.
- Integration shouldn’t be forced.
- People are frustrated over a lack of racial progress.
Where do we disagree?
- Whether affirmative action is effective or fair.
- Whether English should be our official language.
- Whether poverty or race causes racial tension.
- Whether we should be color-blind or take into account a person’s race.
- Whether the city’s economic resources are fairly distributed among neighborhoods.
- Whether government or citizens should set educational standards.
- The extent to which racial discrimination exists.
- Whether equal opportunity and truly integrated communities are achievable.
- Whether the news media intensifies racial tension.
- Whether racial tolerance is best taught in the home, school or church.
What can we, as citizens, do?
- Live by the Golden Rule: Get to know others, respect each other, smile, be warm.
- Get involved: Become a mentor; volunteer in the community and in schools.
- Continue Neighbor to Neighbor meetings; invite new people.
- Speak out against racially demeaning jokes and comments.
- Organize and attend multicultural events.
- Encourage churches to share pastors, services, programs.
- Teach your children well.
- Learn more about racial issues and different cultures.
- Plan and attend neighborhood socials.
- Vote.
What should our community leaders do?
- Insist that schools provide role models, implement race forums, restore vocational education, hold educators accountable for confronting racism.
- Improve police-community relations.
- Invest in economic development, minority businesses, youth job programs.
- Organize multicultural events.
- Meet and listen to residents.
- Rebuild troubled neighborhoods.
- Participate in diversity training.
- Church leaders should be leading racial change.
- News media should do more positive stories.
- Corporate leaders should get more involved.
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