Facilitated by Ellen Bettmann and Dr. J.W. Wiley

FACILITATOR BIOGRAPHIES

Ellen Bettmann is a nationally-recognized leader in anti-bias education and cultural diversity. For 17 years she was National Director of Training and Resources at the Anti-Defamation League. Ellen is co-author of Hate Hurts (Scholastic), numerous training manuals and articles. She created and leads “Difficult Conversations About Race,” a monthly community forum that addresses race and racism. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative.

Dr. J.W. Wiley, author, poet, and award-winning filmmaker, is President of Xamining Diversity. He keynotes, consults, leads retreats and cultural competency workshops for universities, hospitals, police academies, City Councils, the National Guard, Homeland Security, and more. Formerly, he was Chief Diversity Officer at SUNY Plattsburgh and Lecturer in Philosophy/Interdisciplinary Studies.

SET THE TONE

Ellen Bettmann and Dr. J.W. Wiley brought levity to a serious and educational conversation. Ellen’s extended family and friends joined the group, contributing to the conversation’s ease. A light-hearted and intimate feeling accompanied the dialogue even though tough points were raised throughout the session. At moments, the conversation felt like a close-knit focus group mixing humor with highly-politicized points. Overall, jokes were shared, lessons were learned, and space was opened for participants to respond honestly to questions posed by facilitators.

ACTIVITY

PART 1 of 4: Participants were asked to discuss a series of questions with a partner, then to share insights with the larger group. What follows is a summary of questions and answers shared during the conversation.

Question to the group: What was it like to walk through A Memorial Field? Responses:
“It’s a lot of material, it’s impressive, and it’s a space to return to periodically.”
“I can only manage 4–5 Memorials at one time, then I return again and again. It’s a better method for me than trying to swallow it all at once.”
“The repetition shows the pattern of brutality.”
“The punch comes with repetition.”
“It’s sobering, the familiarity of names; we know these stories.”

Question to the group: What do you look at when you’re in A Memorial Field? Responses:
“The birds; I like how they symbolize the release of the spirit.”
“I appreciate the short and succinct language, nothing extra, no sidestepping the issue.”

Question to Ren: What kind of feedback have you received about A Memorial Field?
Ren replied with a small sample of responses she’s received over the last four years:
“You’ve done enough Memorials, you don’t need to do any more.”
“You can never do enough Memorials.”
“I don’t want this here. I walk my dog here. Do my taxpayer dollars pay for this?”
“I can’t imagine the circle without A Memorial Field now.”
“You could do fewer and break them into categories of incidents with one example in each category.”
A mother FaceTiming in A Memorial Field with her daughter in Florida was showing her the Memorials in real time. When she finished, I asked if she had any questions. She replied, “This is an act of love.”

PART 2 of 4: The Q & A continued in the larger group. J.W. began by posing a series of questions:
Is there a relationship between the raid on Harpers Ferry and what is happening now in society?
Are we approaching a civil war today?
How do we respond to symbols of hate?
Are symbols of hatred disappearing in society?
What role does a community play in blocking hatred?
How do we respond to racism?
J.W. spoke about the power of language and confronting people who make racist statements.
“I invite the perpetrator,” he said, “to double down on their racist statement by asking, ‘Could you explain what you mean by that?’ I try to open space for the person to reflect on the fact that they said something asinine. I try to trigger curiosity in the racist, angry person.”
Use the Socratic method of inquiry and response. Interrogate. Ask questions.
Do we have a responsibility to address the statement, “Blue Lives Matter?”
How do we hold both Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter?
How does police culture affect/infiltrate families?

GROUP SHARE: Tell the group one thing you know about John Brown.
Radical abolitionist.
Fought with guns.
Gathered family and allies for a cause.
“Cloudsplitter” by Russell Banks.
Terrorism through resistance.
Extremist.
Story of Potawatomi, pro-slavery leaders captured and executed by Brown.
Historically, John Brown is held responsible for all violence in a mutual war against a barbaric institution.
American history turns John Brown into the crazy murderer, hanged for treason.
Morality of the story is unsettled even now, 150 years later: terrorist or noble warrior?
Came to ADKs to do farmwork on Gerrit Smith’s land.
Henry David Thoreau wrote an essay, a plea on behalf of John Brown
He was part of a web of activists and social figures: Emerson, Gerrit Smith, Henry David Thoreau, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, John Brown
Why did Harriet Tubman turn down John Brown’s invitation to join the Raid on Harpers Ferry?

PART 3 of 4: Ellen followed J.W. with a different set of questions and teachings for the group:
What decisions can we make today on the side of abolition?
Get beyond a one-dimensional approach. Do multiple things in the name of activism, because racism is a fort; we must attack it from all sides.
How do we make noise and make change in our communities?
Seek opportunities to engage and participate, become a part of activist organizations & their projects.
What is the role of optimism in activism?
Allyship – support the people in our daily lives.
Who can White people follow to make change today? An example: NAACP.
How do we find answers?
Education is a force for change. Recognize and acknowledge the privilege in our lives, politically and educationally.

PART 4 of 4: The following are reasons participants cited for attending the session. Readers should note that the responses are honest, vulnerable, and reflective of the judgment-free space that was created during the session. Organizers and facilitators assume that all comments were shared with an anti-racist intention to learn. Read with care, and minimize assumptions:
To get more comfortable with being uncomfortable.
To find a seat at the table and a place in the conversation.
To find out about the things that aren’t taught in school.
To build community and to understand how our community relates to the outside world.
To continue using an individualized skillset to analyze data and tell stories that are hidden or obfuscated.
Choir practice – though these conversations sometimes feel like preaching to the choir, choirs still have to practice.
To contribute to the study of Black history in ADKs.
To contribute to consciousness-raising conversations that are happening all over the world.
To enhance diversity in life, to acknowledge privilege, and to address how we have contributed to racism in our individual lives.
To practice speaking up without being afraid of saying the wrong thing.
To make opportunities to interface with Black people.
To increase educational opportunities.
To contribute to small differences in society by enriching community connections.
To continue a fateful, lifelong relationship with John Brown.
To have the courage to continue these conversations beyond the John Brown Farm.
To develop an ally pulpit.

READING LIST

  • Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard
  • Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibrahim X. Kendi, Jason Reynolds, and Sonja Cherry-Paul
  • How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith (2022)
  • South to America by Imani Perry
  • March (Trilogy) by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin
  • The Nigger in You: Challenging Dysfunctional Language, Engaging Leadership Moments by Dr. J.W. Wiley
  • “How Does it Feel to Be a Problem?” (2021), a film by Dr. J.W. Wiley and Thomas Keith