Bringing Blacks and Hispanics together

[Moorbey]

Bringing Blacks and Hispanics together
by Yasmine Regester
Carolina Peacemaker
Originally posted 9/17/2008

The Governor’s Advisory Council held a discussion panel on Friday, Sept. 12 at North Carolina A&T State University about civil rights and immigration. Members of the community came to speak and raise questions about the issues. The panel discussed relations between the African American community and the Hispanic community. Each speaker brought insight into how the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s had an affect, not just on the current status of African Americans, but also the rights of Hispanics. Reverend Dr. William Barber, N.C. NAACP president, spoke on humanity and how it should be the basis of how people are treated. He referenced different historical moments where Blacks were treated unfairly and urged the crowd, “If you don’t stand up and say something, then maybe in your heart, you really believe it.” He added, “We demand that all children have access to education no matter their parents’ immigration status.”
Elise Shore, regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF), stated the parallels between the Civil Rights Movement and immigration. “We recognize the differences in experiences but we are able to do so much in the Latino and immigrant community because of the activists from the Civil Rights Movement,” Shore stated.
She backed up Dr. Barber’s speech by stressing humanity as well. “What we are seeing in the immigrant communities are institutionalized methods of discrimination such as racial profiling, housing discrimination, and racial tensions,” she said. Founded in 1968 in San Antonio, Texas, MALDEF is a nonprofit Latino litigation, advocacy and educational outreach institution in the United States. “We have looked to the civil rights era as a teacher for the immigrant movement, using the techniques from our brothers and sisters of the Civil Rights Movement.”
The City of Winston-Salem Human Relations Commission began a series of discussions to help alleviate the growing tensions between African Americans and Hispanics called Beyond Soul and Salsa: A Dialogue Between Two Communities, African American/Hispanic Relations.
Carlos Bocanegra, Human Relations specialist for the city of Winston-Salem explained, “As Hispanics began to move into historically Black neighborhoods, there was culture clash because of the conflicting stereotypes they each had about each other.”
The first forum was held in June 2005 and Bocanegra said he could see the change, “We’ve seen increased partnership and cooperation as far as handling community problems.”
The Human Relations Commission has partnered with the NAACP, churches and faith based communities around Winston-Salem to help lead these discussions.
Churches have been taking an active role in African American/Hispanic relations. Reverend Nelson Johnson of Beloved Community Center in Greensboro spoke on the panel as well about the importance of bringing the African Americans and Hispanics together. “I believe the question of black-brown unity is perhaps one of the most important questions that face our nation. We are both oppressed races.”
“We need to have a united front and build a permanent bridge by eliminating stereotypes and discriminatory feelings,” said Bocanegra. Discussions such as this and the Beyond Soul and Salsa forums are helping to bring together the African Americans and Hispanics and dispel negative stereotypes while increasing the level of awareness of economic and political forces that impact both cultures.
A major Black/Brown Conference will be held Oct.3-4 at the Genesis Baptist Church on East Bessemer. The next Beyond Soul and Salsa forum will be held Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Sprague Street Recreational Center in Winston-Salem.