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Impossible takes a little while.
This was the theme as HSU's 11th annual Dialogue on Race got underway with a presentation by Frances Kendall, called "Leading Whites to Challenge Whiteness."
Kendall is a nationally-recognized speaker, known for her work in leading discussion and facilitating change in both the public and private sectors. She identifies herself as white, and feels it is the duty of those who are privileged to challenge power structures.
"My focus is on changing systems, not individuals," she said.
"In a lifetime I couldn't change enough people to make a difference; but a transformation in the system could be accomplished in 10-20 years."
The goal of Dialogue on Race is "to promote social and environmental change by engaging a diverse range of individuals and viewpoints to explore the impact of racism."
It is this idea of achieving the 'impossible' that drives the Dialogue on Race forward every year at HSU.
Kendall is not one to back down from a challenge. "You need to understand that the changes will not happen overnight, but if we work together they can become a reality in your lifetime," she said.
Kendall grew up in Waco, Texas, and understands the atmosphere in a predominately white community. Humboldt County is just that, with over 86 percent of the population being white.
"When I got here, someone told me that this was Weott country, and that really struck me," said Kendall.
"My people stole this land, and in order to move forward you really have to understand that."
Kendall also stressed that you must check your own ego at the door. "We have to decide individually if we want to cause trouble or start conversation," she said.
Kupiri Barger is a black faculty member who grew up in Humboldt County and is no stranger to experiencing racism. She spoke at the open forum about being exposed to racism in the nursing department, and having to struggle with finding an answer for what to do.
She told a story of having a student come up to her who overheard a conversation with a group of people that took shots at a local minority group. When Barger asked the student what happened, she was at a loss to hear that nothing was said to acknowledge the comments as inappropriate.
Barger was one of the faculty members present at Kendall's presentation the day before, and saw a similar disconnect with her colleagues. This 'clear resistance' to Kendall's message shocked her, she said.
"We had a large number of faculty members who simply refused to address the issue of racism here on campus, choosing instead to regard it as a non-issue," said Barger.
"I think having more diversity here would help. But to limit the problem to just that would just be putting a band-aid on a much deeper issue."
Barger would rather see a faculty that is more open to talk about issue of color. She feels that can be done without an overturn of staff that is even less diverse than the student population.
"We need more understanding of racism and the role that it plays in order to work on what is a deeply-rooted issue in Humboldt County," she said.
But Barger continues to hold onto her sense hope, making an effort to look at everyone she meets as a good person. "It's something that I will be working on the rest of my life," she said, echoing the sentiments of the day.
Tracy Smith, who is an advisor for the Educational Opportunity Program, originally found Kendall at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity. "When I knew I would get the chance to share what she (Kendall) had to offer, I did everything I could to get her here to HSU," said Smith.
Almost two years later, that dream came true just in time to headline the Dialogue on Race.
Kendall believes that listening and understanding to others is the first step to conducting any purposeful dialogue. "White people always feel like they have to do something to make the situation better. But sometimes what we have to do is stop, and listen."
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