Summit on Racism coming back to Lakeshore

Sat, May 17, 2008    to del.icio.us

HOLLAND — The Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance's Summit on Racism is back by popular demand.

President Gail Harrison said members of the community urged LEDA to host its sixth diversity training event after going without the event last year. The first summit was in 2001.

She says the Tri-Cities area — even with an overwhelmingly white population — needs to focus on spreading diversity and combating racism just as much as places like Holland and Muskegon.

"We have (migrants) who are settling not just in the Holland area but the Grand Haven area as well, and that's going to be happening more and more," Harrison said.

"We're not an island in Grand Haven. We're going to start seeing some changes in our community's demographic makeup and we're going to see many opportunities to embrace that."

The Summit on Racism is from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at Hope College. The price is $20 including lunch, and Harrison said scholarships are available.

"The cost is so minimal because we really want everyone to be able to afford to come," Harrison said.

Harrison expects around 500 to attend, including leaders from churches, businesses, governments, nonprofits and schools.

The summit for the first time will have special breakout sessions for business owners and government officials. The sessions will focus on why organizations should foster inclusion and how to do so, Harrison said.

"I believe that grass roots movements can infect a significant change by letting people know this is a significant issue for many, many people," she said. "But I also think when you can partner that grass roots initiative with leadership involvement ... it's magnified dramatically."

Author David Rusk, an urban policies specialist, and George Herrera, CEO of multidisciplinary management firm, will speak in the morning on a national level.

In the afternoon, panel discussions will bring in local leaders to hone in on issues unique to West Michigan.

The regular breakout sessions will focus on five areas: business, immigration, segregation, education and ministry.

Spring Lake Village Manager Ryan Cotton has been to a number of the summits, and has also been part of a breakout session panel.

"It was eye opening for me," he said. "I learned to at least dimly see what it's like to be a minority by virtue of the speakers.

"There are a lot of nuances that you wouldn't realize unless you heard their first-person stories."

Ottawa County Probate Judge Mark Feyen also recommends the summit.

"I think it's a valuable experience for anyone," he said. "It was very helpful because it's good to bounce ideas off other government leaders."

Register online or find more information at www.ethnicdiversity.org or by calling LEDA at (616) 846-9074.