Community Conversation To Focus On Racism

ORLEANS – With its sandy beaches, breathtaking vistas and old New England charm, Cape Cod captures a certain idealism for many residents and visitors. But beneath the surface, the Cape wrestles with many issues common to communities throughout the commonwealth and the nation.

Despite its reputation as a vacationer haven, the Cape is not immune to the issue of racism. But for the Interfaith Justice Committee of the Federated Church of Orleans and Am HaYam Cape Cod Havurah, it’s an issue that too often goes unnoticed locally. The committee hopes that an Aug. 18 panel discussion will help open a dialogue and raise awareness about the problem.

“We decided to put something together partly because we still feel there’s probably a lack of awareness among Cape residents and visitors that there are problems of race on Cape Cod,” said Rev. Rod MacDonald of the Federated Church of Orleans.

“Racism on Cape Cod: What Are Our Institutions Doing and What Can We Do,” will be held in the church sanctuary Aug. 18 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

The issue of racism on the Cape came into full view in one high profile incident from last summer in which a 15-year-old Black teen was the target of an alleged racially motivated attack by two white teens at Chatham’s Goose Pond. The two white teens, who are being charged for their involvement in the incident, allegedly attempted to drown the 15-year-old and also directed racial slurs toward him.

Other racial incidents don’t garner nearly as much attention, Rev. MacDonald said, citing incidents of vandalism and school bullying that occur on Cape. Statistics have also shown how persons of color are disproportionately stopped by police, he said.

“There unfortunately continues to be a higher percentage of traffic stops of people of color,” he said.

A panel including Orleans Police Chief Scott MacDonald, Cape and Islands District Attorney Rob Galibois, Barnstable County Human Rights Coordinator Leslie Dominguez-Santos and Leo Blandford, director of health equity for Outer Cape Health Services, will each discuss how their institutions are addressing the issue of racism on the Cape and Islands.

Rev. MacDonald said the justice committee, which has been active for the past decade, has received personal testimony and accounts from people over the years about the ways racism manifests itself locally. But rather than build the panel conversation around those stories, he said the committee, in discussion with the Martin Luther King Action Committee, opted instead to focus on how persons and institutions of power are addressing the problem.

“Initially we thought we wanted to have people of color tell their stories and bear witness to the realities for them on the Cape,” he said. “But then we were sort of cautioned that this has been true for a lot of people of color for a while now, and some of them are feeling kind of burned out by appearing and telling their stories. Some of them at least [feel] that there hasn’t been any change in addressing any of the issues.”

The committee hopes that by building the conversation around those in a position to help enact change it can help open up ways in which “ordinary citizens can be more helpful in building a better community,” Rev. MacDonald said.

“A lot of the time what we would hear would be ‘Well, you people that are in the majority need to work on these problems yourselves,’” he said. “Not that they don’t want to be involved, but they want to see people in the majority and people in responsible positions doing something.”

Comments and questions from attendees will be presented to panelists through index cards at the discussion. The event also will be live streamed, and those participating online can also email questions for panelists during the event, Rev. MacDonald said.

The Aug. 18 discussion is the second organized by the justice committee. Last year, a panel discussion was held to address the issue of gun violence.

“I think our best scenario is it will become a regular thing,” Rev. MacDonald said of the community discussions.

Information and postcards will also be available at the discussion promoting voter participation in the upcoming November general election. To register for the Aug. 18 live stream or for more information, send an email to rodmac.ret@gmail.com

Email Ryan Bray at ryan@capecodchronicle.com