The project, “The Problem We All Live With: Dismantling Racial and Social Injustice,” is named after the Norman Rockwell portrait depicting Ruby Bridges entering a newly integrated school escorted by U.S. Marshalls. The painting conveys the message that while we may celebrate strides towards racial justice, we must not forget why action was needed in the first place nor ignore the resistance that seeks to undo progress. Seeking to share the same message, The U.S. Department of State welcomed 10 visitors from 10 different countries for a 3-week International Visitor Leadership Program to teach the visitors about the country’s constant struggle for racial and social justice.
From its founding as a nation built on slavery to its present-day injustices such as mass incarceration, the multi-regional project aimed to educate the visitors on the Black experience in the U.S. while also sharing the best practices and actions taken by communities, governments, and the private sector to address inequalities and inequities. In the hopes of inspiring action and building partnership among the visitors, the themes explored in this project include voting and housing discrimination, mass incarceration and policing, the debate about teaching anti-racism in school curriculums, and economic justice. Recognizing the heaviness of this topic, a key component of the exchange was leaving space for visitors to express their thoughts and feelings about the topics discussed in the project. The program opened in Washington D.C., then the group traveled to Montgomery, Alabama; Akron, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; and Chicago, Illinois.
Treating people who are marginalized in society as human beings and having this lens guide one’s work is vital in dismantling racial and social injustice because it is the antithesis to oppression. One of the visitors perfectly encapsulated the reason behind dismantling racial and social injustice -- empowering people who her organization serves and acknowledge them as “whole beings.”
The visitors learned from the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama how the atrocities of slavery and Jim Crow were able to occur in the United States and how present-day injustices are able to be maintained. Oppressors utilize tools of violence, intimidation, and public and private institutions to dehumanize a targeted population. Oppressors gain popularity and support by convincing people that a marginalized group does not deserve to be treated as human. Oppressors try to convince the marginalized group itself of this lie so they do not resist the unjust treatment. Though racial and social inequality do exist, the ideologies propping them up, the hierarchies of identities, do not. Every one of the visitors embodied the commitment to expose the lies that plague society by claiming some humans are less deserving of rights than others.
One of the visitors who now serves as a mayoral committee member grew up in an underserved community is motivated in her work to act as an example and inspire other people in underserved communities. Leading by example and showcasing that everyone has worth and value to offer this world, no matter their identity, is what unites the visitors across their 10 countries.
Education of history from multiple perspectives and an understanding of the powers that uphold racist and social institutions are also crucial in dismantling oppressive policies and institutions. To emphasize the importance of learning history from all perspectives, the visitors went on a guided tour of U Street in Washington, DC directed by Judge Rohulamin Quander. Judge Quander discussed DC’s history with housing discrimination, redlining, and gentrification and took a visit to Howard University and “Black Broadway,” a center of Black arts and culture.
The visitors learned about Black contributions to art, music, science, education, and more. They also learned about the struggles of the community, then and now. Sharing the full history of struggle, resilience, and success is a story of humanity and allowed for a productive dialogue.
Exchanges such as “The Problem We All Live With” inform visitors where they can possibly make connections and comparisons between the history of the U.S. and their respective country history.
One of the visitors shared that she was “amazed by the U.S. having a program to highlight and acknowledge its history and present struggles with racial justice.”
The U.S. serves as a unique case study in showcasing its successes and failures while other countries may ignore the existence of past and present struggles. Exchanges create opportunities for dialogue to transpire, drawing connections from one person’s experience to another and determining that racial and social injustice is a problem we all live with and must work together to dismantle.
Meredith Fucci is a Program Associate at Meridian International Center. She holds a BA in International Studies with a focus in Justice, Ethics, and Human Rights from American University. Meredith has worked on several projects focusing on human rights, environmental justice, and other topics.
