Live Blogging

Standing Together Series Part 1: How to Talk about Race

6:46pm - Live video down below. 

6:38pm - Thank You for joining me in this Live Blog. This conversation has been quite educational. I am happy that the conversation is just beginning in the school district and I know that there's more to cover in the future. 

6:37pm - Anthony Antoine closes the Standing Together conversation out. 

6:36pm - Jonathan Zur comments; "unless we are as committed six months from now as we are today to these issues. We're just gonna be bouncing from crisis to crisis. We can respond to this moment with a sustained commitment. Inclusion requires Intention. If I'm not being intentionally inclusive with everything that I say and do, I run the high likelihood of being unintentionally exclusive. It's true interpersonally, but it is also true from top to bottom in terms of our systems and structures."  

6:34pm - Lauren Wayne comments; "I want to be brave so that my black and brown neighbors don't have to be" 

6:32pm - Jennifer Rucker comments; "education is the catalyst, which will move the nation forward; school is where we come together; we got to use that opportunity to engage in dialogue; parents work with the school division" 

6:30pm - Marcus Leggett comments; "start conversations, and go beyond the stereotypes; get to know the person; live, learn past the stereotypes" 

6:26pm - Tim Joyce comments; "I can show up with an imperfect effort"; "I'm willing to step in and be uncomfortable"; "I'm not going to take it personally"; "if you are going to change the world, poor in the youth"

6:26pm - Travis Jones comments "we all have a personal responsibility"; "own our part"  

6:25pm - Closing Remarks from the Panel 

6:23pm - Anthony Antoine asks Question #12/last question; Jennifer Rucker answers

Q12: The school division has committed to helping facilitates programming that supports families. We've acknowledged that tonight there's more to cover. What else is the school division looking at as we continue this conversation with parents and families? 

The answer begins at the 1:26:30. 

6:21pm - Anthony Antoine comments; uses the house fire analogy 

6:19pm - Marcus Leggett adds; "how we matter is critical because our skin became weaponized"; "what made me a weapon?"

6:17pm - Travis Jones adds; "we want to join the narrative so all lives can matter"

6:16pm- Marcus Leggett answers; "Black Lives are apart of All Lives"; "If you can't say BLM, then you can't say that All Lives Matter." We cannot say it and treat it in a different way. 

6:15pm - Anthony Antoine asks Question #11. BLM vs All Lives Matter 

Q11: Help me navigate this question. Black Lives Matter versus All Lives Matter. What is the difference and why is it so important to understand the difference? 

The answer begins at the 1:19:45 mark. 

6:14pm - Marcus Leggett adds "it's important to show them the value of learning"

6:13pm - Jennifer Rucker adds "you have to meet people where they are"; "you need to respect" 

6:12pm - Tim Joyce adds "What happens if someone doesn't want to learn?" 

6:11pm - Jennifer Rucker adds. "It's time to realize that it's time to crossover, to understand so we can walk together"

6:09pm - Travis Jones adds also by starting with a book title 'The Third Option'

6:08pm - Tim Joyce answers by starting with "there's a book" and the quote "leaders must be lifelong learners".  

6:07pm - Anthony Antoine said anyone can join in for Question #10 on White Fragility. 

Q10: Define White Fragility 

Answer: They don't know how the world is set up for Whites. Blacks have to do more to get to the same spot as whites. (This portion starts at the 1:11:12 mark) 

6:06pm - Tim Joyce yields to Jonathan Zur 

6:03pm - Question #9; Tim Joyce answers about Implicit Bias 

Q9: How do you define Implicit Bias? 

Answer: It's an unconscious bias, meaning that you're not aware of it. Ask yourself where are your blindspots. Trust is built by doing life together. 

6:03pm - Anthony Antoine Comments "I'm taking notes" 

6:02pm - Jonathan Zur adds 

"A crisis is the worst time to build trust. It's just harder to build trust." 

6:01pm - Travis Jones adds and commends Jonathan Zur. 
"We have to learn how to trust each other's pain" 

6:00pm - Jonathan Zur adds by using an analogy of someone stepping on the foot and commends Marcus Leggett

5:55pm - Question #8; Marcus Leggett answers

Q8: We know racism is a learned behavior. I know what to do when someone says something that is blatantly racist, but what about someone who said something inappropriate but they didn't mean to. How do I address that? 

Answer: We can not return hate for hate. (For context see the hour mark of the video).  

5:53pm - Question #7; Lauren Wayne answers the second question 

Q7: What if it's with one of her peers? Now, where should I start? 

Answer: As things come up, receive them as opportunities. 

5:47pm - Question #6; Lauren Wayne answers

Q6: My daughter is in elementary school and this is something she needs to know about but she really doesn't have any understanding of racism at all. Where should I start? 

Answer: Parenting. Start by asking what does the child know about racism; help kids see beyond. Parents need to be okay that the conversation might be clunky. Figure things out together. Children's and Young Adult Literature to help with the context for conversations. The goal is to make space for the conversation to happen.  

5:47pm - Jennifer Rucker adds; Marcus Reggett adds 

5:46pm - Marcus Reggett adds on; mentions the movie Hidden Figures

5:45pm - Jennifer Ruckers answers Travis's question. 

5:44pm - Travis Jones asks Jennifer Rucker a question relating to African American History. "Is there a discussion of African American History becoming apart of American History? That isn't just an add on? When is Black History come apart of American History?" 

5:43pm - Jennifer Rucker answers part 2 of the Question. The CCPS portion. 

5:38pm - Question #5; Jennifer Rucker answers 

Q5: Talking about race is not only a sensitive issue, it's a historical one. Has Chesterfield County Public Schools or the Virginia Department of Education made the commitment to relearn and reteach American Virginia History with an intent to have a sensible intelligent conversation across the curriculum from kindergarten to twelfth grade? 

See the video about forty-three minutes in for the answer. 

5:38pm - Tim Joyce adds

5:37pm - Lauren Wayne adds

5:37pm - Marcus Leggett adds 

5:36pm - Anthony Antoine lays out the Key Points he heard 

5:33pm - Tim Joyce adds 

5:32pm - Marcus Leggett adds  

5:31pm - Travis Jones responds to Jennifer Rucker 

5:30pm - Jennifer Rucker responds to Travis Jones 

5:29pm - Tim Joyce comments and recommends the white fragility book 

5:27pm - Marcus Leggett comments and commend Tim Joyce

5:27pm - Travis Jones comments and commend Tim Joyce

5:21pm - Question #4; Tim Joyce answers

Q4: What does white fragility mean and how does it impact this conversation?
See the video about thirty minutes in for the answer. 

5:19pm - Question #3; Travis Jones answers 

Q3: I never bring up race because as a white person, I was taught not to as a person of color. What do you want me to know? 

Answer:  Don't be afraid of the conversation because you might expose that something is broken. 

5:18pm - Anthony Antoine comments about a sign he saw during a protest. The sign said "sorry I'm late. I had a lot to learn."

5:17pm - Marcus Leggett adds on 

5:15pm - Jennifer Rucker adds on with a story and the following: "the real work happens after the news and you pick up that phone and you reach out to someone"

5:12pm - Question #2 asked; Marcus Leggett answers

Q2: I wanna join the conversation, I wanna have the dialogue but I don't know how and I don't know what to say. How do I engage someone that may not look like me to share their experiences?

Answer:  First be sincere. You have to know going in that there will be biases. Don't go in with a close mind, but with an open mind. Start with yourself first, start with your intent, and if you go in with the intent to hear, listen, and change Mr. Leggett believes everything will work out just fine.  

5:11pm -  Anthony Antoine comments "Dialogue leading to Action is the Key"

5:09pm - First Question asked; Jonathan Zur answers 

Q1: Why is this dialogue so important to have and how does that really help change things moving forward? 

Answer: It's important for folks to be able to be with one another and learn from one another. The best way we can do this is by conversation and through dialogue. Dialogue is the means to an end. 

5:08pm - Anthony Antoine introduces the panel; explains that all of tonight's questions are generated by parents

5:06pm - Anthony Antoine introduces himself and lay out the groundwork of the conversation. 

"The purpose of tonight's conversation is to simply start the conversation."

5:06pm - Panel begins with Anthony Antoine as Moderator

5:03pm - Dr. Merv Daugherty, Superintendent of Chesterfield Schools Speaks 

5:00pm - Debbie Bailey, Chair of the School Board Speaks 

4:30pm: Today I will be Live Blogging a conversation that Chesterfield County Public Schools will be doing TONIGHT beginning at 5pm (in about thirty minutes) until 6:30pm. The conversation is about how to talk about race. This event will take place via Facebook Live. Anthony Antoine from NBC12 will serve as a moderator. The panelists include: 

• Jonathan Zur, President and CEO of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities
• Travis Jones, Pastor at Motivation Church & CCPS Parent 
• Marcus Leggett, Pastor at Shiloh Baptist and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church & CCPS Parent
• Tim Joyce, President, and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Richmond
• Lauren Wynne, Coordinator of School Counseling Services for CCPS
• Jennifer S. Rucker, Director of Equity & Student Support Services for CCPS