A series of conversations on race in Rapid City continues to take place each month. Photo courtesy Dixie Holy Eagle
Conversations about race continue
By Brandon Ecoffey
LCT Editor RAPID CITY—Conversations about race can at times be uncomfortable. One group in Rapid City is working to remove the stigma by bringing all races together for a healthy conversation on the topic. With four successful meetings under their belt the Community Innovation Team Gathering committee is set to host its fifth community conversation about race relations in Rapid City. Organizers say that the events are a “powerful conversational process of fostering constructive dialogue, accessing collective intelligence, and creating innovative possibilities for action to stop further tragedy and hurt, and empower our community.” The group was formed as part of the Barbara Schneider Foundation’s Indigenizing Crisis Intervention team after the city of Rapid was host to a number of highly racialized incidents. According to Cante Heart a member of the planning committee turnout for the meetings has been positive. “At each conversation we've had about 75-100 attendees, and yes, both natives and non-natives have been attending. Which is the main purpose of the meeting is to bring both races together,” said Heart. “This is the beginning of more conversations, we hope to have a monthly community discussion,” she added. Heart is joined by community members Chas Jewett, Jane Murphy, Dixie Holy Eagle, Scott Means on the host planning team committee whose goal is to bring the community together and put an end to racism in Rapid City. The most recent meeting took place Wednesday, July 15th, at the General Beadle elementary in Rapid City, SD. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com) Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter.
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