2017-2-7_PR Comm Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Sentiments ranged from sadness and loss to fear and anger. At Newby’s table, the number of middle- aged and elderly white residents expressing concern about racial profiling and policing surprised him. “It was very heartening to me because the issue of race, racism and policing is a complicated one, and it won’t be solved unless everyone is involved,” he contends. “It can’t just be a black-people problem.” While there were those who thought racial profiling and racism were very real issues, others expressed just the opposite. These individuals, mostly older white citizens, stated that they didn’t believe racism existed within law enforcement and blamed the Black Lives Matter movement for hyping the shooting. However, there were a good number of people in attendance — representing different ethnic, gender and age groups — who were scared by the incident and wanted to share their own experiences. A white woman, for example, expressed her concerns for her biracial son’s safety. According to Newby, she worried about her son going outside and being stopped by police, whereas she didn’t fear going out because she’s white. Event organizers reserved the final 15 minutes for Q&A with the police chief. Although, at times, the exchanges were confrontational, people remained respectful when discussing opposing viewpoints. Roseville hosted its second Imagine Roseville discussion, which built on the first event, on December 1.Although only about 75 people attended, the discussions were more intimate and just as engaging. “There were people who were sitting at tables just talking about their experiences and feelings, and it really brought people together as a community,” he explains. Don’t Be Afraid — Go for It Overall, Newby believes the Imagine Roseville events have made a significant impact on residents and law enforcement. “Anytime you get members of a community together to talk about important events, air their differences, grievances or whatever it is, that simple act alone makes people feel better,” says Newby. “They feel like they’ve been heard and feel the city is trying to do something.” For other communities that want to create an event similar to Imagine Roseville, Newby says, “Don’t be afraid to do it, but don’t make it so formal or rigid that people feel there’s an agenda that’s being advanced.” He adds that when a person is just standing at a podium speaking, it’s easy for the audienceto yell at the person while remaining anonymous. “I think anonymity allows people to release that anger in an unproductive way,” notes Newby, “whereas, being at a table with someone right next to you with cookies and coffee makes it much more difficult to release that kind of anger and venom — and you actually have more of a discussion.” Vitisia Paynich is a Freelance Writer for Parks and Recreation magazine.