MEET LOCAL |
“ We Speak for Ourselves: A Word from Forgotten Black America” by D. Watkins |
" The Antiracist: How to Start the Conversation about Race and Take Action " by Kondwani Fidel
WHERE TO LOOK Atomic Books, 3620 Falls Rd. Bird in Hand, 11 E. 33rd St. Greedy Reads, 1744 Aliceanna St. and 320 W. 29th St. Red Emma’ s Bookstore Coffeehouse, 1225 Cathedral St. The Ivy Bookshop, 6080 Falls Rd. The Book Escape, 805 Light St. Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Library, 400 Cathedral St.
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a warm, welcoming environment for all visitors, but especially those of color. This is critical in a city like Baltimore, where nearly a quarter of the city’ s annual visitors are African American,” explains Al Hutchinson, President & CEO of Visit Baltimore.“ We want travelers to leave Baltimore telling their friends and family that they visited one of the most inclusive and diverse destinations in America.”
That said, while it’ s important to learn about different groups of people, and how their life experiences and expectations may be different, it’ s also important to understand that everyone doesn’ t think alike, and that groups aren’ t monolithic. There are no shortcuts to this process, and no magical fixes, but authentic and open conversations can go a long way.
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It also should be noted that the training wasn’ t focused on fostering guilt.“ I think that a major misconception is that [ diversity, equity and inclusion ] training is about‘ shame and blame’ and making people, especially white people, feel guilty,” Murray notes.“ My approach is to encourage real dialogue, that at times may feel uncomfortable, but is not designed to shame anyone.”
To share these points, and more, Murray taught attendees in large and small group sessions, with large sessions focusing
on creating an educational foundation and small sessions allowing attendees to participate in
Above: Atomic Books in Hampden is known for its eclectic selection of books that elevates local and diverse voices.
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