Awakening

“Awakening” – President Obama used that word several weeks ago. It seems appropriate. It also seems to have caught on among others. I certainly hope so.

Beyond a doubt, our society requires fundamental change. That change can only occur through diligent commitment and unflagging effort.

The sight of George Floyd pinned to the ground begging for air shocked and upset me. Watching the video also made me realize that reactions of shock and dismay are part of my privilege. I don’t live on a constant basis with the traumatic fear that the abuse which Floyd experienced might extend one day to one of my children or one of my brothers just because of the color of their skin.

We witness heightened attention to racism now because of the murder of George Floyd. Subsequent sentiments have come from many new places, including corporations and political leaders. But don’t confuse statements of solidarity, made in the heat of the moment, with commitments to persevere with long-term change. To paraphrase Reverend Al Sharpton at Floyd’s Houston memorial service, we need to keep up the work after the last TV truck leaves.

My resolve has intensified to strengthen the impacts of Wilder Research. As a group of about 80 people, we can’t change the world by ourselves, but we will persist and resist. We will persist in using our research talents to address noxious aspects of our society, such as systemic racism and the institutional structures that lead to disparities and inequities. We will resist -- through our sound, deliberate, nonpartisan research techniques -- those forces that have emerged to distort the truth and obfuscate the public in order to create division and perpetuate injustice.

To this point in the history of Wilder Research, we have attempted in various ways to shed light on racial disparities. Many community organizations, nonprofits, and media consult our Minnesota Compass, for example, for such information. Compass also includes an anti-racism resource guide. We have engaged in projects intended to address disparities in health, housing, and criminal justice. We have worked on initiatives that give voice to the new arrivals to our region. We try to address the long-term conditions that produce social, health, and economic inequities. 

Long-term, systemic alteration of attitudes, behavior, structure, and culture constitutes the only way that we will prevent occurrences such as what happened to George Floyd. Regardless of what we’ve done in the past, we at Wilder Research can do more. So, we will ask what we can do better, how we can align with those who have wisdom that we don’t have, and what activities of ours can produce the most meaningful anti-racist influence.

However, talk is cheap. Therefore, in closing I introduce another “A” word: Accountability. 

The Wilder Research website reflects almost everything that we do. Please return to it six months and a year from now, “after the last TV truck has left.”. Hold us accountable.

• Have we at Wilder Research intensified our efforts to address systemic racism through work that sheds light on disparities and social determinants of health, wealth and well-being?
• Have we collaborated with communities and organizations to test interventions to eradicate racial disparities?
• Have we incorporated a racial equity perspective as much as possible in our projects, even when the primary focus is not race?
• Does a substantial and meaningful proportion of our activities address racism-related issues?

If you do not feel that each of those questions merits a “yes” response, please bring that to my attention. Get in touch. 

As Martin Luther King noted, we are all “caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” As we direct our attention to the future, we should continually strive, in our professional and personal lives, to design that garment to fit everyone equitably and optimally.