RCFC's third Civility Seminar, held September 14 via Zoom, was very insightful . Our guest speaker was Chaz Miles and the title was Being Native American, Hispanic, Black, Educated, Athlete, Believer, Musician, Celebrity, Concerned, Optimistic, and Normal…in One Body…in Our Times!, Chaz started the seminar saying "It's not about you. But it is." He went on to note that a key problem is the 'either/or' mentality failing to empathize and understand. The full seminar can be reviewed at https://zoom.us/rec/share/OViw3kDzqlptJlv3l1tOtEiwsWmrwzN0K45YaecDCWu0PyEy3DU_ElWRzvaVh-Ho.pjQqMlPLijvgQzk7Chaz Miles was a student athlete at CSU, until an injury forced his retirement from NCAA athletics. He finished his degree, and went on to a professional career in music and the ministry.
In response to questions, Chaz delivered a seminar on understanding 'the other'. He noted that we need to fight against being divided, and instead work to know people from backgrounds different from our own.
To a question about the 'vanilla-ness' of Fort Collins and how to make our community more welcoming and supportive of people of color, he suggested we go beyond talking and actually engage with people not like us. "Invite them to engage in a way that celebrates who they are", by being genuine and caring.
To a question about Black Lives Matter and the response, "All lives matter!", he asked a simple question - "Do Black lives matter? Now?" He shared an example; "If someone's Grandmother died, would you say to them "All Grandmothers die"? Would we be showing empathy for that moment, and how the person was hurting? He suggested we consider "What is the problem, right now", and never minimize another's experience. "Kindness is always king," Miles suggested.
To a question about the removal of monuments and names from a racist past, he asked whether we would ever name a mountain "Hitler Peak"? He suggested we can recognize a person's positive accomplishments, but must tell the whole story.
The next Civility Seminar will be at noon, Monday October 5th. The link will be https://zoom.us/j/99567312372?pwd=cFNPdW9zb1VEdkVock9Yams5RmdGdz09