DOCUMENT RESUME UD 032 718 ED 426 163 Bowser, Benjamin P.; Whittle, K. Deborah AUTHOR How Community Efforts To Reduce Substance Abuse Have TITLE Influenced Race Relations. Lessons Learned Conferences Seminar Report (Cleveland, Ohio, March 30-31, 1998). Join Together, Boston, MA. INSTITUTION Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, NJ. SPONS AGENCY 1998-00-00 PUB DATE 15p. NOTE ' Join Together, 441 Stuart Street, Seventh Floor, Boston, MA AVAILABLE FROM 02116; Tel: 617-437-1500; Fax: 617-437-9394; Web site: www.jointogether.org; e-mail: [email protected] Descriptive (141) Reports PUB TYPE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE *Community Action; Cooperation; Cultural Differences; DESCRIPTORS Ethnicity; *Prevention; Program Descriptions; Racial Differences; *Racial Relations; *Substance Abuse; Urban Problems; Urban Youth ABSTRACT A series of meetings with leaders from six communities explored how efforts to reduce substance abuse may be affecting race relations. Leaders from these communities, located in Los Angeles (California), Mobile (Alabama), Gallup (New Mexico), Kansas City (Missouri), San Francisco (California), and Vallejo (California), spoke about discord between racial groups and the tensions of cultural and ethnic diversity. The participants arrived at a consensus that local race relations had improved as a consequence of working together to reduce substance abuse. Common themes were identified from the various experiences of these communities: (1) a it is important to common cause can bring diverse groups together; (2) it is understand and acknowledge diversity within racial groups; (3) important to involve community residents and institutional leaders as participants of equal status; and (4) local governments can be instrumental in facilitating constructive community efforts. Brief profiles provide more specific information about the substance abuse efforts in each of the communities. Critical questions to be considered in implementing substance abuse programs with implications for race relations are posed. (SLD) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** How Community Efforts to Reduce Substance Abuse Have Influenced Race Relations. Lessons Learned Conferences Seminar Report 1998 Join Together PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) coda This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 1e)ye/72121 ,76/ 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent 1 official OERI position or policy. 2 a Lki How. Community Efforts to Reduce Substance Abuse Have Nomi Influenced Race Relations OIN TOGETHER -t-o Koduc,o frrovv A-buco ftavo Influovicx,01 Dear Colleague: A consensus emerged from both the background research for the conference and the discussions that took place that com- Race, ethnicity, and class are central elements in American munity anti-substance abuse efforts have made a positive community life. Racial or ethnic stereotypes, usually inaccu- contribution to racial, ethnic and class issues. Most partici- rate, are often used to characterize a community's drug or pants felt that they and their communities are a bit better alcohol problems. Therefore, it makes sense to ask if there equipped to deal with future tensions. are lessons to be learned about racial and ethnic issues from communities' attempts to deal with drugs and alcohol. There We hope the lessons shared in this document will help people are, and some of them are described below. in other communities understand and address the racial, eth- nic and class issues that affect their work. We urge people to Issues of race, ethnicity or class were at or near the surface talk about them openly. We ask that you tell us about your of virtually every community participating in a conference own experiences so that we can continue to share lessons from which the material for this newsletter was drawn. learned with others. 'Nevertheless, it was difficult for people to talk openly about the.subject. Intra-group and class tensions were particularly David L. Rosenbloom hard to discuss. We are grateful for the participants' candor Director and courage. Join Together In the spring of 1998, Join Together and the Robert Wood towards a shared interest that transcends race, they have Johnson Foundation convened a series of meetings with lead- opportunities to learn about each other and to get to know ers from six communities to explore how their efforts to reduce each other under different circumstances. Hopefully, the by- substance abuse may be affecting local race relations. The product of these new experiences is mutual trust. That mutual participants were often guarded and were careful to be politi- trust can produce even more opportunities to address other cally correct in approaching the topic. They shared stories from complex, volatile and deep-seated issues of race. diverse perspectives and experiences that included economic Each of these six communities is unique. There are, however, and political conflict, power, oppression, and privilege. They common themes among them. These "lessons learned" can be spoke about discord between racial groups and recounted the valuable tools for other communities confronting similar issues. tensions of cultural and ethnic diversity among persons within Please read about their experiences and consider how they the same race. They told true stories of how they struggled to might be relevant to your own community. overcome these impediments to develop and pursue a collec- tive vision of a community free from the devastation of alcohol and other drugs. None of these groups set out to focus on race relations direct- ly. Neither did they plan to ignore issues of race. The partici- pants from the six communities did arrive at a consensus that local race relations had improved as a consequence of work- ing together to.address substance abuse, and could perhaps serve as a base for addressing racial issues in the future. In all of these communities, complex economic, political and personal conflicts remain among and between all racial groups. However, all recognized that when people work together EST COPY AVAILABLE u)riiniom c,avco brim& Ac clivorco 5rovpic fetrothor. When diverse groups join together to solve common problems, they can find new ground on which to build relationships and bridge their differences. The mutual goal of reduc- ing substance abuse can be such a catalyst to bring groups together and launch the process of acknowledging racial and cultural differences. In San Francisco, there was extreme tension than directly confronting specific race issues. In among new Vietnamese immigrants and historical- San Francisco, reducing the abuse of alcohol was ly dominant African Americans in public housing more important than racial and cultural differ- developments. Racial tensions erupted in neigh- ences. In this case, the tangible nature of the sub- borhoods, in schools and on city buses as these stance abuse issue transcended the racial gulf two groups competed for decreasing public and tensions that separated the groups. Other resources. Despite their differences, however, communities have had similar experiences. In these groups shared a common concern over the Mobile, Alabama, shared interest in cleaning up excessive alcohol use and abuse that affected the trash bridged racial, residential, and economic lives of Vietnamese and African Americans living lines to produce concrete, visible results (see box in public housing developments. on page 10 for more details). And citizens in Los Angeles had to address economic conflicts Initially, Vietnamese and African American groups between storeowners and residents to lessen worked on their own substance abuse problems in racial tension (see sidebar for more details). separate efforts funded by the Mayor's Criminal Justice Council. As they became more experi- uding Relatrionships enced in their own projects, these two groups Even when there is a concrete, shared issue that began to consult with each other to jointly address concerns diverse groups, the way the problem their common concern of excessive alcohol use. impacts different people can present new chal- Substance abuse was an issue for both groups lenges. "Substance abuse is a unifying theme for that transcended race and offered them an oppor- people to come together but it also illuminates the tunity to share strategies, and to learn more about differences between groups," explains Elize Brown, each other. former Director for Fighting Back in Oakland, California. Differences don't melt away in the light Working on a common problem may defuse racial of a common goal. Trust and mutual respect will tensions between different groups more effectively A South Central Los Angeles !Residents Diffuse Racial result from groups' willingness to embrace strategies that will have a real Tensions with Shared Economic Concern impact on their mutual problems. Commitment to a common cause can pro- vide a constructive vehicle for people from diverse groups to get to know and In South Central Los Angeles, the media continually characterized the learn from each other. neighborhood's economic problems as issues of race relations. In the A story from Vallejo, California, illustrates how a common interest can pave the wake of the Rodney King trial and civil uprising, South Central was a way for people to develop trust and mutual respect in their relationships. Two tinderbox. members of the Vallejo Fighting Back Community Partnership were in constant Media coverage depicted the tension conflict with each other. One community leader was a Latino man. The other between Korean storeowners and person was a White man who was a member of one of the Partnership's com- African American residents as being racially mot,vated. Yet the real corn- mittees. Their conflict seemed to be deeper than differences over strategy. munity issues were economic, played The missing ingredients, they say, were trust and respect. The White commit- out in the midst of a racially charged atmosphere, according to Karen tee member had never visited the Latino leader in his home or at his office. Bass, Executive Director of the com- He had never acknowledged his Latino colleague's leadership, work, or ethnic munity coalition in South Central. community before they began focusing on efforts to reduce substance abuse. The real story was that storeowners Once the committee member began visiting the Latino leader's community were struggling to rebuild their busi- nesses in a neighborhood that had simply to pay his respects, they began to establish mutual trust. This process been historically over-saturated with of building respect made a big difference in improving the relationship alcohol outlets. Meanwhile, commu- nity leaders banded together to limit between these two colleagues. the reopening of liquor store outlets that had contributed to the decima- A shared commitment to reduce substance abuse offered these men an tion of South Central's neighbor- opportunity to bridge their diverse racial experiences in a way that built trust in hoods. The community coalition mobilizing in South Central had to their relationship. People who meet in each other's homes and neighbor- explicitly address the economic hoods, and who get to know one another on a personal level can build trust issues between residents and shop- keepers in order to defuse the racial not as an end itself but as a by-product of working together on common tasks tension in the neighborhood. with common goals. Economic development was a shared interest for all community members These six communities are addressing race relations indi- regardless of race. As groups came rectly by bringing different racial, cultural and class groups together to work out an economic together to work on problems that affect them all. plan and confront a hostile media Familiarity that develops from working together environment, they began to form on common a foundation for future relationships. problems can motivate people of different races to work together on other issues. They are able to bridge their dif- For more information about this ferences, acknowledge one another, and come to have effort, contact Karen Bass, Execu- tive Director of the South Central greater trust and respect for one another. Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment at (213) 750-9087. 3 6 vnolortc-kard -I-o aKd ac,k_,Aovvlo ovpc. improving race relations is often thought of as improving interactions between different racial groups. in fact, bridging the diverse cultural and ethnic issues within the same race has also been an unacknowledged challenge. Effective collaboration on broad com- munity issues requires groups to acknowledge and bridge cultural and class differences within races and immigrant groups. The area surrounding Gallup, New Mexico, is development and implementation of the project. home to three distinct Native American tribes. According to the Native American groups, it is The Zuni, Navajo, and Acoma Pueblo Nations all because the distinct tribes had bridged their own have their unique and specific cultures, traditions, differences both within and among their own tribes and languages. They have all been disastrously that they were able to effectively join with the affected by common problems of excessive alco- broader Fighting Back project that included White hol use and abuse, and each tribe has had its oWn and Latino groups from the nearby towns. unique and separate way of dealing with it. The Other participants reported that their communities Navajo and Acoma Pueblo Tribal Councils out- have had to work through similar experiences with lawed alcohol sales on their reservations. The ethnically and culturally diverse communities within Acoma Pueblo Nation started a gambling casino racial groups. In San Francisco, Vallejo, and Los to build economic independence and reduce Angeles, there are major cultural variations among unemployment and associated alcohol abuse. Latinos Mexican, Salvadorian, Guatemalan, and The three groups did collaborate however, when Nicaraguan as there are major cultural differ- they were presented with an opportunity for an ences among Asians Filipinos, Chinese, independent effort to focus specifically on reduc- Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Pacific ing substance abuse. They formed the Native Islanders. American Task Force to coordinate the interests of Stories shared at the conference illustrat- Native Americans in the Northwest New Mexico ed that language, culture, income, class, region's Fighting Back project. This taskforce and geographic locale influence how peo- served as a vehicle for informing the tribal govern- ple perceive and experience the world. ments and expressing their distinct interests in the Participants from Mobile, Alabama, reported political and class divisions distinct The following groups spared their stories of how efforts to within both White and Black groups Old South versus New South; working class reduce substance abuse have versus middle and upper-income classes; conservative versus liberal politics. It is influenced race relations in their communities. important to acknowledge these differences within racial groups, as well as to under- stand their implications for a community-wide strategy to reduce substance abuse. South Central Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment For example, the city of San Francisco provided separate funds to different racial Los Angeles, CA and ethnic groups to work on their own respective substance abuse issues within Karen Bass. Executive Director their own ethnic and racial context. Leaders quickly realized that in order to (213) 750-9087 accomplish their goals, each group would have to focus on specific tasks with Coalition for a Drug Free Mobile measurable objectives and surmount internal challenges. Once these distinct County groups were able to accomplish real progress and success within their own circles, Mobile, AL they could then begin to establish and work toward a larger common vision with Larry Hyde, Executive Director (334) 438-5707 peers from other racial groups. Northwest New Mexico Fighting These six communities are not unique in their encounters of diversity within racial Back, Inc. groups. According to President Clinton's Initiative on Race, there are over 100 diverse Gallup, NM Raymond Daw, Executive Director ethnic and racial groups represented in communities across America. Community (505) 863-9953 leaders need to recognize and acknowledge the cultural nuances within groups to Project Neighborhood effectively bring people from various experiences together to work collectively. Kansas City, MO Keith Brown, Executive Director The Lessons Learned Conferences (816) 842-8515 The information in this newsletter reports the proceedings from a conference con- San Francisco Community vened by Join Together in the spring of 1998. Support for the conference was pro- Partnership vided by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This conference was San Francisco, CA the final seminar of a three-part series to explore promising practices and systemic Keith Choy, Deputy Director change. The series reports will be widely disseminated to groups around the nation to share information about programs, strategies. and other "lessons learned" Mayor's Criminal Justice Council that are making a difference in reducing substance abuse. (415) 554-6558 The first conference, held in the spring of 1997, addressed how communities' Vallejo Fighting Back efforts to reduce substance abuse have affected health care. Partnership The second seminar, held in the fall of 1997, examined how communities' efforts to Vallejo, CA address substance abuse have affected civic infrastructure. Jane Callahan, Executive Director (707) 648-5230 Copies of the conference reports are available by calling Join Together at (617) 437- 1500. You can alsb download copies of the newsletters from Join Together Online at www.jointogether.org. To do so, go to the Resource Finder, which is part of the Resource Section of JTO/Substance Abuse. 8 .1MIL Lesson #3 e -fro H- k mpo iywoov rc (A), oadorc r0cidovri-c o ic,payri-c of ac ro0 val p Informal social networks of people who live and work in a neighborhood or community are often disconnected from formal institutions. Often characterized as grassroots, the people who comprise these informal social networks must be involved and welcomed in the processes that define the nature and scope of substance abuse in their communities. They must also be involved in planning and executing the strategies to effectively reduce the incidence of substance abuse and associated problems. Project Neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, is demanded to participate in the grant writing and an example of a community-based effort that has a decision-making processes of Project high level of input and participation from local resi- Neighborhood. Neighborhood residents claimed an equal one-third representation on the advisory dents and grassroots leadership. However, this has not always been the case. Initially, the Kansas City board beside city institutions and agencies. project had to address racial tensions between the Community residents succeeded in changing the white power structure of the private sector and process for Project Neighborhood. They then administrative institutions and the primarily African turned their attention to the Kansas City American target neighborhoods involved in the pro- Community Foundation. As an organization, the ject before it got to where it is today. Kansas City Community Foundation, with its Local residents and leaders from the Santa Fe resources and city connections, needed to recog- neighborhood of Kansas City were frustrated at nize and support the community's participation throughout its institutional efforts. Barb Friedman, having been excluded from the Project Neighbor- hood planning process led by the Kansas City who had just been appointed project director of Community Foundation. The foundation, however, Project Neighborhood, understood the importance needed information directly from the African of community participation and helped open the foundation to include grassroots involvement. The American neighborhood residents to prepare an process of applying for the Fighting Back grant application for outside funding. When community leaders came to realize that this information pro- was the foundation's first step toward substantive shared control with community members. A grant vided leverage to confront the foundation, things began to change. Grassroots leadership and resi- writer was hired to help the community residents dent activists fought to hold the foundation and groups write the grant; but the strategies and 9 accountable to the community. Local leaders planning all came from the community. Grassroots Efforts in Gallup Lead to Promising Practices Jan Kreamer, Executive Director of the Kansas City Community Foundation, also began to meet and form relationships with grassroots leaders and organizations. In northwest New Mexico, As the foundation and community groups developed mutual respect and trust, grassroots involvement was Project Neighborhood was able to move forward. "Because we were from the instrumental in developing strate- gies and implementing programs neighborhood, it did not mean that we were not professionals also," says Jim that were culturally appropriate to Nunnelly, a resident and program administrator for anti-drug efforts in Jackson Native American tribal traditions County. "Once the foundation discovered new neighborhood leadership, they were and cultures. willing to take more risk." Today, there is no mistaking the grassroots efforts The National Indian Youth involved in running Project Neighborhood. And grassroots leaders in Kansas City Leadership Project emphasizes describe their relationship with the foundation as one of mutual respect and under- traditional Native American values standing. such as service to the community. This program was developed with Project Neighborhood's experience illustrates two lessons. First, actively seeking out Navajo elders who believe that certain negative topics such as and listening to the knowledge and experience of neighborhood leaders is essential to alcohol and drugs should be effectively addressing substance abuse issues in communities. Second, it is also addressed indirectly, by building positive self esteem. "Our objec important to have the leaders who represent resources and political will re-examine the tive is for youth to see themselves normal course of business and their willingness to support initiatives that are born of and to be seen as playing a posi- tive role in the community. This is neighborhood leaders' visions and strategies. In developing and maintaining this bal- the culturally appropriate way," ance of power, groups must explore how issues of race, privilege, and prejudice play says McClellan Hall of the National Indian Youth Leadership Project. out in their systems, organizations, and interactions. As a result of their experience with Project Neighborhood, the Kansas City Community Foundation has changed its philos- Such grassroots-led initiatives have had some positive results. ophy of organization from a top down hierarchy to a bottom-up community-based effort. The excess risk of dying from alcohol related causes has successful efforts require the involvement of people and lead- declined in the Northwest region ers from the target communities as staff, board members and from 225 percent twenty years ago to 17 percent. This change is as constant advisers. None of the six programs presented here attributed to the work of residents operated with central leadership external to the communities in the Native American communi- ties who have focused on primary where changes had to be made. Program design and leadership and secondary prevention strate- must come from within communities. If local people are not gies to reduce alcohol and drug abuse in the towns and on the substantially involved in fixing the problem, then efforts may reservations. not succeed. Building trust, establishing the hundreds of infor- For more information contact mal working relations and agreements, inspiring grassroots Raymond Daw, Executive Director support, bridging racial and cultural barriers, and generating of Northwest New Mexico Fighting Back, Inc. at (505) 863-9953. hope are not things that can be directed or made to happen from outside a community or neighborhood. BEST COPY AV LAM 10