It was clear from the April 25 Community Conversation event at C.H. Booth Library that there is a desire for more.

For its second Community Conversations event, the library shifted the theme to “A Discussion of Religion and Race,” and over 40 people attended the event.

The first Community Conversation event, “Race: More Than a Conversation,” was held on February 7 and was co-hosted by the library and Newtown Public Schools. That first event featured community leaders participating on a panel discussion with Former Commissioner of Education Dr George A. Coleman and Newtown Public Schools Project Challenge Teacher of the Gifted Dr Sherry Earle, PhD, moderating.

Last week, Library Director Douglas Lord welcomed the evening’s attendees, sharing that libraries open doors and listen when the community needs help.

“We’re all about patron services,” Lord said, adding that events like the Community Conversations help the community. He later thanked those who attended for participating in their “civic engagement.”

The April 25 Discussion of Religion and Race once again featured Dr Coleman and Dr Earle moderating the participating panelists: Trinity Episcopal Church Reverend Andrea Wyatt, Al Hedaya Islamic Center Founder Eman Beshtawii, St Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church Deacon Michael P. Ronan, and John Woodall of Baha’i Faith of Newtown.

Dr Coleman began the evening’s conversation by asking what role civic organizations can have in supporting anti-racism.

Wyatt said as a community, Trinity Episcopal Church is doing its own research and looking at its history.

“We believe that each individual is made in the image of God,” she said.

Beshtawii shared that she founded The Al Hedaya Islamic Center in 2011 and the Muslim community is diverse. She believes the community has succeeded in building cohesion, and she feels there is more work to do in the community at large, specifically with working with Newtown’s schools.

“We need to expand this conversation. We need to be honest,” she said.

Ronan said everyone has a commitment to be caretakers of “our brothers and sisters.”

“The inherent dignity of every person is important,” he said.

Woodall spoke about how the Baha’i faith had anti-racism messages written within its text and original principles. He read examples of some of the text.

“We must do this now, within ourselves, within our community,” he said, speaking of acknowledging and eliminating racism.

The panelists generally continued answering moderator questions, until members of the public were encouraged to share input and ask questions, with the exception of one member of the public, who did not share his name at the event. He asked to share his own story after each of the panelists had shared their opening remarks.

The speaker said he was once on a well-working religious group, until an outsider attended and discussed racism, which the speaker said led to him being called divisive and the group became confrontational. The speaker left the Community Conversation shortly after.

The panelists agreed that calling out racism is needed, and each spoke to the importance of communicating with people who do not share similar views. While saying everyone is in a different stage of their understanding with God, Woodall said the community is riddled with racism and there is nothing wrong with having discussions around the topic.

Woodall suggested that when speaking with others who do not share similar views, a common humanity should first be established. Ronan stressed the importance of “staying in the conversation.”

Near the end of the conversation, Beshtawii discussed hearing from Newtown students experiencing racism in schools. She stressed the need to “put our heads together” so children do not feel emotionally disturbed in school but instead feel included.

Dr Coleman and others spoke about hearing a need from those present at the event for another conversation.

And Beshtawii urged those present that, “If you want to do something, please do something in the schools.”

=====

Education Editor Eliza Hallabeck can be reached at eliza@thebee.com.