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Youth Dialogues on Race and Ethnicity in Metropolitan Detroit enables young people of African, Asian, European, Middle Eastern, and Latin American descent to challenge segregation, increase dialogue, and create change.
Young people meet in dialogues with other groups with whom they have historical differences. They take a metropolitan bus tour of neighborhoods and suburbs; conduct community service initiatives; plan action projects to challenge segregation; discuss public policy issues related to race and ethnicity; and reunite for a summit to share outcomes with community leaders.
In 2007 the program involved 88 young people from 16 community-based agencies and schools representing ten neighborhoods and six suburbs in the metropolitan area. Approximately 53 percent of the participants came from agencies in areas identified in the Good Neighborhood Initiative and 47 percent came from the suburbs.
The self-identified racial and ethnic composition of the participants was the following: African American (32%), European American (21%), Arab American and Chaldean (12%), Latino and Latina (11%), Asian American and Hmong (13%), and multi-racial (11%).
The dialogues had powerful effects on the young people. Findings from the pre- and post-test surveys and the youth-led evaluation survey revealed the following three outcomes from participation in the 2007 program: 1. Young people increased their knowledge of their own racial and ethnic identity and that of others. 2. Young people increased their awareness and understanding of racism and racial privilege.
3. Young people developed leadership skills and took specific actions to address issues of racism in their own lives, their families, and the communities of which they are part.
The program also increased their intergroup communication and collaboration across racial and ethnic boundaries, and enabled them to challenge discrimination, build relationships, and create community changes through action projects. It involved them public policy at the municipal and metropolitan levels, and prepared them for new roles as agents of positive change in society.
Overall, the evaluation team found that the program had significant effects on the youth who participated. Young people developed knowledge about their own racial and ethnic identity and that of others. They increased their awareness about issues of race and racism while developing a consciousness of racial privilege. Finally, they developed leadership and took action to address issues of racism in their families and communities. (authors)
