Thread by @HMAesq

#RestorativeJustice Community Meeting pscp.tv/w/b0cZZDF4blFy…

How do we deal with hate that gets taught and infects our society?

We had a great discussion about this last night at our #RestorativeJustice meeting.

A civil rights activist and the son of a white nationalist leader who found a way to conquer the hate he was taught.

As a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates (District 87) I wanted to spark a conversation that looks beyond - far beyond - the next election.

Yes, we have immediate fires to put out, but my advocacy has centered on the long game.

Where will we be in 50 years? 100?

Shirley Ginwright, one of our speakers, is from Montgomery, AL and marched with Dr. King. She related her memories of the bus boycott as a child.

She led the Fairfax County NAACP and now heads the Communities of Trust Committee.

Kelvin Pierce is the son of the founder of the National Alliance, a white supremacist, neo-Nazi organization he led for 30 years.

Kelvin was taught hatred for non-whites, but by availing of Eastern spirituality, realized that hate is a disease borne of fear.l, and chose love.

They couldn't have come from more divergent backgrounds, but they came to talk on the same platform.

Kelvin said it was the campaign rhetoric in 2016 and the subsequent terror attack in Charlottesville, VA that prompted him to action.

It reminded him of his childhood.

Our takeaways:

1. Get out of your comfort zone.

Get out and meet people.
If you stay among your own, you're contributing to the problem.

2. Diversity is great, but not until we use it to build stronger and more inclusive communities.

It's a means, not an end. And it can be used to divide us if we don't work together.

3. Develop "bias detectors." Be vigilant, and recognize what "latent racism" looks like.

This is a collective responsibility, but not necessarily equally apportioned. As the majority, white people bear a greater responsibility, and must recognize white privilege.

4. One conversation won't do it. Like any change, it requires time and pressure.

We can't only have conversations when something happens like the blackface scandals in Richmond.

A commitment to harness diversity and fight inequality must be sustained after the hastags fade.

I don't want to be the type of legislator who only looks at the next election. We have to spend time thinking about the big picture, the long game, the 10,000 foot view.

We need to know where to aim to take out the fire.

Lastly, let's avoid knee jerk reactions. They are rarely the best option, and usually result in kicking one's own chin.

Slow your roll, consult experts, listen to affected communities, and together, we'll build a stronger one that works for *everyone.*

hassan4va.com