Considering the current political/social-economic climate, I think it's unrealistic to expect bias and prejudice to disappear from our community any time soon. However, I do feel that racial and gender disparities can be recognized and minimized, leading to a more just society. I want to instigate conversations to help people see the reality behind the facade. Many residents of Washtenaw County consider themselves liberal and open-minded, but the actuality is far from that. That type of racism is far more insidious and difficult to root out. For example, in education, the disciplinary action for the same incident can be vastly different if the student is a person of color. Another example would be the perception of a police officer in a routine traffic stop. The officer's approach is too often dependent upon the race and gender of the driver. Bringing these inequities to light and codifying the responses can lead to more equal treatment. My hope is to encourage changes in the judicial and educational systems - changes that will lead to more accountability and fairer application of laws and policies.

Organization: Neutral Zone