Matias Rodriguez

This year our Civic, Student Leadership, and AmeriCorps team hosted a documentary of the Civil Rights Era in Tucson called “Barrios and Barriers.” Every year, the YWMCA honors the Stand against Racism, a nationwide movement. The organization brings people together with diverse backgrounds to raise awareness, empower each other, and pledge to defeat racism.

For the third year, the Pima Adult Basic Education staff, student leaders, and AmeriCorps members helped put this event together. Prior to the day’s event, we worked together to create a power point, an agenda, a format, and a question. Training was given to our AmeriCorps and student leaders who had no experience leading fish bowl discussions. We did some role playing while practicing in the fish bowl discussions, preparing ourselves to handle contentious situations. We also learned how to redirect the discussion so that it remained factual, not just subjective.

On the day of the event, we taped a long Civil Rights Era timeline on the walls. It showcased pictures and quotes from such activists as Fannie Lou Hamer,Melba Pattillo Beals, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta and other great activists. We also displayed relevant books for students to look at.

After a few introductions, students were paired to share thoughts about experiencing or witnessing racism. We then took a moment to debrief and allowed students to share what their partners said. It was really interesting to hear what students had to say. For example, a Hispanic student shared that when she married her Caucasian husband, she felt discouraged by his side of his family.

Later, we viewed Barrios and Barriers which documented the Civil Right’s movement in Tucson, Arizona over sixty years ago. Many students didn’t know there was a big debate over issues at the time. Segregation was enforced in different parts of the city, schools, and public areas. It was even illegal to have interracialmarriage. Some people crossed the U.S./Mexican border to get married. Many of us thought it was ridiculous that two human beings couldn’t be happily married in their own hometown.

Our fishbowl discussions took place after the documentary. One facilitator was assigned to each group to help guide the discussion. Most of the questions centered around student perspectives on racism: how racism presented itself in contemporary times and what could be done to fight it.

Each group of students wrote their ideas on a poster board and shared highlights on solutions they could implement to fight racism. Most students said it was important to talk to families, friends, the community, co-workers, and especially their children about the effects of racism. Children are the future generation to make change. We need more love in this world and less hate.

I’m so glad I got another opportunity to be part of a great event like this. It was enlightening to hear students engage on the topic of racism. Some students grew up experiencing racism and see society from a different perspective. One student’s final comment to the room left inspiration: “Thanks to this Adult Education Program for opening our minds to others people’s perspectives and experiences. This will help us be better people of this world.”