The leaders said they were “preaching to the choir,” but, after all, it was at a church, Falls Church Presbyterian, that the group, primarily from the Social Justice Committee of Falls Church, met to discuss ways to combat institutional racism.

Labeling the attendees as “apostles” to carry forth the words and actions they heard Saturday afternoon would not be an exaggeration.

Inga Watkins, a conflict management coach, and Rich Scott, the leaders of the free workshop, urged those present to get active in civic groups, attend public meetings, urge others to join them, run for office and speak up against racism whenever possible.

“Be that voice” in city affairs and hold elected leaders accountable. Become a leader and a model for good behavior, Watkins urged. “Increased awareness of institutional racism is powerful.”
“Help those to disagree in a constructive way.”

Racism is everywhere, lurking in unforeseen spaces and places one would never suspect, and so is sexism, one participant noted which could be the subject of another workshop, Watkins said.

Early in the afternoon attendees met in breakout sessions to discuss racism they had experienced and observed and how these relate to present day. They were urged to talk to and listen more to black colleagues and acknowledge places where racism occurs.

The session began with “getting to know you” when participants taped playing cards on their foreheads and were instructed to treat others according to the number on the card. The higher the number, the more respect a person got.

Some who are used to being treated well “get a little shook up,” Watkins told the group.

“It’s important to place value on people regardless of self-concepts. Unwittingly, you can find yourself reacting to roles by people who look a certain way.”

Racism can be overt or covert and it’s found in every aspect of life, ranging from healthcare to education to employment and environmental injustice like Flint, Michigan. (Consider its 57 percent black population, 40 percent below the poverty line and its yearslong water crisis.)

.Self-fulfilling prophecies can be bad, very bad. One attendee said data shows that some teachers segregate students by what teachers think the students are, which can become self-fulfilling stigmas to follow students for years.

People fear upsetting the status quo and taking risks. Watkins advised those to never underestimate opportunities nor mentors who may be nearby to help.

Frank Burdette and Debbie Massey were two committee members who attended and another person, a 2016 transplant to Falls Church from Chicago, Jane Michaels, said she came “to learn more about racial justice.” The George Floyd murder in 2020 woke her up.

Watkins and Scott are also committee members who volunteered their time and expertise to develop the presentation and they welcome other opportunities to address the issue, Watkins said.

The Social Justice Committee of Falls Church operates under the auspices of the TInner Hill Heritage Foundation and “is a network of community members, civic organizations and faith groups exploring how to create a local culture united in diversity with a mission of engendering hope, respect, and healing,” according to its website.

In their presentation they defined the racial or systematic racism as “policies and practices that exist throughout a whole society or organization that result in and support a continued unfair advantage to some people and unfair or harmful treatment of others based on race or ethnicity.”

Students from Meridian High School managed the registration desk for this Black History Month event.