Experts: Time for a New Dialogue on Race: A diverse group of national leaders gathered on Capitol Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday to establish a new direction and tone for a more relevant dialogue on race in the U.S. The symposium was set to identify trends and determinants of racial disparities, develop consensus on policy needs and chart a racial agenda for 2010 and beyond.
Today's post-civil rights conversation about race is critical and significantly different from the past, said a panel during 'The State of Race in 2010: Defining a New Dialogue' session. They pointed to the election of President Barack Obama as igniting new discussions as ethnicity, color and religion were prominent factors in the election.
Panelists, who included policymakers, scholars, media experts and nonprofit and corporate leaders, noted that racism today is more complex. In the past, groups rallied around issues like segregation that they opposed. Now, the discussion about racism is being reshaped and extends further to changing mindsets as well as legislation.
