DURANGO, Colo. - Understanding, appreciating and embracing multi-culturalism. Is it important? For the betterment of the community (albeit the world), the alumni of Leadership La Plata (LLP) believes so.

On the heels of the observance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, the broad-based, community education and leadership training organization hosted LLP2.0 for alumni and guests, featuring retired Fort Lewis College administrator Bill Bolden. His presentation was entitled, “Different strokes for different folks – the times they are a changin’,” and was designed to open eyes to understanding multi-cultural issues in our society.

Bolden’s way is easy going and non-confrontational, and he often uses humor to underscore his points. In demand throughout the country as a presenter to discuss these issues, he advises against becoming a “diversity zealot,” and, indeed, he allows his audiences to have small epiphanies on their own. He influences change one person at a time.

“When I think about the community that Durango is becoming – the town, the area, I’m excited because we are factually the most ethnically diverse resort community in Colorado,” said Bolden. “There are more people of color in Durango as a resort community than any of the others. And that’s something I think we should be very proud of.”

But increased ethnic and social diversity in town doesn’t mean the underlying difficult issues are disappearing. Durango has over the years, addressed multi-cultural issues in theory, but very little, if anything was ever acted upon. Bolden, who began his efforts when he arrived in 1979, was told it was an issue of the heart, which he came to understand meant that while city council and others would like to do something, they didn’t know quite what that “something” was.

“I want folks to have the opportunity to enjoy being in Durango as much as I do,” he said.

Leadership La Plata alums Bob Salzer and Dennis Lum discuss the issues during a workshop break.

“I’ve lived here since ’81 and I’ve seen a lot of changes as far as our cultural diversity in the community in at least the past five years or so,” said Bob Salzer, attending Bolden’s workshop. “I’m anxious to learn how we can be more inclusive.”

While many residents of Durango find the town friendly and open, that’s not always the reality for people of color. People of privilege, which in Durango are often considered white and male, simply don’t experience the racial and social profiling that does indeed occur in some Durango restaurants and retail outlets, and more - they don’t see it, and to a certain extent, the clerks or workers are also unaware of their attitudes. Becoming more in tune to how we unconsciously treat all people is a reoccurring message in Bolden’s presentations.

“We need to look more broadly than our communities of practice, interpreted as, the people we hang with,” said Bolden, who in his role at Fort Lewis found himself often imparting information to students that was directly contradictory to what they’d been told by their parents and the people closest to them.

“My own personal investment in the issue of multi-cultural education is driven by what all of us could do if we think in terms of, were I not over here, but over there, how would my life be,” he continued. “To understand my experience, you really need to get inside of me and look out through my eyes. Because when all of us walk out this door, the world treats us differently. I think in a compassionate place, to give what you want to receive is really important.”

To get a historical perspective, and help clarify the struggles, Bolden screened clips of a PBS show on the 1960s – specifically 1967-68 when the country was in the midst of cultural change revolving around the Vietnam war, race relations and Martin Luther King, Jr., and the hippie movement. Perhaps most disturbing to the group was the realization that even though it’s 40 years later, history appears to be repeating itself in many ways.

“You hear the political candidates talking about change today,” said Bolden. “Change is really good, I think, but the more things change, the more some things stay the same.”

Instead of Vietnam, it is Iraq; instead of black people, it is brown, noted Bolden, requesting the group use reflective, introspective thinking on the nature and behavior of human beings, and their own readiness and willingness to change.

“What we’re talking about is seeing where we are, from whence we come, and where we want to go,” said Bolden of the workshop’s mission. “What does it mean trying to determine ways of living in a multicultural society?”

Issues such as obliviousness and desensitization due to information and technology overload were discussed, as well as the loss of hope and idealism that had been a part of the ‘60s’ move toward change. Plus, in today’s world, determining the truth has become increasingly difficult.

Bolden pushed participants to examine change of consciousness – moments when they knew something was different, that their reality had shifted. While participants reflected on issues of race relations, perhaps because of the topic for the day, Bolden took it to a more basic level to emphasize behavioral change.

“How many of us have bottles of water in our garage?” he asked, referencing the general realization across the country that the government won’t necessarily be there in an emergency.

Quoting the author Douglas Adams, Bolden introduced a discussion of the cycle of oppression: “It is difficult to be sat on all day, every day, by some other creature, without forming an opinion about them. On the other hand, it is perfectly possible to sit all day, every day, on top of another creature and not have the slightest thought about them whatsoever.”

He likened the cycle to the moving sidewalks at an airport: no matter where one stands on it, the sidewalk (oppression, racism, bigotry, intolerance) is always moving along.

“Get into the interrupting of that cycle,” he said, noting also that as a young man he was faced with the realization that everybody who had tried to interrupt the cycle had been killed. “Had not Martin Luther King been around, who knows what we’d all be doing, or what our lots would be in this country.”

“I can’t relate to your experience,” admitted participant Diane Becket. “I remember him being killed and thought how horrifying it was, but I can’t even imagine being in a situation where everybody who was standing up to represent me was killed.”

“We don’t think of ourselves in our daily lives as agents of change, and yet we are,” added Cissy Anderson. “Whether we’re doing something or not doing something, we’re part of the process of a changing universe.”

When the morning session was complete, each participant had crafted a personal model of their Social Justice Signature, understanding individually their current attitude and positions on multi-culturalism, and laying the beginnings of a pathway for the future.

Bolden told the story of an acquaintance who applauded that the country now has a woman and a black man running for president – and one might be president.

“In essence he was saying, ‘What are you going to do now, Bill,’” said Bolden, adding that as he watched election coverage, where voters were asked about supporting a black man and a woman for president, “A man with a southern drawl… said, ‘I don’t want to sound prejudice, but… I don’t think I could vote for a colored man to be the president of this country.’ I wish I’d had the VCR going so I could show people that we still have a lot of work to do… It can seem to be too much work, but somebody’s got to do it, and if not us, then who? And if not now, when?”

LLP Steering Committee member Ron Pevny organized the workshop designed to continue the educational and leadership skills effort for alumni, and he praised Bolden for structuring the extended program.

“Bill’s multi-cultural and diversity workshops have received outstanding reviews from the University of Oklahoma’s National Conference on race and ethnicity in American higher education,” said Pevny. “He is a real asset.”

To learn more about Leadership La Plata and its programs, visit www.leadershiplaplata.org.

indiana@durangodowntown.com

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