Amidst a national groundswell in conversation about racial injustice, the Bridgewater Black Network and its allies invited the entire Bridgewater community to a special event, created in the spirit of educating the Bridgewater community about the lived experience of Black people in America.
With the permission of all involved, Bridgewater is sharing a recording of the event, in case individuals or organizations find it useful.
The hourlong presentation consists of two main parts: “What is your story?” features first-person accounts of Black colleagues and their experiences with racism. “How did we get here?” follows with a brief illustration of the entrenchment of systemic racism in America across the dimensions of law, education, housing, criminal justice, and democratic systems.
The first part of the program is excerpted below as a special presentation (20 minutes). Black colleagues respond to the prompt: “My earliest experience dealing with race.” Their stories are narrated by non-Black colleagues to preserve anonymity and transfer the burden of this work.
The full recording is presented below (60 minutes):