Last year, we held several congregational discussions about systemic racism in the U.S. Many of you participated and encouraged us to do more; so we are. As a next step, our racial justice committee has planned a new series to look at the historical roots of today’s racial disparities in Sacramento and what we can do about them. The first two sessions, open only to CBI members, will explore Sacramento’s housing landscape.
On Sunday, April 25 from 4-5:30 PM (on Zoom) we’ll learn about why our respective neighborhoods look the way they do and how that came to be. Our dynamic guest speaker, UC Davis professor Bruce D. Haynes, is an expert on racial and ethnic relations and urban communities.
On Sunday, May 2 at the same time we’ll turn our attention to what we can do about this. We’ll talk about Sacramento’s proposed housing plan change that permits multi-family structures in areas zoned for single-family housing. Local expert Kendra Lewis from the Sacramento Housing Alliance will help us understand the community dynamics of this policy.
Please register for both sessions HERE. I encourage you to attend both to get the full benefit of this well-planned opportunity. And before you attend, please do this small bit of homework—it won’t take you long! - For April 25, read or listen to the audio of this article by Michael Finch from the Sac Bee to prepare for the session. (If you cannot access the Bee, see text copy of article HERE.) - For May 2, read this article by Chris Nichols from Politifact to prepare for the session.
Lastly, please save May 23 and June 13, when we turn to what systemic racism in the health system looks like locally.
I hope you will join fellow congregants for these important discussions!
B'Shalom,
Rabbi Mona Alfi
Congregation Bnai Israel 3600 Riverside Blvd Sacramento, CA 95818
