Page 344 - Mike Ratner CC - WISR Complete Dissertation - v6

provided a forum for friends and strangers to unload the burdens of living in a racist community

and ultimately begin to consider actions to support unemployment among African American youth.

Opportunities to dialogue about issues and experiences of race and racism among friends,

associates, and strangers are rare. For African Americans and other racial minorities, recounting

past injustices is painful and for Whites, hearing about discrimination can evoke feelings ranging

from guilt to indifference. The path to healing and reconciliation requires work and understanding

on both sides and a willingness to engage one another in honest dialogue. Civic and deliberative

dialogue is an appropriate vehicle for exploring deeply held perspectives that are vastly different,

because the practice presumes that people come with different points of view and fosters trust,

which is essential to leading through conflict (Gerzon, 2006).

This chapter described the community-based deliberative dialogue design and process, data

gathering and dimensional analysis (Schatzman, 1991). The interview data nodes and emerging

dimensions illustrates a dialogue process that sustained the interest of participants over time by

creating an environment of safety that promoted spaces for candid conversation about race in a

community where issues of race typically are not discussed openly and in racially mixed groups.

Using the data, node categories and dimensions that emerged from interviews with Albany, New

York dialogue participants and facilitators, the next chapter is devoted to analysis of the

dimensions, development of theoretical propositions and identification of implications for

continued evolution and success using the Community Conversation model to engage the public.

Next section contains data collected from participants from the recent Milwaukee dialogue:

325