THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 26, 1995 TAG: 9502240178
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Every day is an adventure for a reporter because you never know who you're going to meet before the day is over.
Any day you might meet famous people - presidents and governors, opera singers and movie stars, experts - or notorious people - murderers, arsonists, people who steal from little old ladies and those who beat their children.
Most of all, you meet a lot of real people who cut across the total spectrum of society - rich and poor, young and old, black and white, folks who live in fancy houses and folks who live on the streets. Almost every day, you meet somebody you like and these people come from all parts of the community.
I've been doing this a long time - since I was 15 and got my first summer job at The Daily Advance in Elizabeth City. When you write a story about a person, you get to know a lot about that person in a hurry; so for most of my life, I've seen first-hand that it's what's inside a person that counts.
Sometimes it's hard to believe that people in this community have so much trouble understanding each other. But I remind myself that most people do not have the privilege of living in the total community as I do.
That's why the city-sponsored ``Face to Face with Race'' groups are so important.
Once you start talking directly and openly with another person, you really begin to get beyond the differences.
Not everybody in this city is going to like everybody else. Most of us didn't even like everybody in our ``crowd'' in school. But a lot more of us would like each other if we got beyond superficial barriers and began to communicate.
Members of the pilot ``Face to Face'' groups reported some interesting experiences from their meetings last year.
For instance, in one group, black and white co-workers discovered that many of them harbored similar feelings and often did not understand how others felt. This lack of understanding had translated in some cases into racial animosity even though race was not the basic problem.
Some groups were less successful, perhaps because the participants were not interested in expanding their thinking or not comfortable expressing their feelings. Sadly, one of the failed groups involved a black congregation and a white congregation.
A new batch of ``Face to Face'' circle will be formed next month. The process will begin at a community meeting March 7 in City Council chambers.
Everybody is invited to participate. Helen Fooshe said that many groups already have promised to attend but that individuals are more than welcome.
Broad involvement of the community, whether as individuals or as an organization, in these circles is the single most promising solution to Portsmouth's problems.
As a newspaper person, I get to hear many people voice their concerns and complaints. I am acutely aware of the fact that most people have the same problems and gripes.
Perhaps if more of us got to know each other better, we would come to understand that we agree more than we disagree.
The only way to get beyond a racial stand-off is to overcome it at a personal level. That means knowing each other and communicating with each other.
Together, we can make this city work. Divided, we will cause it to go bankrupt, not only financially but morally.
Join a ``Face to Face'' circle and make the difference. MEMO: HOW TO TAKE PART
"Face to Face With Race" circles will be formed after a meeting 5:30 -
7:30 p.m. March 7 in council chambers. All citizens are invited. Fr
information, call Helen Fooshe at 398-9004.
by CNB