A Safe Place to Talk About Race: 10 Thought-Provoking Interviews with Sharon E. Davis from her VoiceAmerica radio show, A Safe Place to Talk About Race.

Some of the nation's most respected leaders and luminaries on race and culture share what we need to know to dig our way out of this ditch of racism in the 21st Century. In ‘A Safe Place to Talk About Race’, Sharon E. Davis highlights ten fascinating guests interviewed on her VoiceAmerica talk show, "A Safe Place to Talk About Race". Her guests share some of the most honest talk on issues of race and culture including sexual orientation. The hardest part was selecting just 10 guests in this debut anthology. Why does this book matter? Each race/culture has healing work to do. No one escapes the impact of race in the U.S…..no one. We need a support system to sort out fact from fiction for ALL members of our human family. The book quickly fills in missing pieces of valuable information. Callers and social media listeners also helped guide what people want to know. Some of the most emotionally charged subjects include: …How did the Mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu, respond to a caller, “You look like you have some Black running through your veins?” What skills and background does Mayor Landrieu have to so openly talk about race?…Do you have to first reduce racism to increase K-12 education test scores in schools? Dr. James P. Comer, Psychiatrist and Professor at Yale University, has a proven answer to this question that may surprise you.…Did gay and lesbian organizations hijack the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s? Are LGBT organizations ‘race free’? Dr. James M. Croteau, Western Michigan University and Donna R. Payne, Human Rights Campaign, don’t hold back. What would Dr. King say today? …What should every parent and educator know? Angela King, educator, speaker and consultant, tells her true story of redemption and the courage it takes to leave the skinheads forever. She joined the skinheads, as a teen, and now lives a life free of hate.…How are Asian-Americans really fairing as the ‘Model Minority’? Thought about native Hawaiians lately? Are Asian-American quiet about racism? Dr. Evaon Wong-Kim, California State University shares what most of the U.S. population never thinks about.…There are more Middle-Eastern Arabs and Chaldeans in Metro Detroit than anywhere else in the U.S. Why? Does Arab and Islam mean the same thing? Charles Khalil Alawan, Hajj, Founder of the Islamic Center of America and a self-described Son of Detroit, gives us yesterday’s history and todays challenges being Arab-American. …How do White males deal with the oft-dreaded phrase, “White Privilege”? What does it really mean anyway? Dr. Allan Johnson, noted award winning author, will tell you that he’s straight and White, and NOT privileged by his choice. Then who chooses for him?…His high school counselor told him ‘his people (Mexican-Americans)’ are good at auto mechanics, and he should go that route too. Did Hugh Vasquez, award winning cast member, The Color of Fear, consultant and author, have other dreams about his future? Why did he refuse to act out the lie and turn to racial self-hate? …’Dear White America’, writes Tim Wise, author, educator and activist. What will happen 35 years from now that will determine how easy or hard our lives will become related to racism? Do we still have time? Are White folks obsessed with People of Color?…Can you imagine what happened when the descendants of Plessy vs Ferguson met in New Orleans? One Black and one White, eye to eye, the history of Separate but Equal staring them in the face. What did Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson say and do? Was it a safe place to talk about race?The book is an interactive learning tool. If you’re looking for a way to cut through the noise of news headlines, this easy to read book is geared for individuals, classes, book clubs, families, and community organizations. Chapter interviews also include an introduction, point-by-point sections, summary, stimulating and provoking questions, and space for notes. Hear interviews at www.safeplaceonrace.com.

Sharon E. Davis is a founding member of the Institute for Healing of Racism established in 1987. She has conducted International Dialogue Racism sessions in Mmabatho, South Africa, facilitated a public seminar on Cultural and Tribal Unity in Gabaronne, Botswana and facilitated talks on conflict resolution in China. Our author has been quoted and published in various publications as it relates to racial healing, and was interviewed by McNeil/Lehrer Newshour for the “Healing Racism in America” segment. She served as an International Institute and U.S. Immigration Services speaker, was mistress of ceremonies at swearing-in ceremonies for new Americans and a regular TV panelist on “Interfaith Odyssey.” Sharon also has served as advisor and former executive director at the National Resource Center for Racial Healing, which included being a project adviser for Diversity with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Saturn Titan Mission. The dedicated host of the radio show, A Safe Place to Talk About Race, has received numerous awards for helping people unite. They include: the Spiritual Midwife of the Millennium Award for Cultural Diversity, one of the six Most Influential Black Women Entrepreneurs in Metro Detroit, Diversity Champion’s Honor Role with the Birmingham-Bloomfield Multiracial Community Council, Houston, Texas’ Peace Award for Inter-group Understanding, and Western Michigan University’s Excellence in Diversity award.