National Race Amity Day Celebrated With Festival in Somers
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When Race Amity groups all over the country meet on a monthly basis, the goal is to talk about racial differences in an engaging atmosphere.
Race Amity of Northern Westchester & Putnam (RANWP) held its fifth annual Amity Day Festival at Reis Park in Somers on Sunday under clear skies with a mild breeze. More than 50 people enjoyed a potluck picnic, listened to music and joined amicable discussions geared to broaden one’s perspective on race.
The event coincided with the annual National Race Amity Day, which is always observed on the second Sunday in June.
The theme for this year’s festival was “Equity Through Race Amity – Developing Just Relationships.”
“Please move around and introduce yourself to others,” announced RANWP co-founder Susan Cody at the beginning of the event. “Your goal is to meet someone new today.”
Mount Vernon resident and public health educator Charmaine Aleong, a member of the RANWP Steering Committee, said her experience growing up in Trinidad as a child, moving to England and then to the U.S. has shown her various racial biases and attitudes.
“I speak as a Black female and have a bigger perspective on race,” said Aleong, who as belong to RANWP for two years. “We all have different growth experiences and researching the history and dynamics of racism shows us how we experience race in different ways.”
The National Center for Race Amity was established in January 2010 in Boston to promote and embrace the concept and practice of friendship, collaboration and equity, rather than blame, grievance and rejection.
Other local groups with similar philosophies had tables at the event, including Sue Riskin-Mayher of the Westchester chapter of Braver Angels, a national group that regularly encourages discussion between those of opposing views.
“We facilitate civil conversations to be able to listen and hear each other in a civil manner,” Riskin-Mayher said.
Starting off the program were middle school students that are part of the New Era Creative Space, a Peekskill-based youth program started in 2013 that promotes a variety of artistic expressions and experiences. At the festival, five students presented a skit they wrote, directed and acted in for an upcoming Juneteenth celebration.
Judyth Stavans, a 27-year Yorktown resident and RANWP Steering Committee member, said she became involved with the group about five years ago, but had always been concerned about racism in the country.
“I learned about racism because my dad was a World War II veteran, and not only did he receive all the GI benefits, but as a little girl, I did as well,” Stavans recalled. “At some point I learned that another little girl who was Black and the same age as me and whose father was also a World War II vet, never received any GI benefits. That was a tipping point for me.”
A series of signed proclamations honoring both RANWP and National Race Amity Day were presented, including from Westchester County Executive George Latimer and state Sen. Peter Harckham.
RANWP was established in 2018 by Cody and Irene Chege, both Somers residents. The group meets the second Sunday of every month at the Somers Library featuring special guests or video screenings. Ideas and themes for discussion are planned before the next meeting.
For more information about Race Amity of Northern Westchester & Putnam, visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RaceAmityofNorthernWestchesterandPutnam/
Abby is a local journalist who has reported on breaking news for more than 20 years. She currently covers community issues in The Examiner as a full-time reporter and has written for the paper since its inception in 2007. Read more from Abby’s editor-author bio here. Read Abbys’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/ab-lub2019/
