Building Bridges in Black and Brown A National Dialogue between the African-American and Hispanic/Latino Communities San Antonio, Texas '93   Detroit '94 Rochester, New York '96    Los Angles, California '97

Conversation

Connections

Considerations

Construction

Crossings

Let's just talk about what we mean.

1. Conversations: Blacks and Browns need to talk with one another. Whether it is in Detroit, Los Angeles, Mexico City or San Juan, Puerto Rico, or the Cuban community of Miami, we need to talk. There are several conversations that are going on in this country. In July of 1995, Black and Hispanic/Latino journalists met in Atlanta. Other professional groups in the government have also met in this regard. In the Catholic Church, Hispanic and Black theologians have met. And, our Black and Hispanic\Latino bishops have met regularly to present a document for the upcoming millennium to give an agenda to the "bridge building" process, Reconciled Through Christ: On Reconciliation and Greater Collaboration Between Hispanic American Catholics and African American Catholics. The "bridge building" movement has moved beyond our initial efforts to the center of discussion for both communities in society and in the Church.
2. Connections: "Building bridges" is making connections. In the Black community the ongoing deepening of Black consciousness has become the movement of Africentrism. As this perspective of exploration continues to examine the life of the Black community in North America connections are being made with the Hispanic/Latino community that have previously escaped attention. There is emerging a body of literature and research concerning the intermarriage of African-American with Native American people of Mexico. Mexican researchers and African-American researchers have discovered that as early as 1500 B.C., Africans were present in Mexico and had brought many cultural contributions with them that would appear in the Incas and Aztecs civilizations. Four years ago, the government of Mexico sponsored a trip of Black scholars to come and make contact with the Black populations of Mexico. Subsequently, making the historical connection also helps to build the bridge-building process. Recent scholarship has estimated that as much as 90 percent of the Black community has Native American roots.
3. Considerations: There are some immediate considerations in the effort to "build bridges." One key issue is the constituency of this enterprise. Building Bridges in Black and Brown presumes the participation of African-Americans who have a sense of "Black consciousness" in their social and political identity. The members of the African -American community who are "not into their Blackness" probably would not find this movement appealing. So in the Black community, there are considerations of Black identity and multi-identities. This is also true in the Hispanic/Latino community. The term "Brown" speaks to the Chicano movement of the Western states. Some Hispanics who do not consider themselves "Brown", might take offense at this term agreed on by the national co-convenors of the initial conferences. As we seek to open this dialogue to the entire range of populations under the title "Hispanic/Latino community", we are seeking terms and perspectives that speak to a new paradigm for our "bridge building" vision. These considerations are an important part of the cross-cultural dynamics of the movement. For now, we will keep Building Bridges and Black and Brown with the subtitle, A National Dialogue between the African American and Hispanic\Latino Communities.
4. Construction: Our "bridge" must be constructed as a developing partnership arising out of our ongoing conscious collaboration. For our relationship to work, there must be an awareness of the other’s presence and striving to communicate between the two communities. We are cognizant of one another in the Black and Hispanic\Latino communities. We are now seeking to communicate. This takes more than just desire. It will take some cross-cultural skills. The focus of our past conferences have assisted in the development of cross-cultural leaders for the Black and Hispanic\Latino communities. In the construction of the "bridge," we will need cross-cultural leaders who can promote the dialogue and have skill that enhance their commitment to be "bridges" between people. Building Bridges construction is needed throughout the country, in states such as Florida, New York, California and Texas. As the Hispanic\Mexican populations have grown in the heartlands of Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis, St. Louis and other large cities, more bridging effort needs to be done.
5. Crossing: By crossing, we mean the ability to relate to another community in an on-going mutual communicative and beneficial way. Crossing is what "building bridges" is all about; the ability to journey from one community to another where there was a chasm, river, valley or other insurmountable obstacle. A bridge helps us to overcome the impasse and to crossover. Crossing from the Black community into the Brown Community and visa versa is what B4 is all about.

Crossing comes when we accept one another.

Crossing happens when we belong to one another as an ally in mutual efforts.

And finally, crossing is the result of counting on one another support in time of need.

This is the work of B4: 'building bridges' with conversation, making connections, facing considerations, constructing relationships and crossing from one culture to another with more awareness, more frequency, more competently and confidently.

National Conveners
Mr. Roberto Pina  614 North Trail  San Antonio, Texas 78216 P\210-732-9072 F\210-732-2156
Fr. Clarence Williams, CPPS, Ph.D.  305 Michigan Ave. 10th Floor  Detroit, MI 48226 P\313-237-5996 F\313-237-5869