SHARING THE SAME SPACE: RACIAL HEALING

Littleglobe believes that New Mexico ’s wealth lies in the richness and diversity of its multi-ethnic, economically-diverse, and inter-generational population.  New Mexicans are Pueblo Indians, Mexican-Americans, Mexicanos, Norteños, Latinos, Dinè/Navajos, Whites/”Anglos,” African-Americans, Plains Indians, Asians and Mestizos of all ages. The depth and breadth of this diversity has resulted in a remarkable degree of racial violence, intolerance and cooperation for hundreds of years.  Littleglobe regards this fact as a statement of unusual potential for New Mexico to lead the nation as a model for racial healing.

Racial intolerance is rooted in (among other things) objectification, estrangement, fear and resentment of the “other.”  Littleglobe also understands race as a complex of social and political definitions and perspectives that can be re-rendered and transformed.  For these reasons, Littleglobe’s community engagement projects bring together people of different races, ages, backgrounds, religions and political and other perspectives.  Littleglobe believes that only in such gatherings are we able to make significant progress toward racial healing.

Central to Littleglobe’s community engagement practice is the idea of creating a safe space where participants learn to connect in new ways.  Littleglobe  facilitators encourage participants to leave behind habitual ways of relating to one another and find a common language in the exchange.  In this way, the creative community begins to see, hear, and move within a new, shared language that is alive and defiant of simple and stereotypical definitions. 

Through shared creative engagement—storytelling, poetry, music, filmmaking, dance, visual art and other means of generating dialogue—community members learn to bear witness to the realities and dreams of those around them in compelling ways.  Participants’ stories about identity, racial tolerance and intolerance, prejudice and possibility are given space and time and attention and the group engages in meaningful interaction and dialogue around issues of accountability, honesty, and hope.  In this way, interactions grow exponentially into relationships; relationships grow into “community,”  and the new community is encouraged to create something meaningful to express its newly discovered capacity to realize racial healing.  

Littleglobe’s work in the area of racial healing involves workshops, classes,  as well as small- and large-scale projects.  Racial healing is a vital component of Littleglobe's Center for Creative Community Engagement which focuses on building a skilled corps of cultural leaders, artists and community organizers who will promote and facilitate community development.  

Littleglobe is grateful for partnerships with the University of New Mexico (UNM) and the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) as well as a range of affiliate artists and consultants who make this work possible.