Residents talk about problems

Nearly 75 people attended and stayed even after the cameras stopped rolling.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Poverty and education were important topics to residents as they discussed racism during a Youngstown 2010 program at Youngstown State University.
The discussion Tuesday was moderated by Jay Williams, director of the city's Community Development Agency, and aired by both WYSU-FM and PBS TV channels 45 & amp; 49.
Nearly 75 people attended the event and, even after the cameras stopped rolling, most stayed to continue the discussion for another hour.
Emotions
"Vision or Division?" -- as the session was billed -- came about after the first forum on racism produced a lot of strong emotions but no solutions.
"A lot of black folks in this area feel overlooked," said WKBN radio personality Morris Ray.
Former City Councilman Clarence Boles thought affirmative action could be the answer and could rebuild the black community in Youngstown.
"When you talk about affirmative action and you factor in race, white America just loses its mind. ... We need to cease with the denial. ...If you wanted it done, it would be done by now," said Boles.
Although everyone attending agreed that racism existed in Youngstown, nearly everyone that spoke had a different opinion on how to get rid of it.
Some thought racism started with poor education, while others thought it started earlier, at home. Still others thought it began with poverty, division in economic classes and unemployment.
Although no simple solution was reached, it was understood at the outset that the first step was to talk about the issue.
"Discussions like this, about social challenge, need to occur after the cameras stop rolling. This needs to be an ongoing issue we're going to address," said Williams.
One possible solution suggested by Williams was the idea of study circles.
Other cities have shown much success with their own use of study circles. A group of 10 to 12 people of different backgrounds would discuss issues and solutions.
"Study circles provide a mechanism to bring people to the table with different experiences, with different resources and understand the plight we're experiencing here."
About the initiative
Youngstown 2010 is a planning and development initiative that will result in a new long-range comprehensive plan for the city. It is also intended to serve as a launching point toward a collaborative philosophy for the regional renaissance of the Mahoning Valley.
More information on Youngstown 2010 can be accessed at http://www.youngstown2010.com.