YWCA Pottstown’s “Listening Day”, designed to help find a racial cure

POTTSTOWN – Blacks, Indigenous and colored people are invited to join the Audition Day, which is sponsored by the joint organization Unite to Heal PA, led by the YWCA Tri-County Area and three other YW associations in Pennsylvania.

The audition day will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 12, both virtually and in person; a personal meeting will be held on the ground floor of the YW office building, 300 King St. All four venues will be held simultaneously, and live attendees will communicate with those present virtually.

All those interested in the Audition Day can register at: TinyUrl.com/YWAdvocate

Listening Day is a project Unite to heal The PA Collaborative, a partnership between four YW associations (Three Counties, Greater Pittsburgh, Lancaster and York County), is designed to begin conversations between community members who will work together on solutions and initiatives that will lead to racial healing.

Unite to Heal PA recognizes racism as a public health crisis and recognizes the long-term effects of racial trauma on individuals, institutions and communities. These wellness conversations can serve as a catalyst to correct not only communities but also individuals.

“The work of racial healing requires telling the truth, acknowledging each other’s humanity as we move forward to improve our communities and society,” the Unite to Heal website said. “We recognize that the path to healing can be difficult, but we believe we can change our communities through collective action that will bring us closer to healing and progress.”

The May 12 event is designed to offer the BIPOC community the opportunity to express their needs and concerns with other community members and facilitators as they relate to the race. It will be an opportunity to explore the impact of these issues on them as individuals and as a wider community.

Participants will take part in a survey that will serve as a needs assessment for an initiative that will guide further discussions. The hearing day will seek to understand the problems and needs of the people and society of BIPOC. The program is designed to be a day of listening, community, and learning as the project begins work to eliminate injustice, promote justice, and heal.

This is not the first time the YWCA in Potstown has participated in joint programs with other YWCA associations across the state. In 2020, in a wave of global protests following the assassination of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, Pottstown Agency Joins Others Across Pennsylvania in Six Parts of Summer Advocacy Series entitled “Racism, Trauma and What’s Next?”

YWCA directors from Potstown, Bucks County, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh gathered electronically to ask questions to four law enforcement officers: Potstown Police Chief Michael Markovic and state servicemen William Butler, Ismail El Guemra and Kelly.

The YWCA Tri-County Area is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. The YWCA Tri-County Area serves more than 2,100 women, girls and families annually through preschool, youth empowerment, adult education, workforce development, foster care programs and the Coalition for Rental and Utilities in Emergencies situations.