The Social Justice Action Committee of the NAACP Berkshire County Branch has organized a community conversation in Pittsfield about what it means for a business to be truly “open to all.”
This “conversation” will be the featured program at the general meeting of the branch. Everyone is welcome.
Wednesday January 8, 2020 from 6:00-8:00 at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield
The impetus came from several incidents in Berkshire County reported in the press in which persons of color had legitimate complaints of being treated disrespectfully in Berkshire establishments.
We hope this “conversation” will both provide a voice for those who may feel unwelcome in business establishments and identify some concrete action steps for those businesses who seek to create a welcoming environment.
The questions we will pose to our audience are:
- What makes you feel welcome or unwelcome when you enter a business establishment? When you interact with staff?
- What signs or cues (verbal or non-verbal) give you a feel for whether or not you are welcome in a particular business?
- What words or phrases describe a welcoming place where you would want to take your business?
- What words or phrases describe a place in which you feel unwelcome?
- Without naming a particular place, can you describe a situation in which you felt welcome?
- Without naming a particular place, can you describe a situation in which you felt unwelcome ?
We hope to have an audience that represents the full diversity of our community, including young adults.
We will have cards for people who do not wish to speak in public to write their answers and have them communicated anonymously by the moderator.