Last Updated on December 26, 2023
Multiracial Awareness Discussion Group

Lois Schmidt, Leader
Joan Green, Co-Leader
We offer opportunities for learning and discussion about race for those concerned with racial justice and harmony.
Meeting Frequency & Location
Have you felt like the race problems in our would are too big but you are still concerned and want to make a difference? Have you wondered about questions like, “How can I talk comfortably with someone who is different from me? Why is it important to talk about race? What brought us to this place and time with regard to racial issues? What would a racially just and equitable society look and feel like? Will we ever get there?”
We invite you to join in the discussion. The group will start by looking at some of the historical events and doctrines, perpetuated by community institutions and the government that have affected race and racial perceptions.
SCHEDULE | TIME | LOCATION |
2nd or 3rd Friday of the Month | 10:00 am – noon | To be announced |
Multiracial Awareness Discussion Group Goals and Objective
Our Goal: A shared focus on the importance of continuing our discussion of structural racism and our common interest in developing racial justice.
To accomplish this goal, we will:
- Continue our comparative analysis of American history and today’s responses to racial prejudice;
- Gain an understanding of how traditional views (for example, of “melting pot” theories and “colorblindness” policies) have ignored and denied racism in the United States;
- Expand our discussion of social issues and institutions that maintain racism;
- Alter prejudicial patterns of thought and behavior; and
- Seek ways to build racial equity and inclusion to help create a new and more hopeful legacy for now and for future generations.
Multiracial Awareness Discussion Group Meets February 14
Doctrine of Discovery
A video and discussion about the “real history”
of this country featuring Mark Charles
Friday, February 14, 2025
10 AM – Noon
The Gallery
ALL ARE WELCOME!

Mark Charles, a Navajo man, is a speaker, consultant and author of Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery. This session provides an opportunity to learn about:
The Doctrine of Discovery of 1452
Little known facts about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
Abraham Lincoln’s writings about slavery and emancipation
Manifest Destiny and Western Expansion
For questions of to be added to the group email list, contact Lois Schmidt by phone or email. Contact information can be found in the Resident Directory, available online in MyErickson.