Maya Gwynn
With KVCR Public Media. I'm Maya Gwynn with Black Perspectives IE, a show we learn about the amazing things members of the Black community are doing in the Inland Empire. My guest today is Janice Rooths, Executive Director of Center Against Racism and Trauma. Their mission is dedicated to fighting against racism by offering counter narratives to the racist propaganda of the day and training a new generation of youth in anti-racism, ideology and strategies. Thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate it.
Janice Rooths
Oh, thank you. I'm really honored to be here.
Maya Gwynn
It's been over five years since the murder of George Floyd, which was a pivotal moment in I think, recent history for a lot of people, as you reflect on that movement now, and especially with the recent events happening in Minnesota once again, due to the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent, as well as recent incidents of online influencers showing up to daycares and making unsubstained claims of fraud against Somali immigrant communities. Going back to 2020, what do you think the country truly heard in 2020 and what do you think it still refuses to confront about systemic racism?
Janice Rooths
In 2020, I think what people heard is that Black people are still being murdered and abused by the new slave patrols. It needs to stop. And I think that's what was going on at the time, and it kept happening today, although I think that they try to couch this around immigrants. People aren't stupid and they understand that this is just another way in which they can oppress and abuse people of color, particularly Black people. So I think what people don't see at the moment is the urgency, like the serious urgency. I think the last few things, maybe even Minnesota, for instance, is starting to give them more of that feeling, and that's why they're in the street.
Maya Gwynn
You know, one part of CART's mission that really stood out to me is a focus on countering racist propaganda. What are some of the most dangerous or persistent narratives about the Black community you're seeing today, and why do you think these narratives still remain so effective?
Janice Rooths
Well, there's a plethora of narratives, but they all are strung together. We have been characterized as lazy, as welfare moms, violent, hypersexual, and yet we're not these things. Individuals may be those things, but individuals, across the spectrum of people in this country, are those things. And worse, it is, we're in our places because we had affirmative action or DEI, when it's a proven fact, the data shows that white women are the ones who actually profited from affirmative action. They benefited most. And, you know, it's really interesting. I worked for IBM, and I was young in my career and in my one of my first trainings. And in that training, a guy about my age, a young white guy, came up to me and he said, "You know, my dad told me that I really needed to put in effort in this company and in these trainings, because the black people I see here had to work five times as hard as I did to get here."
Maya Gwynn
Wow. I was like, where's this conversation going?
Janice Rooths
So revealing to me that he would say that to me, that his father understood that to say that to him, and that he felt openness come up. Now, why me? But I really appreciate it, you know, because you always want to be a fly on the wall, but you almost never get to be one. And so it was really revealing to me, and I think that it's still true.
Maya Gwynn
What do you think are some positive examples of Black people through media, through movies, TV, right now that we're seeing?
Maya Gwynn
Oh my gosh, there are such smart people out here just like you, okay. Oh my gosh. I went to see Sinners, right? So smart, so insightful. And thoroughly entertaining, right, creative. And I think that we are in this world as creators. We don't even know how to not create. And if you find that people around the world are spinning on the floor because some Black kids in you know, the Bronx were spinning on the ground and, you know, 40 years ago or 50 years ago, what's that tell you? Yeah, what? What does that tell you? Yeah, we have so much that we bring to the world. And we're never going to stop. So yeah, that's perfect. That's our gift to the world.
Maya Gwynn
Yeah, I saw Sinners, and then I, like, walked out and then immediately bought tickets to go again with my parents. I'm like, No, you have to see this one, right? And I think Ryan Coogler is such a great example of, like, someone who is not code switching and is talking like he's a person from Oakland that grew up, like, amongst the people, and you know, played sports and stuff, and is like an award-winning filmmaker. So it's like, people can look different and come in all different shades, and still be at the top of their game and the top of their craft and intelligent. So that was a great answer. This is something we How do you teach young people and individuals of all ages the harsh realities of racism while still nurturing hope, imagination, and joy, and what do you think healing looks like when the harm people are navigating is ongoing?
Janice Rooths
So young people are open, intelligent, ready to absorb. They already understand injustice. You know, I work with a group, Perris Youth Coalition, down in Perris, they know what they feel is wrong, and they're able to articulate it, and then they want to do something about it, you know, so right now, I'm in the process of trying to talk to city council members and Riverside Transportation Commission about public youth spaces, reliable transportation and transportation that can get them from A to B without taking two days or something, right?
Maya Gwynn
Or that's safe.
Janice Rooths
Or that's safe, right? And they understand that when they look at systems, racism is just built in, that it's not really about them, and that sometimes there's a teacher here or there, or maybe a counselor that cares about them specifically, right? Like they can tell when people care about them, and I think that's how you get through to young people. They have power right where they are, and collectively, they can do something. And yes, people are going to stand in front of you and tell you no. But when I was in sales, one of my technical support people, he gave me a cup, and it said, salesmanship begins when the customer says no. Anti racism begins when they tell you no. If they can knock down the Berlin Wall, we can knock down racism.
Maya Gwynn
That's a great quote. We're gonna move to our rapid-fire portion. I'm excited to hear your answers. If your work had a theme song, what would it be?
Janice Rooths
[Fight] The Power by the Isley Brothers. Including the profanity.
Maya Gwynn
If you had to teach a master class or give a TED Talk and a random skill you have besides the job you already do, what would it be?
Janice Rooths
How to learn how to sing songs when you don't understand the language, like I listen to Chinese and Korean music.
Maya Gwynn
Oh yeah, that's a really good skill. And do you have a favorite IE restaurant or landmark that reminds you of the Inland Empire?
Janice Rooths
I have a new favorite restaurant. I think it's in Rancho and it's China Republic. And how can people keep up with you and support the amazing work that Center Against Racism and Trauma is doing?
Janice Rooths
Our website, destroyracism.org. And also you can email me, which is CART, which stands for Center Against Racism and Trauma, CART@destroyracism.org, and that's directly to me. And honestly, I don't even try to scrape myself from the internet. So if you look up my name, you could probably find my phone number, my address, anything else.
Maya Gwynn
Thank you so much for being here. This is a great conversation.
Janice Rooths
Thank you so much.
Maya Gwynn
Of course. Janice Rooths is Executive Director of CART, Center Against Racism and Trauma. Find this segment and others at kvcrnews.org/bpie. Support for the segment comes from the Black Equity Fund at IECF, advancing racial equity and supporting long term investments and black led organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Join us again next week for Black Perspectives IE. For KVCR Public Media, I'm Maya Gwynn. Thank you.
