Forum; Part 4 : Race, Class, and Diversity: Religion and Diversity
Description:
This is the second program, as described above. Guests are Abdulkadir Al Amin, an imam with the San Francisco Muslim Community Center; Pam Fridmann Ba, a rabbi with the Shalom Jewish community; Reverend Scott Peterson, who is a bishop with the Church on the Hill in Vallejo (Pentecostal); Reverend Ronald Nakasone, a visiting professor of Buddhist studies at the Pacific School of Religion and Graduate Theological Union; Paul Schultz, executive director of the Bay Area Native American Ministry in Oakland; and Reverend Lindy Ramsden, a senior minister with the First Unitarian Church in San Jose. "This entry features the first three programs of a year-long series exploring issues of diversity in the Bay Area community. This is critical in a state with rapidly changing demographics and an anti-immigrant, anti-affirmative action atmosphere. By tackling difficult issues that aren't normally discussed in public with people who usually don't talk to each other, the series establishes a model for community dialogue. Each show is a two-hour long live panel discussion including questions and comments from the audience. "The first program brings together six Bay Area thinkers to define diversity and assess what it means to live in a diverse society. The guests and audience talk about what keeps people apart and examine how race and class affect individuals and institutions. "The second program goes to The Interfaith Center at the Presidio for a look at various religions and the way religion divides and unites people. The panel includes a Native American minister, a Buddhist priest, a Muslim imam, a female rabbi, a lesbian Unitarian minister and a fundamentalist bishop. The audience is composed of religious congregations throughout the Bay Area. The discussion tries to find common values and sets the stage for further interaction among different religious groups. "The third program looks at the changing definitions of family. The first hour takes a historical look at the nuclear family. The second hour presents several examples of modern families and examines their difficulties and successes."--1996 Peabody Awards entry form.
