In a community and state that are predominantly white, conversations about issues of race in the community often fall to the fringes.

Chrystal Gardner, organizer of the Duluth chapter of Black Lives Matter, is working to change that starting by giving local employers and employees a chance to discuss how racism affects their work environments.

"I definitely want to open up that window of opportunity for them," Gardner said. "It's a topic that we try to conceal - but in this day and age, you can't."

Gardner will moderate a "Racism in the Workplace" workshop from 3-5 p.m. Thursday at the Ordean Building in downtown Duluth. The event is free and open to the public.

Gardner said the workshop will define workplace racism and discuss the forms it takes, its effects on employees and employers, and how to measure inequities in the workplace. The event will include time for discussion of first-hand experiences of workplace racism, as well as employer concerns and questions.

Gardner said the "Minnesota-nice" attitude prevalent in the state perpetuates racism in the workplace. If someone experiences workplace racism, there is pressure to ignore it and take it in stride, she said - and that atmosphere is not conducive to positive change or a healthy work environment.

"It's so different for people of color," she said of interactions in the workplace.

Like any other reported crime, Gardner said complaints of workplace racism are not always legitimate. Regardless, complaints should be taken seriously by employers.

"Everyone's on pins and needles," Gardner said. "Claims or allegations of racism are kind of belittled. The weight of it isn't as it should be."

Gardner said employers must act judiciously, not emotionally, when a claim of racism in the workplace is made. Employers should follow specific steps, she said, when handling a complaint of racism.

"With employers, they have to use sound judgement and step away personally," Gardner said. "There needs to be some kind of due process."

State Rep. Jennifer Schultz, DFL-Duluth, said she will attend the workshop to learn how Duluth-area businesses address workplace racism and how they educate employees.

"Our community is working to address structural racism by evaluating things such as requirements for job applicants, rental applications and barriers to attaining a driver's license," she said. "We have significant work to do to address economic and racial disparities."

Schultz said it is important for Duluthians to participate in conversations about race because of the hurdles faced by minorities.

"If you look at the data, you'll see that people of color have much lower household income and shorter life expectancies in our own community," she said.

Jodi Slick, Ecolibrium3 CEO, said the local nonprofit is sponsoring the workshop because issues of race affect community members' access to housing and employment. Slick said she plans to attend Thursday.

"When we look at the challenges that we have in our neighborhood ... there is a link between that and the inequity we see regarding people of color," Slick said.

Slick said she wants to learn how Ecolibrium3 can be part of the solution and hopes the workshop is the beginning of closing racial disparities in the area.

For example, she said, there is a large difference between unemployment rates for people of color and white individuals in the Duluth community.

"Shrinking that would be progress," Slick said.

Gardner said she wants to promote cultural sensitivity training and help employers use that training appropriately.

"I told myself, if only one person receives a revelation, an 'aha' moment, that's enough for me," Gardner said.

The workshop could become part of a series designed to decrease racial inequities in educational opportunities, the criminal justice system, employment and housing. Gardner said she is considering future workshops on racism in Duluth education and health care.

Gardner said she hopes workshop attendees will learn how to work toward embracing differences in the workplace, Gardner said.

"I truly believe we are more similar than different," she said.

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