ETHOS PATH TO CHANGE
BACKGROUND
Explore More Information: P-CoC Inc | Parenting Children of Color, an Education-Advocacy group, embarked on its journey on June 19th, 2020, coinciding with Juneteenth, a date symbolizing the emancipation of the last enslaved individuals. The inaugural meeting, hosted at the residence of Dr. Damaris-Lois Yamoah Lang, the Founding President of P-CoC Inc, set the stage for addressing race, color, and ethnicity inequities. Leveraging her expertise in the neurobiology of behavior, Dr. Lang emphasized that comprehending the neurological origins of social behaviors is imperative for effectively combating these social pandemics. While diversity underlies social behaviors and may sometimes create spaces of mutual exclusivity, it's crucial to ensure that we all work to dismantle marginalization and hegemony, much like fitting different puzzle pieces together. What should remain is a leveled field of equitable co-existence that is shared by and for all. Collectively, we must promote an environment that offers fair treatment, experiences, and safety for everyone.
PROBLEM
Explore More Information: This is Dr. Damaris Lois Yamoah Lang, the founding president of P-CoC Inc. I'm excited to have you visit our page today. As a biologist whose doctoral work focused on the neurobiology of behavior, I would like to share a little insight into the biology behind our social expressions, how they impact equity, and the inputs reinforcing societal inequities. I will also emphasize the universal truth that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Human Rights Articles highlight that everyone is entitled to rights and freedoms without discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, and other statuses. Despite this universal declaration, societal hierarchies persist, rooted in our historical classifications of race that placed white individuals as superior and black individuals as inferior, driving slavery. This hierarchy of ingrained notions of dominance and power associated with race, impacting our modern history, continues “epi-sociogenetically” today. The construction of race was inherently a racist construct; to create race was to create racism. We must recognize that race and racism were constructed together and have always been intertwined. This made whiteness desirable and superior, while blackness was deemed undesirable and inferior. Although legislation and policies have abolished the systemic structures that once upheld such hierarchies, social remnants remain, accentuating the epigenetic effect of neurological behavior defaults caused by racism. The epigenetic effect refers to changes in gene expression influenced by environmental factors and experiences without altering the DNA sequence itself. Prolonged exposure to discrimination, stress, and social inequalities can trigger epigenetic modifications, leading to brain structure and function changes that affect behavior, emotional regulation, and cognitive processes. This means that the trauma and stress associated with systemic racism can become biologically embedded, influencing how individuals respond to their environment and interact with others. Neurological behavior defaults refer to the automatic, often unconscious patterns of thinking and behavior resulting from these epigenetic changes. This impacts our actions and shapes outcomes, perpetuating a cycle of racist acts even among those eager to fight racism. For black individuals, this manifests as internalized racism, a deeply ingrained sense of inferiority and self-doubt. Marginalized communities may develop heightened stress responses, hypervigilance, or internalized negative beliefs about their own worth and abilities. These neurological defaults perpetuate cycles of disadvantage and discrimination, affecting interactions, decision-making, and overall life outcomes. For white individuals, this manifests as implicit biases—unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect understanding, actions, and decisions. They might unintentionally favor white colleagues over colleagues of color in professional settings or feel uncomfortable in racially diverse environments. These biases can lead to microaggressions, which are subtle, often unintentional, discriminatory comments or behaviors. Non-persons of color allies need to engage in continuous self-reflection and education, regularly examining their own biases and seeking out resources to educate themselves about systemic racism and its impacts. They should prioritize the voices and experiences of people of color, listening actively and being open to feedback, even when uncomfortable. Supporting anti-racist initiatives led by people of color and collaborating as equals rather than leaders is crucial. Non-persons of color allies must practice humility, recognizing that being an ally is an ongoing process and that mistakes will be made. Accepting and learning from these mistakes is essential. We should actively work to change institutional and systemic structures that perpetuate racism, even when it requires challenging our own comfort and privilege. Even among those eager to fight racism, particularly non-persons of color allies, a vicious cycle of perpetuating racist acts can occur due to current systemic factors. In efforts to help, allies may adopt a paternalistic attitude, assuming they know what’s best for people of color without truly understanding their experiences or needs. Societal norms and media portrayals have conditioned everyone to view whiteness as the standard, influencing behaviors and decisions unconsciously. Understanding this helps us see why current diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts may sometimes inadvertently reinforce the disparities they aim to eliminate. Additionally, some social remnants in our society today that perpetuate racism through neurological behavioral defaults include the continued use of racialized ethnicities in our demographic identity classifications. My interest lies in the reclassification of our demographics, specifically our ethnic demographics. We need to move away from racialized classifications and embrace a more accurate depiction of our identities, reflecting our true ethnic backgrounds without racial overtones that perpetuate inequality. The current framework for classifying and determining our ethnic demographic identity is rooted in historical race-centered ideologies. These ideologies continue to shape contemporary practices, exerting an "epi-sociogenetic" effect that influences our societal structure. The essence of diversity should be celebrated as the unique differences that make us whole, much like puzzle pieces fitting together to form a complete picture. Our differences should unite us, not divide us. Embracing the true, unracialized diversity of our ethnic backgrounds can help create a more equitable society. Let's engage in this journey toward equitable coexistence, acknowledging our differences, promoting empathy, and striving for equity. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to our continued engagement.
PHILOSOPHY
Explore More Information: P-CoC Inc was founded to empower marginalized individuals as gatekeepers of the issues of race, color, and ethnicity impacting them. Recognizing the enduring aftermath of racial hierarchy, colorist prejudices, and ethnic othering, which persist rather than being relics of the past, P-CoC aims to promote unity within the diverse tapestry of our ancestral origins, rooted in our shared humanity while actively dismantling the forces of racism, colorism, and ethnic discrimination. Employing an Affinity-Focused approach centered on race, color, and ethnicity across education, advocacy, and outreach, P-CoC ensures that the voices of individuals in these marginalized states are prioritized in their own affairs. The exclusivity of the work on race, color, and ethnicity will remain, avoiding interest convergence by ensuring that individuals outside these marginalized focuses do not serve as gatekeepers, even if they belong to other marginalized groups, thus preventing the overshadowing or dilution of P-CoC's mission and founding principles. P-CoC Inc. emphasizes the importance of maintaining autonomy in addressing equity issues related to race, color, and ethnicity, recognizing the threat of Interest Convergence leading to dilution and exploitation. By focusing solely on Human Protective Rights (HPR) concerning race, color, and ethnicity, the organization aims to avoid tokenism and superficial progress. To ensure dedicated attention, P-CoC Inc. creates specific spaces within its events and programming where this work remains undiluted. This intentional approach allows for authentic observations, informing impact evaluation practices and advancing the organization's mission.
OPERATIONS
Explore More Information: Ethnography, a qualitative design approach, involves immersing the organization in specific settings to closely observe interactions, behaviors, and unique characteristics. It provides a focal lens with the goal of critically informing P-CoC's work and addressing the singular problem statement being explored: race, color, and ethnicity. P-CoC is a dedicated organization with an unwavering commitment to a specific and critical perspective on race, color, and ethnicity. To maintain the integrity of its process and avoid mission creep arising from power dynamics and interest convergence, often mislabeled as intersectionality, P-CoC focuses primarily on a strategic engagement process centered exclusively on the theoretical lens of race, color, and ethnicity issues. To ensure authenticity and effectiveness, P-CoC will employ ethnographic settings in its venue-specific event spaces and programs. These settings provide the necessary environment for genuine observations, informing the Impact Evaluation process and guiding the organization's direction. This includes but is not limited to its signature annual Juneteenth-Federally recognized celebration, tabling engagements, programs, or similar events. P-CoC's Venue-Specific Engagement Spaces and programming concentrate exclusively on social cues, symbols, and signage associated with the awareness, celebration, liberation, acknowledgment related to race, color, and ethnicity, disregarding other intersectionality dynamics. The committed Governing Board, comprising Board Officers, a Board Member, the Chair of the Advisory Board | Council, and Directors, acts as a safeguard against mission creep. Operating with a collegial, collaborative, solution-oriented, and assertive approach, P-CoC utilizes an integrated engagement logic and organizational structure. The work involves direct engagements by the Governing Board and operations conducted through ad-hoc committees.
SOLUTIONS
Explore More Information: Issues surrounding race, color, and ethnicity stem from the impact of human behavior within social frameworks in our societal structures. Understanding human behavior, therefore, requires exploring various dimensions of what encompasses human endeavors and experiences, such as shared existence across the social, natural, spiritual, cognitive, and conscious aspects. Recognizing that individuals perceive the varied dimensions of our world through unique lenses shapes each person's individualistic experiences, influencing perception and behaviors that impact societal interactions. These dimensions serve as the building blocks of one's philosophical stance or ethos, with individuals adopting one or more as foundational principles. With this in mind, and understanding that individualistic choices define one's perspective on existence, providing the essence of diversity. Our differences should unite us, not set us apart; that is the true essence of diversity- Puzzles fit together because of their differences. Understanding these differences and tangibly navigating the path of diversity, rather than relegating it to a checkbox event, can be achieved. Thus, P-CoC as an organization emphasizes coexistence across the work on race, color, and ethnicity, portraying its unique differences yet unifying human existence as one finished tapestry product of a singular human race. In today's complex sociocultural societal framework, achieving true equity involves understanding and addressing both historical and contemporary structures that shape our interactions and opportunities. At the core of this endeavor is recognizing the dual reality and work needed to foster equitable coexistence. The Reality is that a spectrum of hegemonic and marginalized forces influences our societal structures. Hegemony refers to the dominance or control exerted by one group over others, often through political, economic, cultural, or social influence. This control shapes societal norms and structures, embedding the dominant group's perspectives and interests into the broader society. Marginalization occurs when certain groups or individuals are pushed to the periphery of social, economic, or political systems, resulting in their exclusion or limited participation. This often stems from systemic discrimination and unequal resource distribution. Hegemonic structures are those dominant societal norms and practices that promote the interests of one group over another, often through political, economic, cultural, or social influence. This dominance can shape societal norms and structures, embedding the perspectives and interests of the dominant group into the fabric of society. On the other end, marginalized structures push certain groups to the fringes, resulting in their exclusion from mainstream participation. This marginalization is often a result of systemic discrimination and unequal distribution of resources, which can be intentional and unintentional. To counter these extremes, the goal is to foster equitable coexistence. This means creating a society where all individuals and groups are treated fairly and justly, regardless of their differences in race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or other characteristics. Such an environment recognizes all individuals' inherent dignity and rights, promoting a harmonious and inclusive societal fabric. The Work here is a move from this reality of our current societal structures to a state of societal equity that requires deliberate and actionable efforts. Central to this is developing and implementing legislation and policies focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). These policies aim to provide actionable support for marginalized groups, ensuring they have the resources and opportunities needed to thrive. Societal equity involves the fair and just distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges within a society. It seeks to address historical and systemic inequalities, promoting fairness, inclusivity, and fair social treatment for all individuals. Doing so creates conditions where everyone can access the same opportunities and enjoy equal rights, regardless of their background or characteristics. Equitable Coexistence emphasizes the harmonious and just cohabitation of diverse individuals and groups within a community or society. It highlights the importance of fair and inclusive treatment for all, ensuring that differences in race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or other characteristics are respected and valued. Achieving Societal Equity means ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to reach their full potential. It involves creating policies and practices that address historical and systemic inequalities and promote fairness, inclusivity, and equal treatment. The work of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) represents a comprehensive approach to creating environments that value and leverage diversity, ensure fairness and equal opportunities, and foster a sense of belonging and involvement. The core of any DEI work must emphasize non-political, humanistic efforts to support marginalized groups and ensure they have a safe and supportive environment. Ultimately, achieving societal equity requires a concerted effort to address the historical and current forces shaping our social structures. When we promote fairness and foster equitable
