It’s The Little Things Everyday Interactions That Anger, Annoy and Divide the Races
A program on ending interracial misunderstanding

Although legal segregation ended decades ago, the sense of separateness and division between blacks and whites seems more intractable than ever. We work together, go to school together, and live near each other, yet beneath it all there is a level of misunderstanding that breeds mistrust and a level of miscommunication that perpetuates mutual hostility. Stepping back from academic theorizing and political posturing, Lena Williams offers a candid, sensible, and humorously informative approach to improving racial relations.

Based on her experiences as well as what she has learned from focus groups across the U.S., It’s the Little Things catalogs the common and avoidable ways through which mutual antagonism is perpetuated — the gestures, expressions, tones, and body language that get under the skin of both blacks and whites.

What’s Up With That?
The Interactive Lecture Segment

In an interactive portion of the program, Ms. Williams works with program sponsors ahead of time to select four individuals from diverse backgrounds (race, disability, sexual orientation, etc.) to participate in role reversal exercises led and analyzed by Ms. Williams. Ms. Williams candidly considers the subtleties of race from body language to dialect and provides a forum for those attending to discuss them openly and safely. This frank and eye-opening dialogue can create a lasting change in racial dynamics in your community.

About Lena Williams

Lena Williams, a twenty-eight year veteran of The New York Times, is author of It’s the Little Things (Harcourt), a New York Times ‘Notable Book of the Year’. Currently covering sports, she is also the chairperson of the Newspaper Guild at The New York Times. The article “It’s the Little Things” won the National Association of Black Journalists award for feature writing. She has received numerous other honors, including the 2001 Ebony “Outstanding Women in Marketing & Communications” Award and the prestigious Penney-Missouri and The New York Times Publisher’s Awards. She lives in New York City.

ALSO AVAILABLE:

• “Race and Team Spirit: Getting Along On and Off the Field”
• “Being Media Savvy” for college and professional athletic teams.
• Diversity training programs.

THE RESPONSE:

“Lena was successful at reaching members of the audience from all different backgrounds. She was real and no holds barred - a great presentation.”

Natalie Rolfe
President, Black Student Union
Kansas State University

“Lena was a fantastic speaker, down-to-earth person and a joy to be around. In her short time at Louisiana State University, she truly made an impact - both on the audience at her lecture, and the student volunteers. Rarely do lecturers make such a strong connection with the students. Lena went out of her way to be inviting, sharing her knowledge and experiences with all students involved. We would have her back in an instant!”

Jason Meier
Assistant Director for Programs
Louisiana State University Union