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Wilmingtonians discuss discrimination during Peace Week

Sophia Schmidt, Delaware Public Media
Romona Fullman shows a video while two participants look on

As part of the First State’s celebration of Peace Week, the Division of Human Relations held two public discussions in Wilmington this week during which participants were asked to respond to video clips of discrimination.

The Division of Human Relations promotes and enforces laws against discrimination for the state. 

 

“The focus of today was discrimination and how it occurs in public places,” said Romona Fullman, director of the Division of Human Relations. “Letting everyone know that if they feel they’ve been discriminated [against] … there’s a place to file a complaint, and that’s with our agency,” said Fullman.

Carl Shaw manages community engagement at the Wilmington Library— and attended Thursday’s conversation. He says the topic is close to his heart.

“Of course I’ve been the victim of discrimination but I’ve also been a part of a diverse group where we all really got along and made some powerful things happen,” said Shaw. “So I think that there’s hope for us, but we need to have these courageous conversations.”

After Thursday’s conversation, both Shaw and Fullman are eager to see these types of discussions continue.

“People will talk and want to talk in safe places,” said Fullman. “We’re going to grow this.”

 

Sophia Schmidt is a Delaware native. She comes to Delaware Public Media from NPR’s Weekend Edition in Washington, DC, where she produced arts, politics, science and culture interviews. She previously wrote about education and environment for The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, MA. She graduated from Williams College, where she studied environmental policy and biology, and covered environmental events and local renewable energy for the college paper.