(Rockford, Illinois) Many are wondering if race played a role in last week's fatal shooting in Rockford of an unarmed black man by two white Rockford Police officers. WTVO spoke with the leader of a Rockford organization dedicated to stopping racism to get her thoughts. Kris Keiper, CEO of the Rockford YWCA says race is a major issue in the Rockford area. The YWCA hosts workshops on a regular basis to increase awareness about the problem. Keiper adds many people may be afraid to talk about racism for fear of offending somebody and adds, "I don't think we have the level of trust between some of our communities, and until we all knowhow to open up we're not going to progress." The YWCA will be hosting a national workshop at Rockford College on racism on October 29th.

 

This story appeared at http://mystateline.com/content/fulltext/?cid=95921 on August 31, 2009.