Greetings to all the Marchers and Speakers here today! In the Biracial Family Network Anthology published in 1993 entitled "Interracial Identity: Celebration, Conflict or Choice," edited by Margo Hearst, the BFN has "three main purposes which focus on the unique issues facing individuals of mixed-race, their families, spouses, children and their friends:
1) to conduct educational forums on multi-ethnicity;
2) to eliminate prejudice and discrimination; and
3) to advocate racial integration. . . .
The mixed race person can be understood as the embodiment of harmony between the races."

It is in the spirit of this mission statement that I join this March today. It is to support these stated objectives that I come today to work with others to help America, our government and society, to do the right thing.

Our presence today is a gesture, a symbolic act to promote as many people as possible to become aware of population groups that are ignored and literally not recognized. This policy of ignoring interracial families is rooted in institutional taboo rituals that have existed over generations protected and perpetuated by our legal and so-called justice system. . . .

This March embodies social issues but it also has to do with justice which is a spiritual issue. At the core of any discussion must be the premise involving human values. The human factor promotes understanding, awareness and acceptance.

Crossing over barriers to develop and cultivate positive and healthy relationships with others who are different racially, culturally, politically or belong to different social classes is not a matter of entertainment; rather it is a matter of education. If entertainment is used to educate, this is positive. But when entertainment is used to promote ignorance, we are required to take specific and concrete stands -- boycott, criticize, respond, react, and stay focused on positive objectives. We must address the way our system has conditioned us to not accept others who are different. With media barraging us with negative images of various racial, ethnic and cultural groups, how do we find a way to trust each other and work with each other? What strategies do we use in order to change institutional practices rooted in social taboos that promote ritualized racism?

Our mission is to help each person learn how to define and identify who they are despite the categorical definitions imposed upon us by our government and its agencies. The organizations represented here today act as support systems and as information networks to help individuals who want to change -- change themselves and change our society and our social traditions and political practices. . . .

Since 1790 our government has mandated race identification on census forms. We automatically accept and expect each of us to be categorized and grouped racially. Race categorization has been a political priority since the inception of the census.

In the Federal Register, August 28, 1995, a 35 page document "Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity" outlines the debate about changing racial classifications for the census of the year 2000. In brief, to change the status quo is not in the interest of federal agencies who need to monitor and enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1973 (1982) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Also, it is too costly to change the census and to represent all the ethnic groups or combinations of racial groups in America would take up too much space. . . .

Once couples decided to have long term commitments, provide legal protection for children in interracial relationships, decide that children of interracial marriages would not be ignored and they would not stay invisible, then our society began to see this as "a problem." For generations rape was institutional and an accepted ritual which resulted in uncounted biracial and multiracial children growing up in our society. They were not counted because they did not count as human beings. We now take the position that our children do matter, we want recognition and acceptance, and most of all we want entitlement without adversely effecting the entitlement of others. Why can't an economic criteria be used to promote affirmative action programs instead of gender and race?

Empowerment is the issue. In the book, White Lies, Black Lies, and Other Truths, by Tony Brown, the point the author stresses is that self-sufficiency and self-actualization are the goals. Our power institutions respect only groups that also have leverage and power.

The individuals and organizations who come together for the purpose of fair and equal treatment for all human beings will be on the side of justice. These individual efforts must transcend to the level of institutional action for this cause to be realized. Each person must decide what resources and energies can be applied to reach this level of justice.

I hope and pray that our cause encourages individual exploration of one's total heritage. That each individual lays claim to their heritage. I hope each person is encouraged to define oneself according to values and beliefs based on the truth. By uniting and working with each other, we can help each other to be caring and sharing human beings.

Thanks for coming today. Thank you for helping to promote our solidarity. And I express my appreciation to Charles Byrd for organizing this historical event.

May the efforts of those fighting for the inclusion on the multiracial category on the year 2000 census be successful since this may well be a significant step towards de-emphasizing race in our fragmented society. May these endeavors lead to universal peace and the oneness of humanity.

Contact Clarence Krygsheld c/o
Biracial Family Network
P.O. Box 3214
Chicago,
Illinois 60654-0214

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