SJC Exchange Library

After running a Dialogue to Change program on poverty, residents in Wagner, S.D., decided to use the program to address the root cause of the problem: racial tensions between white and American Indian residents. Residents of the rural town of Wagner, S.D., realized that there was something holding them back from making real progress on poverty: they needed to address the long history of racial inequity and tensions between the white people living in the town and the American Indians living nearby.

The racial tensions run deep, spanning many generations. In 2008, they began the first of many ongoing rounds of dialogues to address divisive issues in a peaceful manner. Eliminating racism and unpacking historical trauma won’t happen overnight, and Wagner residents are committed to achieving their vision of a unified community.