Racism Panel Meets On Thursday

The recent racially-motivated crime in Rapid City is a reminder that despite decades of efforts to quell it, racism still exists.

A local native advocacy group is hosting a series of forums for people to voice their feelings and to educate the public.

Last month in Rapid City a group of teenagers shot at some Native Americans with BB guns and doused them with urine.

Forum panelists said this is no surprise and people in Rapid City are ignoring the problem of racism.

Native advocates said it's an extreme example of what goes on every day.

"I believe Rapid City to be a racist town, I think South Dakota is a racist state and I think there's a lot of evidence for that--Indians being the victims and non-Indians being the perpetrators of it," said Author Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, a panelist.

However, along with the harsh words about hate crimes, attendees said where words fail, action prevails and resolution can only be reached when whites and Native Americans work together.

"We just need to come to an understanding and say 'we don't need to take a step back in our culture, we need to continually move forward and put things behind us'" said Myron Pourier the fifth member of an Oglala Sioux Council.

The remaining forums are all at General Beadle Elementary School at 6:30 April 29th, and may 13th.