Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/14049
AUGUST 2010 SPORTS & EDUCATION 72 day in the life of… RENE CASTRO FACES & PLACES : DAY IN THE LIFE OF … WRITTEN BY CHERYL SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHED BY MIRANDA MIRSEC "I've always been a facilitator," said Rene Castro, Vice President of Programs for the California Conference for Equality and Justice. "It's my niche. It's the way I can put my belief in the importance of human relations to work for the betterment of our community." Castro directs a slate of programs for CCEJ that bring young people of different races together for frank discussions about racism and prejudice. "Many people think that racism no longer exists in our country," he said. "But everyone has blinders. Once people begin talking with each other and each gets to understand the experiences of others, we find that we are all on a journey. Communication helps us to see the value in understanding and celebrating racial and cultural differences." The most important cultural influence on Castro's life was a two-year stint in the Peace Corps during which he lived in Micronesia in a remote area of the South Pacific. "It was a life-changing experience," he said. "I can't think of anything in my own life that has had such an influence on my thinking and the formation of my values. I learned so much— teaching in the local grammar school and living in a small village." Much of what he learned is incorporated into his work with CCEJ. "I learned that the village approach is a powerful tool in bridging the gap between people of different races," he said. "When working with neighborhood groups to accomplish a specific goal, it is vital that the community feel that they have done the work themselves. They are invested in the outcome of the project. They value it. They are proud of it." When he returned from his Peace Corps assignment, Castro earned a Master's degree in social work at the University of Washington in Seattle. "The adjustment of returning to live here at home after two years of living in a small village is even greater than the initial adjustment of being so far from home," he said. Upon his return, Castro ended up using his degree to become a social worker. His position with CCEJ became available to him by way of California State University Long Beach when he taught a graduate class in community projects for 12 years. "I had a chance to work with Dennis Thys, who was then community development manager for the city, and I was so impressed with his work and his commitment that I decided to ask him for a job. Something in his response made me think there would be a job for me, so I left my teaching job at CSULB the next day." He went to work for the city in the Community