Ray Oatis has been a citizen of Dubuque for the past five years.

“I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana,” says Oatis.

And when the opportunity to moved to Dubuque to get a better education, Oatis took it.

“To better myself as a person really to graduate from high school so I did I graduated from senior,” says Oatis.

And when he’s not working at Culvers, he’s playing guitar, drums, keyboard.

“I make beats.  I play basketball once or twice a week with the guys and I work at Culver’s,” explains Oatis.

Oatis and his roommates are living in downtown Dubuque. While living there they have heard many comments about others living in that same area.

“In the downtown area people get stereotyped a lot. You know if people see a black person they just assume that that person is from Chicago and that might not be true,” explains Oatis.

Oatis’s says his time in Dubuque has been pleasent for the most part and he has not had any negative racial slurs directed towards him, but he does remember a time when he was labeled because of the color of his skin.

“I had a guy come up to me and asked me ‘hey when was the last time you went home?’  I was confused but I said, ‘well uh last sumer’ he said ‘oh well I’m going back to Chicago next week.’ You know he thought that because I was black I was from Chicago.  It’s just crazy that he would think that I’m from Chicago just by looking at me,” says Oatis.

Mayor Roy Boul says as a life-long citizen, he’s seen diveristy grow in Dubuque and has heard racial comments grow too.

“I hear a lot about those statements and I think for the most part I contribute that to ignorance,” says Buol.

Buol says the answer to confronting and end those types of statements is through education.

“I really, truly believe that education is the key to acceptance.  Any advancement in society has been based on education and will continue to do so,” explains Buol.

Oatis agrees with Buol but thinks the answer can be solved in an even simpler way.

“Ask questions.  I would rather you ask me a question first before you assume that I don’t have a job or I don’t do this or that just because I am black.  Ask me if I have a job, I’ll tell you it’s that simple,”  says Oatis.

Wether the answer is education or asking a question, one thing is true, the road to acceptance of racial diversity is progress, but as for the journey, we still have a long way to go.

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Addressing Diversity: Part 1 and Addressing Diversity: Part 2