“May you always envision your community to be truly inclusive and racially integrated,” read a fortune cookie at Tuesday night’s Conversations on Race, an event hosted by the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race at Columbia High School.

More than 50 people attended, and the goal, according to Executive Director Nancy Gagnier, was to create an open forum where everyone could feel comfortable and safe discussing racial issues in the community.

“Anytime you can get people to come out in an un-air conditioned room to talk about race, it’s a success," said Coalition Trustee Adrienne Bolden. "We had nothing to lose."

Prior to the event, the Coalition asked community members to send in stories about experiences with cross-racial interactions. The response was overwhelming, and six stories were chosen to be performed by professional actors. The Playback Theatre troupe presented the vignettes.

The six skits showed situations in all aspects of the community. There was an argument between two high school students over the importance of the black national anthem; a white woman who insulted her neighbor by suggesting his son was only chosen for the gifted and talented program because of affirmative action; and a realtor showing a Jewish woman around town and speaking in “code."

“It’s one thing to hear a speech or read stories. It’s another thing to see this acted out. Everyone gets a real feel for what’s going on when it’s in 3-D,” said Board Chair Marlon Brownlee. Gagnier added that sometimes “it’s easier for us to see things about ourselves when looking out rather than looking in.”

After watching the performance, the audience split into small groups to discuss what they had seen. They talked about the community’s history, challenges faced by different age groups and stigmas that might never completely fade. They also discussed reasons they moved to the area, with many putting diversity high on their list.

Brownlee chose Maplewood in 1991 because he wanted his children to grow up in a diverse community. “When children are exposed to everything, they are better equipped to deal with the world,” he said, adding that this community is “one of a handful, and it doesn’t happen by accident.”

Yet most acknowledged that there is room for greater tolerance. “I moved here because I grew up in a homogenous white Jewish community and wanted something different, but now my new moms group is all white. It’s frustrating,” one woman said.

Bonita Gilliard grew up in Newark and moved to Maplewood in 1998. During the discussions, she admitted that she's apprehensive about talking to people of other races. “I am uncomfortable most of the time, but I wish people would just ask me questions so that I could ask them questions," she said. "At the playground with other mothers, it would be easier just to ask each other.”

Bolden stressed the importance of open conversation. “Until you say something, you don’t know what you have in common,” she said. “And if it isn’t a good experience, so what, walk away. At least you gave it a shot. And if it was good, then maybe you have a new friend.”

The event offered everyone a chance to take that first step towards conversation. “I think it was going well, we were on a roll. It just ended too quickly,” Burt Kimmelman said. Almost everyone agreed that they needed more time.

At the Gilliards’ table, the group decided to exchange e-mail addresses. They're hoping to get together for dinner.

“We’re not a utopia,” Program Director Audrey Rowe acknowledged, “but we’re better than most.”