HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem A: Workshop with Communities of Color
ECC
UGENE ITY OUNCIL
AIS
GENDA TEM UMMARY
Workshop: Facilitated Dialogue with Communities of Color
Meeting Date: July 12, 2006 Agenda Item Number: A
Department: Human Resource and Risk Services Staff Contact: Lauren Chouinard
www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5663
ISSUE STATEMENT
This is a facilitated discussion with several members of the communities of color on the subject of race
relationships in the community.
BACKGROUND
The City Council’s priority on race was one of eight priorities identified in February 2005. The action
plan for this priority was approved in August 2005. One emphasis of the action plan is to hear from the
communities of color about their perspectives on race and race relations in order for the council to gain a
better understanding of the issues. One of the action plan items is for the council to meet with a broad
group of members of the communities of color. During the months of May and June 2006, the Mayor
and individual councilors contacted members of the communities of color to hear their perspectives in
preparation for the July 12 dialogue. A summary of the themes from those meetings is provided in
Attachment A.
RELATED CITY POLICIES
This item directly addresses the City Council priority on race.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
None; this is an informational item only.
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
None.
SUGGESTED MOTION
None.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Themes from the one-on-one conversations with the Mayor and Councilors
L:\CMO\2006 Council Agendas\M060712\S060712A.doc
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Lauren Chouinard
Telephone: 682-5663
Staff E-Mail: lauren.d.chouinard@ci.eugene.or.us
L:\CMO\2006 Council Agendas\M060712\S060712A.doc
ATTACHMENT A
Summary of Comments from Communities of Color Members’ Discussions with the
Mayor and Councilors
May/June 2006
Perspectives on the Issues
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Major concern is violence against women, not racial bigotry.
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City’s policies and promises are good in theory but not in practice.
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Staff works with the community but is not connected back with Council in an
ongoing way.
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We’ve gone through the meetings and focus groups and most people in the
community are tired of being asked to participate over and over.
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Relationship with communities of color and the City: “When we need you,
we call you.”
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Constant dispute undermines trust.
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A racism-free community would be one where there are opportunities and
equality for everyone and every community member would be valued.
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We will know when we have achieved a racism-free community by the
number of minorities who choose to stay here and become involved.
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Minority males have a tough time with EPD.
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Progress has been steady and happening in small increments.
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There is a tension and conflict between people of color being recognized for
their race and being labeled by it.
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Attitudes and feelings about race in Eugene depend on where you sit and
how you view the world.
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The message to the people of color in the community is that they are not part
of the power structure in the city.
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There is a question of how overblown race issues become in this city.
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There have been lots of good faith efforts.
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Insensitivity is a key issue.
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It makes people more comfortable when there are a significant amount of
others of your race or ethnicity.
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There are still some issues about how people of color are singled out in local
stores.
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There is a lot of class bias in Eugene that is often seen as race bias…race and
class issues are linked.
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There is an implication regarding efforts to assist people of color. It is that
“we” have to help “them” because they are incapable of helping themselves
which reinforces an unconscious prejudice based on assumed superiority.
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Latinos are keen to be part of the fabric of Eugene and full participants, not
just an entertaining special event.
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There is an impression that, real or not, the Muslim community feels
oppressed in part due to the politically charged climate at the national level.
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There is a concern that we may not be welcoming to African-American
families when they come for the Olympic Trials.
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No one person is the spokesperson for any racial or ethnic group...each group
has many subcultures and differences within them.
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There is concern that Eugene will follow what happened in Portland where a
geographic split divided the city into a white town and town of color.
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There is concern about what the community attitude will be as the boomers
retire and more immigrants and people of color begin to fill the workforce.
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The power base is all white boomers so it’s hard for the young people of color
to connect to institutions.
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The Human Rights Commission role as it relates to the community is
unclear.
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Racism is like a disease, with an initial period of denial and folks afraid to
talk because their words may be misinterpreted.
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There is a delicacy about this topic: People want to speak honestly, but are
afraid they’ll be called ignorant or racist if they raise certain questions.
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These interviews with people of color make a good statement of the City’s
efforts.
Ideas and Solutions for Moving Forward
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There needs to be an admission of the problem and a genuine, concentrated
effort to address it.
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Whites must study their whiteness (including history, exclusionary practices,
institutionalize racism, etc.) as a prerequisite to understanding anything else
about race.
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Progress requires civic, government, and business leaders to commit to
authentic change and not lip service.
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All parties need to commit to a concrete course of action which yields
demonstrable, measurable results.
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Solutions need to deal with a fair process to access resources.
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Need to be sure employment opportunities are not set up for failure…need to
support job development and growth.
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Need to partner and share Fiesta Latina as a regional event.
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Need to be humble about thinking we know when we have achieved goals on
a racism-free city.
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Need to work on police/community relations and ensure profiling does not
occur.
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Publish hate crimes and incidents of racial profiling. Be more honest about
these issues.
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Need to put benchmarks in City supervisors’ and managers’ evaluations.
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Need to conduct exit interviews to identify problems.
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Need a diversity plan with recruitment benchmarks. The City should
provide leadership on this issue for other community institutions.
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Look at what the City Manager and department heads are doing and push
them to improve attitudes down to the line staff.
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Communities of color need to know we are all on the same page in order to
have confidence.
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Need a template for how to be sure everyone is heard and is recognized as
having been heard and reflected in the plan.
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Racism work requires ongoing dialogue.
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Council and the Mayor have the bully pulpit and can make issues of race a
public issue.
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Need to be creative about reaching the poor about opportunities in the city
for culture, fun, and community.
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EPD needs to show intention and leadership to overcome the problems.
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Council needs to be mindful of what is needed and what is going on in the
African American community.
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Want an “iron clad” commitment from Council to implement things that will
give everyone entry to communal life.
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The City should continue to concentrate on clear institutional priorities and
values and make them known.
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Need an institutional response to racism and not just the good hearts of a few
within the organization.
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Need to infuse real people into our policies as experiential knowledge is the
key.
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Need to do a better job of promoting good work in this area about what the
City is already doing.
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Develop benchmarks for achieving a 2025 goal/vision for/with the
communities of color.
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A proclamation is a good first step, but government leaders must then hold
the organization and the community accountable to the principles in that
proclamation.
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Increase visibility of the history of differing cultures with murals and art that
reflect core history like a tent city monument.
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Need economic and environmental justice for low-income residents.
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Need services that help transition people from the Reservation to the city.
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Need to educate management and others about Native American and other
cultures.
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Asian groups are generally more silent than other ethnic groups, so
government should make a special effort at outreach.
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Access to health care is a significant issue to the Latino population.
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Need to seek out the young people of color and mentor them in the
institutional atmosphere.
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Look for models of successful work in other cities.
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Need to put more funding behind efforts.
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Government should encourage residents’ involvement and interest in topics
of race rather than just being reactive to specific incidents.
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City leaders should speak out to answer the questions: “What’s so good
about a diverse community?” and “What’s in it for me?”
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Acknowledge that everyone – whites and people of color – has work to do
around race issues.
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Ideas and Hopes for the Meeting on July 12
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A meeting with the City Council should continue to emphasize respectful
listening, creative listening and be a dialogue based on what we can do
together. It should include a realistic assessment of what the City can address
in the short run.
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The meeting needs enough time for dialogue, and having the dialogue is an
opportunity to educate.
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The format, logistics, and facilitation should create a level playing field.
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Have a dialogue, without the power structure, where everyone participates.
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Move from theoretical discussion to the practical.
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Distill the list of themes down to three main things and create a five year
plan.
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Create an atmosphere to allow questions from anyone in the conversation.
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Don’t bring accusations and judgments to the meeting about individuals,
departments or organizations – bring wonderment and curiosity.
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Peoples’ expectations of the meeting should not be unrealistically high…it’s
very tough to move a community along.
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The conversations that happen in the meeting should be carried forward by
having every attendee talk to other people in the days following.
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Use the meeting to build ongoing relationships.
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Invite “regular people” who are trying to make it…not just the usual people
whom everyone has already heard.
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