[00:00:01]
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR ATTENDING THE SECOND EDITION OF OUR DIVERSITY EQUITY AND
[Candid Cross-Cultural Conversations Event Series on June 3, 2021. ]
INCLUSION FORUM THAT HAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS AT DALLAS AND DALLAS COLLEGE.THIS IS A CANDID CROSS-CULTURAL CONVERSATION SERIES IN WHICH WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE STATE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
TODAY, WE HAVE AN AMAZING PANEL AS WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS TODAY, THE CURRENT STATE OF INCLUSION IN DALLAS.
BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WOULD LIKE TO READ A DISCLAIMER FOR THIS FORUM.
THE VIEWS, THE POSITIONS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY SPEAKERS, ATTENDEES, SPONSORS OR OTHER THIRD PARTY, THE THIRD PARTIES AT THE CANDIDATE, CROSS-CULTURAL CONVERSATIONS, EVENTS ARE THEIRS ALONE AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF UNT DALLAS OR DALLAS COLLEGE.
UNT DALLAS AND DALLAS COLLEGE MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS AS TO ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, TIMELINESS, SUITABILITY OR VALIDITY OF ANY INFORMATION PRESENTED BY SPEAKERS, ATTENDEES OR SPONSORS AS A CANDID CROSS-CULTURAL CONVERSATIONS EVENT AND WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR DELAYS IN THIS INFORMATION OR ANY LOSSES, INJURIES OR DAMAGES ARISING FROM A DISPLAY OR USE.
UNT DALLAS AND DALLAS COLLEGE DO NOT ENDORSE, EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL LIABILITY RELATING TO ANY OF THE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES PROVIDED BY SPEAKERS, ATTENDEES OR SPONSORS.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, THIS CONVERSATION IS A FORUM SO THAT WE CAN NOT DEBATE.
WE ARE NOT IN THE PLACE TO TRY TO PROVE ONE POSITION IS RIGHT OVER ANOTHER.
WE ARE ACTUALLY IN A SETTING IN A FORUM WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND BY GETTING IT RIGHT, IT REQUIRES US TO HEAR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
IT ALLOWS IT REQUIRES US TO LISTEN INTENTLY AND TO PROCESS WHAT WE CURRENTLY BELIEVE AND EXIST.
AND IT ALSO IS IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US IN THIS FORUM TO FIGURE OUT A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
AND I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THE SPEAKERS THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
THE PERSON THAT WILL BE MODERATING THIS DISCUSSION IS KIMBERLY O'NEILL.
>> KIMBERLY IS A DECORATED CONSULTANT AND CITY MANAGER AND LEADER ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PROVIDING DIVERSITY INCLUSION WORK THROUGH HER FIRM.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU ALL, KIMBERLY O'NEIL, OUR MODERATOR.
I AM THE FOUNDER OF GIVING BLUEPRINT.
I AM AN ADVOCATE OF ALL THINGS COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO JUSTICE, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
I AM HONORED TO HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS AT DALLAS AND DALLAS COLLEGE ARE DOING THROUGH THIS FORMAT.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BEGIN TO HAVE A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
IF YOU WEREN'T WITH US LAST WEEK, YOU MISSED SOMETHING AMAZING.
I HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CHECK IN ON THE REPLAY.
BUT LAST WEEK'S DISCUSSION NOT ONLY PROVIDED THE HISTORY OF RACISM AND EQUITABLE PRACTICES IMPOSED ON THE BLACK AND LATINX COMMUNITIES IN DALLAS, IT PROVIDED THE FRAMEWORK FOR TODAY'S DISCUSSION AND THE CURRENT STATE OF INCLUSION AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING AROUND THE CITY OF DALLAS, SO THESE CONVERSATIONS, AS MATT SAID, IT'S NOT HERE FOR DEBATE.
AND THEY'RE NOT MEANT TO BE EASY.
BUT THEY ARE MEANT TO BE TRUTHFUL AND EDUCATIONAL AND SOMETIMES UNCOMFORTABLE.
AS WE UNPACK WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT HAS TO COME NEXT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
THE FORMAT FOR TODAY IS COMPARABLE TO THAT OF LAST WEEK.
WE WILL HAVE FOUR PRESENTATIONS TODAY, BY FOUR AMAZING INDUSTRY EXPERTS, WHO WILL TAKE ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO DO A PRESENTATION.
[00:05:02]
AFTER THAT TIME, THE LATERAL HALF OF OUR TIME TODAY, WE SPEND IN AN OPEN FORUM, TAKING A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE CONVERSATIONS OF TODAY.OUR GUESTS FOR TODAY (INAUDIBLE) AUTHOR, EDUCATOR, INDUSTRY EXPERT THAT IS GOING TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THINGS FROM HIS LENS.
WE ALSO HAVE DR. LAUREN CARTER, FOUNDER AND CEO OF CARTER CREATIVE ENTERPRISES LLC.
WE HAVE JARED FITZPATRICK, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION FOR THE DALLAS REGIONAL CHAMBER.
TO GET US STARTED THIS MORNING, I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE OUR VERY FIRST SPEAKER, DR. EDWARD RINCON, A RESEARCH PSYCHOLOGIST WHO HAS ENDEAVORED TO IMPROVE THE CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE OF ORGANIZATIONS, USING PUBLICATION AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
HE HAS TAUGHT VARIOUS FORCES AT AREA ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND MASS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH.
STARTING THIS SUMMER, HE WILL BEGIN TEACHING A GRADUATE LEVEL COURSE ON MULTI CULTURAL RESEARCH METHODS AT THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON.
HE HAS RECEIVED HIS MASTERS AND DOCTORATE DEGREES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
HE HAS ALSO COMPLETED HIS MASTER'S GIS CERTIFICATE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS.
HE IS AN ASSOCIATE SCHOLAR (VIDEO CUT OUT) ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH.
DURING HIS 45 YEARS, HIS RESEARCH HAS CONCENTRATED ON QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT HAVE IMPACTED MULTI CULTURAL COMMUNITIES, SUCH AS COLLEGE ADMISSION TESTING, FOOD INSECURITY, CRIME, 2020 CENSUS, VACCINATION RATES, POLITICS, OTHER AREAS.
HIS NEW BOOK, THE CULTURE OF RESEARCH, WAS PUBLISHED IN AUGUST OF 2020 REVIEWS THE VARIOUS SOURCES OF BIAS ASSOCIATED WITH STUDIES OF MULTI CULTURAL PERSONS IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE AFTER DOCTOR FINISHES TODAY, YOU CAN RESEARCH AND LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS VIEWPOINTS ON HIS BLOG THE CULTURE OF RESEARCH.COM.
WELCOME, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR PRESENTATION THIS MORNING.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE I NEED TO SAY MUCH MORE.
I OPERATE IN THE WORLD OF NUMBERS.
BOTH IN THE CREATION OF RELEVANT INFORMATION AND IN PRACTICING FORENSIC ANALYSIS.
A TERM THAT I USE TO DESCRIBE THE ANALYSIS OF EXISTING STUDIES WITH QUESTIONABLE OR CONTROVERSIAL CONCLUSIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE INVOLVING MULTI CULTURAL POPULATIONS IN THE U.S.. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND.
BUT I WOULD AT LEAST MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE BEEN IN THE RESEARCH BUSINESS FOR THE PAST 45 YEARS.
FOCUSING MOSTLY ON QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES PERTAINING TO MULTI CULTURAL POPULATIONS.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS LIST, MY RESEARCH INTEREST AND THE MOST RECENT ONES HAVE FOCUSED ON FOOD INSECURITY, FOOD DESERTS, THE CENSUS 2020 CAMPAIGN.
STANDARDIZED TESTS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS.
ORGAN DONATION, LIVER DISEASE.
COVID 19 VACCINE HESITANCY AS WELL AS UPTAKE.
AND AS KIMBERLY ALREADY MENTIONED, MY RECENT BOOK WAS PUBLISHED JUST LAST AUGUST 2020.
SO FROM THIS BOOK, I THINK I HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO TALK ABOUT THREE OF THE CASE STUDIES THAT I DISCUSS IN MORE DETAIL IN MY BOOK.
BUT I THINK ARE RELEVANT TO THE THEME FOR TODAY.
MANY OF YOU HAVE HOPEFULLY KEPT UP WITH THE ISSUES DEALING WITH FOOD DESERTS AND FOOD INSECURITY.
AND MUCH OF THE ATTENTION, RECENT ATTENTION HAS FOCUSED ON SOUTH DALLAS.
[00:10:07]
AND THE REAL QUESTION IS WHY HAVE SO MANY FOOD DESERTS PERSISTED AND NOT CHANGED OVER DECADES IN THE SOUTH DALLAS AREA.OUR COMPANY CONDUCTED A RESEARCH STUDY, JUST WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
AND AS THE MAP HERE CLEARLY SHOWED, THIS IS THE MAP OF THE CITY SERVICE AREAS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS AND THE WHOLE MAP IS BOUNDED BY DALLAS COUNTY BOUNDARIES.
THE GREEN AREAS CLEARLY SHOW THESE ARE THE FOOD DESERTS THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
AND AS YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SEE, OVER HALF OF THESE FOOD DESERTS, 88 OF THEM, ARE CONCENTRATED IN THE SOUTHERN SECTORS OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THESE SECTORS HAVING TO BE POPULATED MOSTLY BY LOWER INCOME LATINOS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS.
DESPITE THE MANY YEARS OF ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, THIS HAS NOT CHANGED THE PICTURE MUCH.
PART OF THE REASON THAT THESE FOOD DESERTS CONTINUE TO EXIST IS THAT THE PERCEPTIONS BY THE COMMENTARY BY SUPERMARKET EXECUTIVES.
THEY SEEM TO STILL BELIEVE THAT THE CRIME RATES ARE MUCH HIGHER IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR THAN OTHER SECTORS OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND THAT THERE IS INSUFFICIENT ECONOMIC HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND HOUSEHOLD POPULATION DENSITY COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS.
OUR RESEARCH STUDY ACTUALLY CONTRADICTED THOSE PERCEPTIONS.
OUR STUDY FOUND THAT THE CRIME RATES ACROSS THE CITY OF DALLAS WERE NOT SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE SOUTHERN SECTOR TO THE NORTHERN SECTOR.
WE ALSO DISCOVERED SEVERAL FOOD DESERTS.
FROM THAT RESEARCH, WE DEVELOPED A DASHBOARD THAT WE CALL THE URBAN SITE SELECTION MODEL.
FOR US, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO SHARE THE RESULTS OF OUR RESEARCH WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT FOOD DESERTS AREN'T NECESSARILY SHOULD NOT BE CONTINUE TO BE AVOIDED BY SUPERMARKET EXECUTIVES.
ONE WAY TO SHOW THEM THE POTENTIAL DEMAND FOR A SUPERMARKET IS TO DISPLAY INFORMATION FROM THE CENSUS BUREAU AND THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, THAT MAKES A POINT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THIS PARTICULAR DASHBOARD, A USER CAN GO TO THIS DASHBOARD, THIS IS FREE, NO COST, YOU CAN GO IN THERE, SELECT A PARTICULAR COUNTY, IN THIS CASE, DALLAS COUNTY.
YOU CAN SELECT ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WHETHER YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A FOOD DESERT OR NOT.
ON THE LEFT SIDE, YOU SEE A SLIDING SCALE WHERE YOU CAN TELL THE DASHBOARD.
I'M LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY SPENDING SOMEWHERE LIKE 15 MILLION A YEAR ON FOOD EXPENDITURES.
OR YOU CAN MAKE IT HIGHER, 20 MILLION A YEAR OR 30 MILLION A YEAR.
THE POINT IS THAT THE AVERAGE SUPERMARKET IN THE U.S.
MAKES ABOUT 18 MILLION A YEAR ON SALES.
SO IF A FOOD DESERT CAN DOCUMENT THAT THEY ACTUALLY SPEND ABOUT THAT MUCH, IT MAKES THE CASE, A BETTER CASE FOR A MAINSTREAM SUPERMARKET.
ONCE YOU SELECT THE AVERAGE EXPENDITURES PER YEAR, THE MAP ON THE RIGHT SIDE, TOWARDS THE MIDDLE WILL SHOW YOU THE EXACT CENSUS TRACKS AND IN THIS CASE, FOOD DESERTS THAT ACTUALLY ARE SPENDING THAT MUCH MONEY PER YEAR.
ON THE BOTTOM PART OF THE DASHBOARD, ON THE LEFT SIDE, YOU WILL SEE A DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THOSE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACKS, ON THE RIGHT SIDE, YOU WILL SEE AN ECONOMIC PROFILE, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THOSE CENSUS TRACKS AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY'RE EARNING AS WELL AS WHAT THEY'RE SPENDING IN THE CENSUS TRACK.
THIS INFORMATION IS EXTREMELY VALUABLE.
BECAUSE NOW IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE THE CASE THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT INCOME IN THESE COMMUNITIES AND TO TRY TO CONVINCE THE SUPERMARKET INDUSTRY THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT DEMAND FOR A SUPERMARKET THERE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHAT IS VERY IMPORTANT IS THAT NOW PRIVATE COMPANIES, OTHER THAN SUPERMARKETS ARE TAKING INTERESTS AND ALSO INVESTING IN FOOD DESERTS.
AS WAS THE CASE RECENTLY IN INDIANAPOLIS.
A COMPANY THAT SET UP A PLANT DECIDED THEY WERE GOING TO ADD A GROCERY STORE TO THAT.
BECAUSE 100,000 PEOPLE LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY HAD TO WALK FIVE MILES TO GET A GALLON OF MILK.
THESE PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE EXTREMELY CRITICAL FOR THE FUTURE.
[00:15:05]
IT BASICALLY MEANS THAT WE WON'T BE AS DEPENDENT AS SUPERMARKETS THEMSELVES TO PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS FOOD OPTIONS FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.ANOTHER CASE STUDY, THE CASE STUDY HAS TO DO WITH ETHNIC TELEVISION PROGRAMS. YOU MAY RECALL THAT RECENT YEARS, NOT TOO LONG AGO, GEORGE LOPEZ COMEDY SHOW WAS INTRODUCED TO LATINO AUDIENCES IN THE U.S. FRANKLY, THEY WERE GETTING TIRED OF THE SPANISH LANGUAGE THAT WERE PRETTY MUCH COMMONLY SHOWN THROUGHOUT THE U.S.. THE GEORGE LOPEZ SHOW UNFORTUNATELY WAS CANCELLED, DUE TO BE CANCELLED BECAUSE THEY SHOWED LOW NEILSEN TELEVISION RATINGS DURING THE FIRST YEAR.
HOWEVER, OUR COMPANY WAS ENGAGED BY ABC AND CBS TO CONDUCT A NATIONAL LATINO TELEVISION STUDY.
WE FOUND THAT THE AUDIENCES, LATINO AUDIENCES FOR THE GEORGE LOPEZ SHOW WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN WHAT THE NEILSEN RATINGS HAD DETERMINED.
THE PROBLEM THAT WE DISCOVERED WAS THAT NEILSEN HAD PLACED MUCH MORE WEIGHT ON SPANISH LANGUAGE IMMIGRANTS, THEIR VIEWING HABITS, GEORGE LOPEZ IS DESIGNED PRIMARILY FOR NATIVE BORN LATINOS WHO ARE ENGLISH SPEAKING.
THE STUDY THAT WE CONDUCTED WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL, THAT CONTINUED FOR MANY YEARS THEREAFTER.
IT CERTAINLY HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR OTHER ETHNIC TELEVISION PROGRAMS, WITH AFRICAN AMERICANS AND PERHAPS ASIANS AS WELL.
IN THE THIRD CASE STUDY THAT I THINK DIRECTLY DEALS WITH RACE ETHNICITY ISSUES HAS TO DO WITH OVERRELIANCE ON THE INTERNET IN THE CENSUS OF 2020.
MOST OF US HAVE READ RESEARCH STUDIES THAT CLEARLY SHOW INTERNET PENETRATION IS VERY HIGH.
THAT LEADS TO THE FALSE SECURITY THAT YOU CAN USE THE INTERNET TO PROMOTE ANY TYPE OF CAMPAIGN.
THE CENSUS BUREAU DECIDED THEY WERE GOING TO USE THE INTERNET TO PRIMARILY GET THE 2020 CENSUS COUNTS COMPLETED.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE WAS EVIDENCE AND CRITICISMS FROM PROFESSIONALS LIKE MYSELF, THAT THAT WAS PROBABLY NOT A GOOD IDEA.
BECAUSE WE HAVE PLENTY OF EVIDENCE THAT SHOWED THAT UNDER COUNTED PEOPLE LIKE BLACK HISPANICS, IMMIGRANTS IN POOR NEIGHBORHOODS DID NOT USE, RARELY USE THE INTERNET TO COMPLETE SURVEYS.
THERE WAS PLENTY OF EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT.
BUT NONETHELESS, THE CENSUS BUREAU WENT STRAIGHTFORWARD AND DECIDED TO GO AHEAD WITH THE INTERNET STRATEGY.
AND THIS PARTICULAR MAP DISPLAYS THE END RESULT OF THE CENSUS 2020 DATA COLLECTION EFFORTS TOWARDS THE END OF AROUND AUGUST OF 2020.
AND IT CLEARLY SHOWS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE RED AREAS, THE RED AREAS ARE THOSE WHERE THE INTERNET SELF RESPONSE RATE WAS 33 PERCENT OR LESS.
AND THE YELLOW AREAS ARE THOSE RESPONSE RATES ARE 33 TO 66 PERCENT.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT UNDERSTAND HOW THE POPULATION IS DISTRIBUTED, MOST OF THOSE RED AND YELLOW AREAS INCLUDE AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANICS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO THE DECISION TO USE THE INTERNET WAS IN MY OPINION, A FATAL MISTAKE BY THE CENSUS BUREAU.
IT'S DEFINITELY LEADING TO CENSUS UNDERCOUNTS.
WHY DOES THAT MATTER? BECAUSE CENSUS UNDERCOUNTS ARE GOING TO CAUSE THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO LOSE MILLIONS OF FEDERAL DOLLARS, DUE TO THE EXPECTED UNDERCOUNT OF THE POPULATION.
THAT WAS AN ERROR THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED.
WE'RE HOPING THAT THE UNDER COUNT WON'T BE AS BAD AS MANY OF US THINK IT WILL BE.
SO WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? IN MY MIND, WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF DIFFERENT RACIALLY DEFINED GROUPS IS A LACK OF CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE.
AND WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? WELL, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I BELIEVE THAT MUCH CAN BE DONE BY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO EXPAND THEIR COURSE OFFERINGS ON MULTI CULTURAL MARKETING, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND RESEARCH.
I WILL BEGIN TO TEACH A NEW COURSE ON MULTI CULTURAL RESEARCH METHODS AT THE UT ARLINGTON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS THIS FALL.
THAT UNIVERSITY ALREADY OFFERS A COURSE ON MULTI CULTURAL MARKETING.
[00:20:06]
THIS IS VISIONARY AND I IMPLORE OTHER UNIVERSITIES TO DO THE SAME THING.LIBRARIES THEMSELVES NEED TO EXPAND THEIR COLLECTION OF BOOKS ON MULTI CULTURAL TOPICS.
NOT JUST HISTORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE, BUT OTHER AREAS AS WELL, BUSINESS, HEALTH CARE, ENVIRONMENT.
MULTI CULTURAL FACULTY SHOULD HAVE A STRONG PRESENCE IN ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
THE MEDIA SHOULD HAVE ESTABLISHED COMMUNICATIONS OF MULTI CULTURAL FACULTY TO SERVE AS EXPERTS ON NEWS TRENDS.
STUDENTS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR STUDIES WITH TOOLS OF RESEARCH, GIS, DATA SCIENCES.
I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO LEARN MORE THAN ONE LANGUAGE.
BECAUSE IN OUR MULTI CULTURAL WORLD, COMMUNICATION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO DIFFERENT GROUPS.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR LISTENING TO THIS.
WE WILL HAVE TIME AT THE END OF THE PANEL DISCUSSION TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON EACH OF THESE TOPICS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. RINCON.
FOR ME, I'M BLOWN AWAY EVERY TIME A PRESENTATION HAPPENS DURING THIS SERIES.
A FEW THINGS AS WE PREPARE TO BRING UP DR. CARTER.
BUT TWO THINGS STUCK OUT TO ME DURING THIS CONVERSATION, ONE, JASMINE CROW, WHO IS THE CEO OF GOODER, A COMPANY THAT HAS JUST STARTED WORKING ON FOOD INSECURITY IN DALLAS, ALWAYS SAYS THAT FOOD IS NOT A MATTER OF SCARCITY, THAT IT'S A MATTER OF LOGISTICS.
WE HAVE TOO MUCH SURPLUS FOOD FOR US TO HAVE THESE FOOD DESERTS.
AND THEN ALSO, FOUNDER AND CEO OF ROSAS ROJO HERE IN DALLAS, SHE CONCENTRATES SPECIFICALLY ON CULTURAL RELEVANCY, AS IT RELATES TO FOOD AND HEALTHY ACCESS TO FOODS WITHIN THE LATINX COMMUNITY.
I JUST REMEMBER THE CONVERSATIONS WHEN I HAVE MET WITH HER, TALKING ABOUT HOW SHE IS WATCHING THE SHIFT FROM THE COMMUNITY, MORE PROCESSED FOODS AND FAST FOODS, BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ACCESS AND THEY'RE LOSING PARTS OF THE CULTURE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE CONVERSATION ESPECIALLY AROUND FOOD INSECURITY AND FOOD JUSTICE, WHEN WE GET TO THE TOWN HALL DISCUSSION.
NEXT WE HAVE DR. LAUREN CARTER, SHE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT FACILITATING HEALTHY VIBRANT COMMUNITIES, WITH ALMOST TWO DECADES OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE, SPANNING CIVIL ENGINEERING, LAW, HIGHER EDUCATION, PUBLIC POLICY AND URBAN PLANNING.
DR. CARTER IS NOW THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF CARTER CREATIVE ENTERPRISES, LLC, A FAMILY OF COMPANIES FOCUSED ON FINDING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO HELP PEOPLE LIVE, WORK AND BE WELL.
C SUITE CONSULTING, THE FIRST BUSINESS FROM DR. CARTER'S BUSINESS, THEY WORK TO FOSTER EQUITY THROUGH COMMUNITY FOCUSED SOLUTIONS, STRATEGY DEVELOPMENTS AND CAPACITY BUILDING TO MAKE URBAN SPACES FOR WHOLE PLACES.
HER WORK HAS LED TO A RECORD BREAKING SIX MILLION DOLLARS DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT BY THE J.P.
MORGAN CHASE FOUNDATION IN SOUTH DALLAS AND WEST DALLAS COMMUNITIES.
AND THE CREATION OF THE COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROGRAMMING AND INITIATIVES FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING THE TRINITY RIVER.
DR. CARTER LED THE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FOR THE UPCOMING SOUTHERN GATEWAY DECK PARK DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC.
RESULTING IN A COMMUNITY DRIVEN PLAN, LEVERAGING OVER $80 MILLION ON INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, TO INCREASE ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY AND REDRESS EXISTING RACIAL DISPARITIES.
DR. CARTER IS ALSO A SOUGHT AFTER SPEAKER AND TRAINER.
PUBLISHED ARTICLES, TAKE THE LEAD AND VISIBLE.
OUTSIDE OF HER WORK, DR. CARTER ENJOYS HER TIME WITH HER HUSBAND, FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
LISTENING TO LIVE MUSIC, SUPPORTING OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES AND EXPLORING LOCAL PARKS AND TRAILS.
DR. CARTER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING FROM YOU OVER THE NEXT 15 MINUTES.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT INTRODUCTION, KIM.
GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU AND SHARE A BIT MORE ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE IN EQUITY IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
ALSO HOW DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION PLAYS A PART IN THE WORK THAT WE DO EVERY
[00:25:04]
DAY AT C SUITE CONSULTING.I'M WAITING FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO AGAIN, TODAY WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CURRENT STATE.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT DIVERSITY, I'M THINKING ABOUT THE DEPTH OF DIFFERENCE THAT IS INCLUDED IN A GROUP OR IN AN AREA, WHEN I MENTION EQUITY, I'M REALLY TALKING ABOUT ACCESS TO AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND THEN WITH INCLUSION, THAT IS LOOKING MORE AT INTEGRATION OR HOW DIFFERENT GROUPS FEEL A PART OF THEIR CURRENT COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS FIRST SLIDE, ALL OF MY SLIDES ARE REALLY CENTERED ON WHAT IS HAPPENING IN DALLAS RIGHT NOW, NOW, AGAIN, DIFFERENT FIELDS, DIFFERENT PRACTITIONERS WILL EXPLAIN HOW THEY USE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN THEIR WORK IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
MINE IS REALLY FOCUSED ON HOW WE CAN CREATE BETTER LIVING ENVIRONMENTS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS OR IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS.
SO WE LOOK AT A FEW TOPICS HERE TO GO OVER IN MORE DETAIL HOW THESE DIFFERENT FACTORS ARE PRESENT IN THE CITY OF DALLAS OR HOW THEY'RE IMPACTING DIFFERENT POPULATIONS.
SO IN THIS FIRST SLIDE, YOU'LL LOOK AT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE REALLY AND HOW BROADBAND IS AVAILABLE IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
HAVING THAT COMPARED TO INCOME IN THESE SAME CENSUS TRACKS IN DALLAS.
ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, YOU WILL SEE A MAP THAT IS REALLY SHOWING YOU THE INCOME DISPERSEMENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF DALLAS, FROM THOSE THAT EARNED THE LOWEST INCOMES TO THOSE THAT EARNED THE HIGHEST.
JUST AS YOU SAW IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, YOU SEE SOME SIMILAR PATTERNS THERE, WHERE MORE OF THE LOWER INCOME EARNERS ARE LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CITY OR UNDER 30 OR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRINITY, A LOT OF THE HIGHER INCOMES ARE LOCATED FURTHER NORTH.
ONE IMPORTANT THING YOU WILL NOTICE IN THE MIDDLE, SO WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THE WEALTHIEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE AREA, THE PARK CITY.
HIGHLAND PARK, IN THAT AREA, WHERE SMU IS LOCATED.
YOU WILL SEE AROUND THAT AREA, AGAIN, THE TOP FIFTH OR THE HIGHEST INCOME LEVELS IN THE CITY.
NOW, WHEN WE COMPARE THAT TO BROADBAND ACCESS OR THE ABILITY TO USE INTERNET EASILY, IN YOUR HOME, YOU WILL SEE KIND OF THE OPPOSITE, WELL, THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING.
SO AGAIN, THE RATES ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT WHERE YOU LOOK AT ONE THAT MEANS THE ADOPTION RATE, BASICALLY EVERYONE HAS ACCESS.
YOU WILL SEE THE PATTERN AGAIN, WHERE THE MAPS ARE VERY SIMILAR.
GO DOWN TO 40 PERCENT,.4 ADOPTION RATE IN THE MAP, YOU WILL SEE AGAIN THAT THOSE AREAS ARE IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF THE CITY.
NOW, WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT OR WHY DOES IT MATTER? WHEN MOST PEOPLE WERE GOING TO WORK OR SCHOOL AND HAD ACCESS TO THE INTERNET FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE DAY, IT WASN'T AS MUCH OF A PROBLEM.
HOWEVER, WHEN COVID 19 HIT, AND WE WERE ALL FORCED TO STAY AT HOME, NOT HAVING RELIABLE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET IS A HUGE FACTOR.
IT WAS A HUGE FACTOR FOR A LOT OF FAMILIES AND THEIR SUCCESS RATE.
WHETHER OR NOT THEY COULD CONTINUE TO PERFORM THEIR JOB DUTIES WELL, OR FOR STUDENTS STILL HAVING PROPER ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND THEIR TEACHERS, OR BEING ABLE TO GET ONLINE FOR CLASS.
SO AS YOU THINK ABOUT ACCESS TO THESE TYPES OF RESOURCES, YOU CAN SEE THE COMPLETE CORRELATION BETWEEN INCOME OR HOW MUCH YOU EARNED AND THE TYPE OF RESOURCES AS FAR AS BROADBAND OR YOU MAY HAVE HEARD IT AS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, WHAT IS AVAILABLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE IT'S NOT EQUITABLE, WHERE THE ACCESS IS NOT THE SAME, OR EVERYONE HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE SAME INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES IN THE CITY.
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS HERE IN OAK CLIFF AND A FEW OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY, AT THE END OF 2020, THE CITY OF DALLAS RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE CARES ACT TO HELP BEGIN ADDRESSING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
IF YOU VISIT THE BOTTOM, WHICH IS ON THE NORTHEASTERN SIDE, RIGHT SOUTH OF THE
[00:30:04]
TRINITY RIVER, YOU WILL SEE ON DENLEY DRIVE AN EXAMPLE TO BEGIN THE PILOT PROJECT TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.THEY PUT IN NEW STREETLIGHTS, EACH ONE OF THE LIGHTS HAS THE ABILITY TO OFFER WI FI TO THE SURROUNDING HOMES.
THEY'RE PILOTING THIS PROJECT NOW.
BUT HOPEFULLY IF IT GOES WELL, THAT TYPE OF INVESTMENT WE WILL SEE MORE READILY AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO IN THIS ONE, IN THE PINK SECTIONS, YOU WILL SEE AREAS CALLED RECAP.
THESE ARE AREAS CONCENTRATED POVERTY.
THEY'RE HIGH END MINORITY POPULATION AND OVER 50 PERCENT MINORITY POPULATION AND OVER 40 PERCENT OF POVERTY RATE IN EACH ONE OF THOSE CENSUS TRACK AREAS.
AGAIN, YOU WILL SEE A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF THEM IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF THE CITY.
IT'S ALSO CORRELATED WITH THE AMOUNT OF LOAN INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THAT AREA.
SO YOU SEE HIGH MINORITY POPULATION, HIGH POVERTY RATE, AND THEN THAT CORRELATES TO A LOWER AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT BY BANKS FOR LOANS, WHETHER THAT IS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, TO START.
BUT IT'S LOOKING AT HOW ARE OUR BANKING INSTITUTIONS CORRELATING WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WITH HOW THEY INVEST.
AND AGAIN, YOU WILL SEE SIMILAR PATTERNS HERE, LOWER AMOUNTS OF INVESTMENT IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF THE CITY, HIGHER AMOUNTS OF INVESTMENT IN THE NORTHERN SECTOR.
HOW DOES THIS IMPACT RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS? ONE, IT PROHIBITS THEIR ACCESS TO GROW BUSINESSES, TO START BUSINESSES.
IT ALSO LIMITS THEIR ABILITY TO BE INCLUDED IN THE VIBRANT ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMMUNITY THAT IS IN DALLAS.
AND THEN IT LIMITS US FROM THE DIVERSITY OF BUSINESSES AND EXPERTISE THAT WE COULD EXPERIENCE IF ACCESS, IF THESE FUNDS WERE EQUALLY AVAILABLE TO ALL RESIDENTS OF THE CITY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, ON THE ENVIRONMENT SLIDES.
THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS IN OUR WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO CREATE CHANGE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THROUGH EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT.
OUR LATEST PROJECT, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE SOUTHERN GATEWAY PARK PROJECT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT BEING RELEASED SOON.
THIS IS ONE OF THE CONCEPT DESIGNS FOR THE PARK.
ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WHEN WE TALK TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY MENTIONED WAS HAVING ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD, WHICH CORRELATES BACK TO THE LAST PRESENTATION, POSSIBLY HAVING MOBILE MEDICAL CLINICS THAT COULD ACTUALLY COME TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ALSO INCREASING ACCESS TO GREENSPACE AND EVEN HOUSING COMMUNITY RESOURCES THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE BUILDING PORTION OF THE PARK SPACE.
THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE CURRENT INVESTMENTS TO BRING RESOURCES IN TO COMMUNITIES THAT COULD BE USEFUL FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT CURRENTLY LIVE THERE, WE'RE WELCOMING IN OTHER MEMBERS.
ANOTHER POSSIBLE THING THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT IS PRESENT AT SOME OTHER PARKS IS WI FI, WHICH COULD HELP ADDRESS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
BECAUSE HONESTLY, COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE THE EXPERTS IN WHAT IS NEEDED IN THEIR LOCAL ENVIRONMENTS.
WHEN THEY ARE ACTUALLY INCLUDED, AND OFFERED THE ABILITY TO SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE WITH OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERTS IN THE FIELDS OF URBAN PLANNING OR CIVIL ENGINEERING OR ARCHITECTURE.
YOU END UP WITH A MORE ROBUST DESIGN AND SOLUTION FOR THESE COMMUNITIES.
YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT C SUITE CONSULTING ACTUALLY INCORPORATES DEI IN OUR WORK.
THE FIRST THING WE FOCUS ON IS DIVERSITY OF VOICE.
MAKING SURE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AT THE TABLE THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE DISCUSSIONS COME FROM A VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS, VARIETY OF AGES.
HAVE A VARIETY OF VIEWPOINTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INPUT THAT WE'RE COLLECTING AND RECEIVING GIVES US A REAL DIVERSE LOOK AT WHAT IS NEEDED, BUT ALSO DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS THAT COULD BE INCORPORATED AND SUPPORTED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THAT ALSO UNDERLINES THE INCLUSION OF COMMUNITY AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THESE
[00:35:02]
PROJECTS.IN OUR MEETINGS, WE DON'T GO IN WITH COMPLETED AGENDA, WITH A SOLUTION ALREADY IDENTIFIED, WE WORK WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT WE CAN HOLISTICALLY ADDRESS THE ISSUES PRESENT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
WE WANT THINGS THAT NOT ONLY LOOK AT HOUSING, BUT HOW CAN WE ALSO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENT.
WHAT ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT GROWING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT IS INCLUSIVE OF THOSE WHO ALREADY LIVE THERE.
AGAIN, WITH EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT, IT REALLY LOOKS AT USING YOU KNOW, CURRENT INVESTMENT TO REMEDY EXISTING HARMS, EXISTING DISPARITIES, WHETHER THAT BE ENVIRONMENTAL, JUSTICE ISSUES, LACK OF ECONOMIC INVESTMENT OR OTHER SOCIAL DISPARITIES THAT EXIST IN COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN PLACES WHERE PEOPLE OF COLOR LIVE, WHO HAVE HISTORIC PRESENCE OR HISTORIC DISINVESTMENT FROM BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ENTITIES.
AND THEN, AS FAR AS OUR INTERNAL WORKINGS, WE'RE INTENTIONAL IN OUR HIRING PRACTICES.
SO WE LOOK TO MAKE SURE, ALTHOUGH WE'RE OPEN FOR EVERYONE TO WORK WITH US, AND PARTNER WITH US, WE ARE INTENTIONAL ABOUT CREATING SAFE SPACES FOR COLLABORATION FOR OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOR, FOR WOMEN AND OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THEY CAN GROW AND THRIVE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, JUST A WAY FOR YOU TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH US THERE.
TAKE A QUICK PHOTO OF THE QR CODE, IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO OUR WEBSITE.
YOU CAN SHARE ANY OF YOUR THOUGHTS AND SEND US AN E MAIL THERE TO STAY IN TOUCH.
THIS WAS, IT GETS BETTER AND BETTER.
SOME OF THE POINTS, I KNOW WE WILL GET TO IT DURING THE DISCUSSION, JUST LISTENING TO YOU, DR. CARTER, REALLY FOCUS ON COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY IS BROUGHT IN TO ROUNDTABLES, THAT IS KIND OF THE LIMIT AND COMMUNITY HAS TO BE A PART OF THE ACTUAL SOLUTION.
SOLUTIONS CAN'T BE MADE FOR COMMUNITY WITHOUT COMMUNITY AT THE TABLE, AT ALL ASPECTS OF THE DISCUSSION.
SO I THANK YOU FOR REALLY CONCENTRATING ON THAT.
ESPECIALLY AROUND, I NOTED A FEW AREAS, HOUSING, ECONOMICS, EDUCATION, DIGITAL DIVIDE.
THAT TO ME IS AND EMPLOYMENT IN TERMS OF THE LAST POINT, IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING SAFE SPACES, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO DIGGING INTO THAT DEEPER WITH YOU AS WELL WHEN WE GET TO THE TOWN HALL.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU.
SO THAT YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JARED, JARED'S MISSION IS TO UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL IN PEOPLE AND WHERE EVERYONE FEELS VALUED.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE DALLAS REGIONAL CHAMBER.
HE SERVES AS AN ADVISOR FOR A DALLAS BASED START UP.
PREVIOUSLY JARED SERVED AS A SENIOR CULTURE AND HR STRATEGY ADVISOR FOR THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF DALLAS.
HE STARTED HIS CAREER AS A MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT AT PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS, SERVING FORTUNE 100 COMPANIES.
JARED HOLDS A DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CERTIFICATE FROM THE YALE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT.
A BACHELOR'S IN PSYCHOLOGY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.
HE HOLDS THE SENIOR PROFESSIONAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES CHANGE MANAGEMENT PRACTITIONER AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS.
JARED IS ALSO THE FOUNDER OF 50 QUESTIONS BLACK CHILDREN SHOULD ASK THEIR FATHERS, A JOURNAL HE WROTE TO HELP BLACK CHILDREN CONNECT MORE DEEPLY WITH THEIR FATHERS.
JARED GREW UP ALL OVER THE COUNTRY BUT CLAIMS DALLAS TEXAS AS HOME.
HE LOVES TO EXPERIENCE NEW CULTURES, TRAVELLED TO ALL 50 STATES AND OVER 30 COUNTRIES.
WELCOME TO THE PLATFORM AND I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU, JARED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
AND FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE TO SAY I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR KIM.
WHAT SHE DIDN'T SAY WAS SHE WAS A SPEAKER AT AN EVENT THAT I WAS COMING TO AS AN EAGER YOUNG PERSON, TRYING TO SOAK UP AS MUCH INFORMATION AS I COULD.
KIM DROPPED KNOWLEDGE AND STILL DROPS KNOWLEDGE EVERY TIME THAT I HEAR HER SPEAK OR DO ANYTHING.
[00:40:02]
SO PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO BE ON THE STAGE WITH YOU, KIM.BUT ALSO WITH THE OTHER SPEAKERS.
I HAVE BEEN TAKING COPIOUS NOTES.
AND THEN THANK YOU TO DALLAS COLLEGE, FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS, AS WELL AS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY THAT IS HERE LISTENING.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, KIM TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT I AM NOT ORIGINALLY FROM DALLAS.
I LIVED IN DALLAS FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS NOW.
BUT MY ROOTS ARE ACTUALLY, WHERE MY FAMILY IS FROM, GEORGIA AND ALABAMA.
TELL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WHY WE DO THIS WORK.
I WANTED TO SHARE THIS STORY QUICKLY.
I GREW UP HEARING STORIES FROM MY PARENTS ABOUT MY GREAT GRANDPARENTS, WHO WERE CROPPERS IN GEORGIA AND ALABAMA.
I HEARD ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND PROTESTS AND MARCHES IN MONTGOMERY, AND BIRMINGHAM.
BOTH OF MY GRANDMOTHERS WERE TEACHERS.
SO MY PARENTS INSTILLED IN ME THE VALUE OF EDUCATION, KNOWING YOUR HISTORY.
I REMEMBER BEING FOUR OR FIVE YEARS OLD AND PREPARING FOR SCHOOL AND MY MOTHER TELLING ME THAT PEOPLE WOULD TREAT ME DIFFERENTLY SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN.
SHE MADE IT CLEAR THAT GROWING UP I WOULD HAVE TO WORK TWICE AS HARD TO GET HALF AS FAR.
THAT I WOULD HAVE TO FIGHT JUST FOR MY RIGHT TO EXIST.
AND SO I POINT TO ANYONE THING, I SUPPOSE THAT YOU COULD SAY THAT EDUCATION AS A CHILD IS REALLY MY INITIAL SPARK TO WANTING TO DO THE WORK IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
NOW, I DID GROW UP ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
I GREW UP IN A MILITARY FAMILY.
I WAS EXPOSED TO A LOT OF DIVERSITY THROUGHOUT MY CHILDHOOD.
WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON FOR COLLEGE, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SO WHEN I FIRST ENTERED THE WORKING WORLD, AFTER COLLEGE, MY FIRST OFFICE JOB, I WAS ONE OF A HANDSFUL OF PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME IN THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION.
AND I STILL REMEMBER ON MY FIRST DAY BEING CALLED IN TO THE OFFICE AND A VERY SENIOR LEADER TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD NOT WEAR THE BLUE SHIRT THAT I HAD ON.
AND THAT I SHOULD ONLY WEAR WHITE SHIRTS GOING FORWARD.
WHEN I ASKED HIM WHY, HE SAID THAT WHITE, AND I QUOTE, WHITE WAS THE COLOR OF BUSINESS.
NOW, HE PROBABLY DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE THE MICRO AGGRESSION, BUT IT STARTED SOMETHING INSIDE OF ME THAT SAID THIS ISN'T RIGHT.
FAST FORWARD THROUGH SEVERAL OTHER JOBS, I KEPT SEEING THIS LACK OF DIVERSITY IN LEADERSHIP.
IF I DID SEE INITIATIVES OR PROGRAMS, IT TYPICALLY WAS TO CHECK A BOX AND TO SAY THAT WE WERE DOING SOMETHING AS OPPOSED TO ACTUALLY WANTING TO SEE IMPACT.
I MADE THE CAREER DECISION TO ALIGN MY WORK WITH MY LARGER PURPOSE.
THAT IS WHY I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT I GET TO DO NOW.
I LOVE BEING ABLE TO DO IT WITH THE DALLAS REGIONAL CHAMBER.
I ACTUALLY, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS THIS WEEK, THAT LAST WEEK WAS THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD, WHICH I THINK FOR A LOT OF COMPANIES KICKED OFF THIS CATALYST FOR DOING MORE WORK IN THIS AREA.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR'S INVOLVEMENT IS, I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD AND SPURRED MANY COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY HERE IN DALLAS, A LOT OF OUR MEMBERS, WE HAVE MANY OF THE BIG COMPANIES AS OUR MEMBERS OF THE DRC, SPURRED THEM INTO ACTION, IF THEY WEREN'T ALREADY DOING THIS WORK.
SO WE, YOU CAN MOVE ON TO THE YOU CAN PULL UP THE SLIDES, IF YOU CAN.
I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING ON MY SCREEN.
YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE TOOK IT UPON OURSELVES TO NOT LET THE MOMENT PASS.
100 OF OUR MEMBERS, THESE ARE SOME BIG MEMBERS, AT&T, TOYOTAS, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS.
THEY ALL SIGN ON 100 OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS SIGNED ON TO THIS PLEDGE THAT SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS AS A MOMENT IN TIME, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
SO WE HAD ALREADY THREE PILLARS, WE HAD, OR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, I SHOULD SAY.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE, PUBLIC POLICY.
MY FAVORITE, DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
WHAT THAT REALLY SAID WAS WE TAKE THIS AS A PERMANENT CALL TO ACTION.
WE'RE GOING TO PUT THIS COMMITMENT OUT THERE AND THEN WE MOVE ON AND GO ABOUT OUR BUSINESS.
I THINK MANY COMPANIES MADE COMMITMENTS, DONATED DOLLARS.
[00:45:05]
OUT OF THE FORTUNE 500, THERE WAS LIKE $35 BILLION COMMITTED OVER THE LAST YEAR TO RACIAL EQUITY OR DIVERSITY INCLUSION AND INVESTED.BUT REALLY THERE WASN'T AS MUCH INTERNAL CHANGE AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE.
AND SO BY ADDING THIS AS ONE OF OUR PILLARS, WE WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO OUR MEMBERS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE PUSHING FOR THEM AND HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO.
SO YOU CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THESE ARE THE SENIOR LEADERS OF ALL OF THESE COMPANIES.
WE FOCUSED IN ON FOUR PRIORITIES.
DIVERSITY IN LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION IN WORKFORCE, COMMUNITY INVESTMENT IN UNDER SERVED AREAS AND POLICING AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICIES.
NOW, FULL DISCLOSURE THE DRC IS NEWER TO THIS WORK.
BUT MANY OF OUR MEMBERS, INCLUDING SOME OF THE ONES I MENTIONED EARLIER HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR A LONG TIME.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THE BENEFIT OF WHAT THEY HAD, BUT ALSO TALK TO PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN DOING THIS IN THE COMMUNITY TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY AND TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE COULD BEST ENGAGE TO ENSURE THAT WE MADE POSITIVE CHANGE.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU KNOW, COMPANIES WILL COME IN, SAVIOR MENTALITY AND SAY WELL, WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM.
BUT THEY DIDN'T ACTUALLY TALK TO ANYBODY.
THAT WAS WHAT KIM WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
THEY DIDN'T TALK TO ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO SERVE.
WE SPENT A GOOD AMOUNT OF OUR TIME UNDERSTANDING DALLAS'S HISTORY INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM, WHICH REALLY SPANS OVER A CENTURY, FROM YOU KNOW, DALLAS BEING THE FIRST CITY IN TEXAS, TO ALLOW RACIAL HOUSING SEGREGATION, DALLAS BEING A HOT BED FOR THE KKK IN THE 1920S.
I MEAN, RED LINING, ILLEGAL DUMPING, WHICH WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH TODAY TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
WE DISCUSSED HOW THE HISTORY OF THOSE MOMENTS IN TIME.
AND THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAD IN CREATING SOME OF THAT SOME OF THE BARRIERS THAT LED TO WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
I'M GOING TO WALK THROUGH SOME OF THESE THINGS.
BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE ALREADY SHORT ON TIME.
SO IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO READ OUR ONE YEAR PROGRESS UPDATE.
WE WILL POST A LINK TO THAT IN THE CHAT.
I'M GOING TO HIT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND ALSO WHAT OTHER COMPANIES ARE DOING TOWARDS THE END OF OUR SESSION TODAY.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY AND LEADERSHIP, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BOARDS AND C SUITES.
MORE DIVERSITY IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS OR EXECUTIVE LEVELS IMPACTS THE BOTTOM LINE.
DIVERSE LEADERS MAKE LEADERSHIP TEAMS, EXCUSE ME, MAKE BETTER DECISIONS.
THERE IS A FORBES STUDY THAT SHOWED WHEN YOU HAVE MORE GENDER AGE AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY ON YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, YOU MAKE BETTER DECISIONS 87 PERCENT OF THE TIME.
JUST BY ITSELF IS LET'S DO THAT.
DIVERSE EXECUTIVE TEAMS ARE MORE INNOVATIVE.
BCG HAS A STUDY, SHOWED WHEN YOU HAVE A DIVERSE LEADERSHIP TEAM, YOU ACHIEVE 19 PERCENT HIGHER REVENUES.
GREATER INNOVATION LEADS TO YOU BRINGING BETTER PRODUCTS TO MARKET OR BEING MORE IN TUNE WHAT YOUR CUSTOMER BASE IS.
AND THEN COMPANIES THAT HAVE AGAIN MORE DIVERSE LEADERSHIP TEAMS ARE JUST IN GENERAL MORE PROFITABLE.
MCKENZIE HAS A STUDY, COMPANIES THAT HAS MORE ETHNICALLY DIVERSE EXECUTIVE TEAMS, 33 PERCENT MORE LIKELY TO OUTPERFORM THEIR PEERS.
IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THOSE THINGS, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE MORE STATES, TEN STATES THAT HAVE ENACTED, CONSIDERING LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE DIVERSITY ON CORPORATE BOARDS.
AND THE NASDAQ PUT FORTH A PROPOSAL, THIS COMPANY WANTS TO BE LISTED IN THEIR EXCHANGE, THAT THEY HAVE TO SHOW DIVERSITY IN THEIR BOARDS.
SO ALL THAT TO SAY, ONE OF OUR TASKS WAS TO WALK THE TALK, BETTER UNDERSTANDING
[00:50:06]
OUR OWN LEADERSHIP DIVERSITY AND MANY OF OUR COMPANIES ARE DOING THIS EXERCISE TOO.SO TO THAT END, WE COMPLETED OUR FIRST BOARD DIVERSITY SURVEY.
OUR NEXT STEP IS REALLY TO DEVELOP GOALS AROUND HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT OUR YOU KNOW BOARD REFLECTS THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE WITHIN OUR NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS.
ANOTHER ONE OF OUR EARLY GOALS, YOU KNOW, WE IDENTIFIED IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2020, THERE WAS THIS PROLIFERATION OF NEW D&I ROLES AT MANY OF OUR COMPANIES.
THEY WERE JUST BEGINNING IN THEIR JOURNEY.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE ROLES WERE A TEAM OF ONE, OR THEY DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A DEDICATED NETWORK.
WE WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT TO THEM.
WE WANTED TO PROVIDE A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT TO HELP THEM THRIVE.
SO WE LAUNCHED THAT COMMUNITY CALLED DEI LEADERS CONNECT.
IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE HAD 30 COMPANIES PARTICIPATE IN OUR FIRST MEETING.
WE HAVE MEETINGS EVERY OTHER MONTH.
THE THINGS THAT THEY CARE ABOUT THE MOST ARE DEVELOPING UNDER REPRESENTED TALENT, INCREASING DIVERSITY IN LEADERSHIP AND THEN MEASURING AND ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF THEIR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND EQUITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES.
BUT THOSE WERE ALSO THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES.
HOW DO YOU MEASURE THESE THINGS.
HOW DO YOU INCREASE THEIR LEADERSHIP DIVERSITY, WHEN YOU MAY NOT HAVE THAT PIPELINE IN THE ORGANIZATION.
START BY GETTING THOSE GROUPS IN THE ORGANIZATION TO START WITH.
AND THEN GETTING LEADERSHIP BUY IN.
YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES IT'S TOUGH TO GET BUDGET DOLLARS OR RESOURCES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WORK, WHEN YOU CAN'T SHOW THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
SO YOU KNOW, THAT IS A BIG AREA OF FOCUS FOR US.
AND THIS IS AN OPEN INVITATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE ON THE CALL WHO ARE A DEI LEADER, WE HAVE OUR NEXT MEETING ON JUNE 8TH, NEXT TUESDAY.
ANOTHER FOCUS OF OURS HAS BEEN INFUSING D&I INTO OUR LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS. WE HAVE LAUNCHED A NEW SCHOLARSHIP FOR LEADERSHIP, ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS IS CALLED LEADERSHIP DALLAS, ANY APPLICANTS FOR THAT PROGRAM WHO ARE FROM WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UNDERESTIMATED BACKGROUNDS INSTEAD OF UNDER REPRESENTED.
WHO MIGHT NEED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO PARTICIPATE.
TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME FOOTING.
GOES TO THE EQUITY PIECE AS WELL.
AND THEN ALSO HELPING TO MITIGATE BIAS AND PROMOTE EQUITY IN OUR APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE ARE WORKING WITH ONE OF OUR MEMBERS TO DEVELOP A HIRING TOOL KIT TO INCREASE DIVERSITY IN TECH WORKFORCE JOBS.
HOW DO YOU SOURCE, HOW YOU HIRE FROM MORE DIVERSE POOLS, AS WELL AS WHAT TOOLS COULD YOU BE USING TO ENSURE THAT YOUR PROCESS IS AS INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE PLAN TO COMPLETE THAT IN EARLY AUGUST.
SO WE'RE DOING A LOT IN DIVERSITY AND LEADERSHIP.
I'M GOING TO MOVE QUICKLY THROUGH EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE.
THIS IS AN AREA THAT THE DRC HAS BEEN WORKING IN FOR A WHILE, SEVERAL YEARS.
40 POINT ACHIEVEMENT GAP BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE STUDENTS IN TERMS OF THEIR TESTING AND 30 PERCENT ACHIEVEMENT GAP BETWEEN WHITE AND HISPANIC STUDENTS.
WE KNOW IT MEANS A LESS OPPORTUNITY TO GETTING THE POST SECONDARY DEGREE.
SO WE HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED DALLAS THRIVES.
THE COALITION OF EMPLOYERS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, THAT IS REALLY FOCUSED ON DOUBLING THE LIVING WAGE ATTAINMENT FOR ADULTS FROM 18 TO 34, FROM ONE AND FOUR TO ONE IN TWO BY 2040.
WE'RE SERVING AS A CONVENER FOR A NATIONAL COALITION CALLED 110.
THAT IS REALLY FOCUSED ON HIRING UPSCALING ONE MILLION BLACK INDIVIDUALS IN AMERICA OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY THERE, WE'VE LED A STATE WIDE COALITION, DURING THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WHICH JUST ENDED, TO RELEASE THE FEDERAL STIMULUS DOLLARS FOR FUNDING IN PUBLIC AND HIGHER EDUCATION, WHICH WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN.
COMMUNITY INVESTMENT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK TO DO.
WHEN WE SAY UNDER SERVED AREAS, WE'RE PRIMARILY TALKING ABOUT SOUTHERN
[00:55:05]
DALLAS COUNTY.SO THE BIGGEST FOCUS THERE IS ON BRINGING MORE LIVING WAGE JOB TO DALLAS, THROUGH CORPORATE RELOCATIONS AND EXPANSIONS.
WE'RE FOCUSED ON WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO PROMOTE SMALL BUSINESS, MARKET SOUTHERN DALLAS COUNTY AS A PLACE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
SO YOU KNOW, I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THE STATS.
I THINK SOME OF THE SPEAKERS HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF HIGHLIGHTING THE DISPARITY.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS WE HAVE REALLY TAKEN TO HEART THE WORDS THAT YOU CAN'T BUILD IN THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE HAVE MET WITH MANY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND AGAIN, WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS THAT WE CAN PRIORITIZE THE DOLLARS, TIME INVESTMENT, POLITICAL INVESTMENT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR INTO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PRODUCING IMPACT.
SO WE MET WITH INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES PROJECT.
WE'VE GIVEN YOU KNOW, $250,000 TO DIFFERENT I THINK 12 DIFFERENT NON PROFITS IN SOUTHERN DALLAS COUNTY.
AND SO AGAIN, DOING A LOT THERE.
THE BIGGEST THING THAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT IS THE DIVERSITY PUSH, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE HIGHLIGHTING SMALL MINORITY OWNED, WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES ON OUR NEW SOUTHERN DALLAS COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE WEBSITE.
WHICH AGAIN, THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE LAUNCH LATER IN THE SUMMER, OUR PLAN WAS HOPEFULLY TO LAUNCH IN JUNE.
THE LAST THING THAT WE FOCUSED ON, POLICING AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICIES, TYPICALLY THE ONE WHERE EVERYBODY IS LIKE THE DRC IS FOCUSED ON POLICING? YES.
THIS IS A CHALLENGING ONE BECAUSE IT'S AN AREA THAT WE'VE NOT REALLY BEEN INVOLVED IN BEFORE.
BUT MANY OF OUR COMPANIES ARE.
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS HAS REALLY BEEN LEADING THE CHARGE HERE.
WE'VE BROUGHT IN SPEAKERS FROM THE CHILD POVERTY ACTION LAB.
WE MET WITH CHIEF HALL, BEFORE SHE STEPPED DOWN.
WE BUILT A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH CHIEF GARCIA.
WE RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEMS. OVERPOLICING IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
DISINVESTMENT IN SOUTHERN DALLAS.
HIGHER JUVENILE DETENTION RATES.
THE CASH BAIL SYSTEM SPECIFICALLY KEEPS BLACK AND HISPANIC RESIDENTS IN JAIL BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD BAIL.
THERE IS A HIGHER NUMBER OF ARRESTS.
LEADING TO A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF RECIDIVISM ONCE PEOPLE GET OUT.
ON THIS AREA, WE'VE FOCUSED IN ON THE POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE ASPECT OF WHAT WE DO.
SO WE SENT A LETTER TO GOVERNOR ABBOTT WITH 37 OF OUR MEMBERS ADVOCATING FOR POLICE REFORM AND INCREASED TRAINING AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE DROPPED A CARD IN SUPPORT OF SEVERAL PIECES OF LEGISLATION, GEORGE FLOYD ACT.
BACK THE BLUE ACT, PLEASED TO SAY MADE IT THROUGH.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THE IMPACT THAT WILL HAVE.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE FOCUSED ON IS MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS BUSINESS REPRESENTATION ON OUR TEXAS COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AGAIN, ENSURING THAT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS A VOICE AND SO THAT WE CAN START TO HE INFORM SOME OF THE CHANGES.
MATT, IF YOU WANT TO GO ON TO THE LAST SLIDE HERE.
ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED, WE DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE ANOTHER VIRTUAL EVENT WHERE YOU GET TALKED AT FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF.
WE WANTED TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE BUSINESS COMMUNITY PARTNERS MEET, STRATEGIZE.
WE WILL HAVE A SPEAKER, AMY LIU, VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTE.
SHE TALKS ABOUT HOW CEOS CAN ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY IN THEIR ECONOMY.
SO SHE IS GOING TO EXPLAIN THAT FRAMEWORK.
SHE IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DATA FROM THE BROOKINGS METRO MONITOR AROUND INCLUSION HERE IN DFW.
BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE EVENT WILL BE WHAT WE ARE CALLING A COMMUNITY COLLECTIONS EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE LITERALLY OPENING THE FLOOR TO HAVE LIVE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN
[01:00:05]
BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER.SO WE WILL BE CURATING SOME OF THOSE WHERE WE KNOW THERE IS ALIGNMENT ON FOCUS AREAS.
ESSENTIALLY LETTING THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND COMPANIES COME TOGETHER AND KNOW, HEY, Y'ALL SHOULD TALK.
BUT THEN WE WANT TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE ORGANIC CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING TOO.
SO AGAIN, WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS GROUP HERE AT THAT EVENT.
I FEEL LIKE THAT IS THE ONE WAY THAT WE CAN START TO MAKE THIS CHANGE, IF WE'RE ACTUALLY ALL GETTING PEOPLE IN THE SAME ROOM.
I HAVE TALKED LONGER THAN I EXPECTED.
BUT I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, KIM.
I DEFINITELY WANT TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE JUNE 8TH EVENT.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP ABOUT THE CASH BAIL SYSTEM.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE MOST OVERLOOKED TOPICS WHEN IT COMES TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
AND MANY PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE FOUND GUILTY PRETRIAL AND IT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD CASH BAIL AND THEY ENTER INTO PLEA AGREEMENTS.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED OFTEN FALL INTO THAT POOL.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO ASKING YOU A FEW ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO CAPPING OUT ON THE TOWN HALL.
SO NEXT WE HAVE LIZ PERERA, SHE IS THE CHIEF EQUITY INCLUSION FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SHE IS AN ATTORNEY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL AND HAS EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP OVERSIGHT OF THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENT TO QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY, RESILIENCE EQUITY HUMAN RIGHTS.
THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND 311 CUSTOMER SERVICE.
LIZ WAS THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF DALLAS'S OFFICE OF WELCOMING COMMUNITIES AND IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS, MARCH OF 2017.
IN THAT CAPACITY, SHE LED THE COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROCESS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY WELCOMING PLAN FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS THAT WAS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN 2018 AND LED TO THE CITY BEING CERTIFIED WELCOMING COMMUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY DRIVEN AND HOLISTIC APPROACH TO IMMIGRANT INCLUSION AND INCORPORATION.
PRIOR TO JOINING, LIZ SERVED AS THE PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AS A SENIOR ADVISOR FOR IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOM ENFORCEMENT, SHE FOCUSED ON ADVANCING HUMANE IMPLEMENTATION OF IMMIGRATION POLICIES.
ADDITIONALLY, LIZ OVERSAW THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO FOSTER TRUST AND IMPROVE RELATIONS IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
LIZ HAS 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL IN LAW, POLICY DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
SHE IS MARRIED TO OSCAR, AN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER.
TO THAT, WELCOME TO THE PLATFORM, WELCOME TO THE STAGE, LIZ.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE TO SHARE WITH US.
AGAIN, THANKS, KIM AND THANKS TO DALLAS COLLEGES FOR HOLDING THIS CANDID CONVERSATION PLATFORM.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
I WANTED TO START BY SAYING THAT YES, I SERVE AS THE CHIEF OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION, DIDN'T COME TO THIS ROLE YOU KNOW, WITH A DIRECT PATHWAY TOWARD THIS POSITION, BUT RATHER A LOT OF TWISTS AND TURNS IN MY CAREER, THAT HAVE LED ME TO MY SEAT.
WHICH I'M VERY BLESSED TO HOLD, TO HOPEFULLY WORK WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE IN THE PLATFORM TO ACHIEVE LONG TERM EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
I ALSO WAS ASKED, I DON'T KNOW IF THE SLIDES ARE ABLE TO COME UP, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY FRAMEWORK, WHERE I'M FROM, MY ORIENTATION, ET CETERA.
SO PUTTING A SPIN ON THE LATINX EXPERIENCE, IF YOU WILL, IN THIS PRESENTATION, SO BOTH MY FOLKS WERE BORN IN DALLAS IN THE '40S.
MY DAD, JESSIE, HE WAS BORN IN LITTLE MEXICO.
THEY MET AT SPENCE MIDDLE SCHOOL, IN THE UPTOWN AREA NOW.
I USED THE PRONOUN SHE, AS A MEXICAN AMERICAN WOMAN FROM TEXAS, TEXAS AS MANY OF YOU
[01:05:09]
KNOW CAME FROM THE WORD MEANING FRIENDS OR ALLIES.I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ANCESTRAL LANDS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE FOR MANY MANY YEARS PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVAL.
AND ALSO DUE TO LONG TERM GENOCIDE, OUR COMMUNITY OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, WICHITA, AND OTHER NATIONS, NO LONGER HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL PRESENCE HERE IN OUR AREA.
AND SOME OF THEM, SOME MEMBERS OF THE TRIBES WERE ABLE TO COME TO DALLAS, EAST DALLAS, AS A PART OF AN URBANIZATION PROGRAM IN THE INDIAN RELOCATION ACT IN THE 1960S.
SO THANK YOU TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS FROM NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES WHO CONTINUE TO FORGE A PATH OF RESILIENCE AND LONG TERM RESILIENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, HAVE DEFINITELY IMPACTED THE WAY I LOOK AT THINGS.
IT WAS DURING THE AREA OF THE 1960S THAT MY PARENTS WERE BUILDING LIVES AND HAVING CHILDREN IN DALLAS, I HAVE FOUR BROTHERS.
THERE WAS AN INFRASTRUCTURE OF OPPORTUNITY FORMING FOR THEM IN DALLAS IN THE LATE 60S.
MY DAD HAD A DECENT LIVING AS AN ELECTRICIAN.
MY MOM WAS A WONDERFUL HOMEMAKER.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LONG TERM MORTGAGE.
IN FACT, THEY HAD A SHORT TERM MORTGAGE, PAID IT WITHIN A MATTER OF YEARS, BUY ANOTHER ONE.
SENT THEIR KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOL.
I AM PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION TO PROVIDE FOR YOU THE FACT THAT TIMING SEEMED TO BE GOOD FOR THEM.
BECAUSE OF CIVIL RIGHTS TRANSFORMATIONS IN SOCIETY AT THE TIME, THEY WERE ONGOING.
SO I SEE MY WORK AT THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY WHERE I LIVE AND HAS BEEN RAISED AS A CONTINUITY OF THE WORK OF MY GRANDPARENTS AND THE WORK OF MY PARENTS.
SO THAT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES WITH CONTINUE TO GROW AND THRIVE AND CALL DALLAS HOME.
SO I WANTED TO ALSO JUST RECOGNIZE DR. RINCON, DR. CARTER AND JARED, FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK AND INSPIRATION.
I SEE THAT DR. RINCON MENTION THAT HE WAS A MAN OF NUMBERS AND COMES FROM HIS WORK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THAT.
I WANTED TO JUST PROVIDE THAT FRAMEWORK, AND THE NEXT SLIDE SORT OF SPEAKS TO KEY PARADIGM SHIFTS AT LEAST IN MY LIFETIME THAT HAVE INFLUENCED I THINK OUR CULTURE AND SOCIAL LIFE HERE IN DALLAS.
AS YOU SEE FROM THE TOP PICTURE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN, THE DESEGREGATION STARTED THE YEAR I WAS BORN.
A CASE BROUGHT BY TASBY, WHOSE KIDS COULD NOT GO TO SCHOOL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
HE SOUGHT THE ASSISTANCE THE LEGAL SYSTEM AND FILED A CASE, WE KNOW ABOUT THE CASE OF BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION, 1954.
SOME OF US KNOW ABOUT MENDEZ VERSUS WESTMINSTER, WHICH PRE DATED BROWN.
THAT WAS DECIDED THAT IT WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL OF COURSE, TO KEEP KIDS SEPARATED IN THEIR EDUCATIONS.
BUT IT WOULD TAKE YOU KNOW, THIS GENTLEMAN, WHO I WANT TO RECOGNIZE, HE DIED NOT TOO LONG AGO, THE FATHER OF SIX, MR. SAM TASBY TO FILE A LAWSUIT AGAINST OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
REPRESENTED BY A 25 YEAR OLD LAWYER NAMED ED.
THEY JOINED CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS, NAACP, OTHER CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS.
YOU CAN FIND THE ARCHIVES OF THIS CASE, SMU, WHERE JUDGE BAREFOOT SANDSERS LEFT HIS MATERIALS.
IT PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT LEGAL RESOURCE OF WHAT WENT ON AT THAT TIME, WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT IS AT THE TIME AND WHAT CAN BE.
BUT MANY YEARS TO GET TO THE DESEGREGATION IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
[01:10:05]
IN FACT, THE CASE DIDN'T CONCLUDE UNTIL JUNE OF 2003, WHEN JUDGE SANDERS GRANTED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S MOTION TO DISMISS.STATING THAT SEGREGATION PROHIBITED BY THE U.S.
AND I HAVE BEEN A PRODUCT OF DISD.
I FIRMLY BELIEVE IN THE EDUCATION THAT IS OFFERED BY OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
BUT DID NOT GET THERE WITHOUT CHALLENGES.
THERE IS ALSO THE CASE OF PLYLER V.
DOE, FOREIGN DOCUMENTED FAMILIES DIDN'T HAVE THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS, LEGAL DEFENSE FUND CHALLENGED A TEXAS LAW THAT WAS PASSED IN 1975.
SO AT THAT TIME, THE TEXAS LAW SAID THAT LOCAL SCHOOLS HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DENY ENROLLMENT TO UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS.
SO SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE REQUIRED TO CHARGE THEM TUITION IF THEY WERE TO BE EDUCATED IN THE SYSTEMS. THAT COURT CASE RESULTED IN A SUPREME COURT CASE THAT WAS A LANDMARK DECISION, STRUCK DOWN THE TEXAS LAW WHICH GUARANTEED THAT ALL CHILDREN, REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS HAVE THE RIGHT TO A FREE K THROUGH 12 PUBLIC IMMIGRATION.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT LINE OF CASES, YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE IN YOUR OWN TRUSTEE, DIANE A FLORES, WHO HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE CHAMPION FOR EXTENDING THE BREADTH OF THAT CASE TO INCLUDE DALLAS COLLEGE STUDENTS, AS A RESULT OF TEXAS LAW, WHICH RECOGNIZES THAT STUDENTS WHO RESIDE IN TEXAS SHOULD RECEIVE THE SAME SORT OF TUITION THAT STUDENTS WHO DID NOT LET ME BACK THAT UP.
STUDENTS WHO RESIDE IN TEXAS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SHOULD RECEIVE THE SAME SORTS OF TUITION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AS ALL OTHER STUDENTS.
SO AGAIN, ANOTHER SHIFT IN CULTURE THAT OCCURRED IN MORE RECENT TIMES WAS THE DALLAS IMMIGRATION RALLY OF 2006.
IN THAT INSTANCE, IF YOU WERE AROUND AT THAT TIME, YOU KNEW THAT IT WAS A PRETTY SPECIAL MOMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY, OVER WHAT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE A HALF A MILLION PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, VERY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, CAME OUT TOGETHER, TO PROTEST SOME ANTI IMMIGRANT LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED BY THE U.S.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MARCHES WERE HELD IN CITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
AND ONE OF THE LARGEST, PERHAPS THE LARGEST IN OUR CITY'S HISTORY TOOK PLACE IN DALLAS.
I WAS EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT WITH MY OWN SON.
THE LEGISLATION DID NOT ULTIMATELY PASS CONGRESS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT WE CAME AWAY FROM THAT UNIQUE EXPERIENCE, WHICH WAS VERY PEACEFUL, RIGHTEOUS DEMONSTRATION OF PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO STAND UP FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, CAME AWAY FROM THAT EXPERIENCE A MORE WELCOMING INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY.
YOU PROBABLY ALREADY ALL KNOW THIS, SO THAT YOU HAVE IT, THE RACIAL AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND OF OUR CITY, WHERE WE KNOW THAT WE ARE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY, AND IN FACT, IN 1970, WHEN THE TASBY CASE WAS FIRST FILED, THE COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICS LOOKED VERY DIFFERENT.
THE HISPANIC POPULATION MAKES UP ABOUT 42 PERCENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
ALSO, OUR HERITAGE IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY IS MOSTLY MEXICAN AMERICAN.
BUT ALSO OTHER LATINO ETHNICITIES REPRESENTED, PUERTO RICANS, CUBANS, COLUMBIANS, LIKE MY HUSBAND.
AND A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE FOREIGN BORN POPULATION, ABOUT ALMOST HALF OF THE LATINO POPULATION THAT LIVES IN THE CITY OF DALLAS IS FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOW SHIFT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR EQUITY WORK AT THE CITY.
SO AT THE CITY, WE HAVE THIS TAG LINE THAT WE USE THAT EQUITY IS EVERYONE'S WORK.
IT IS NOT ABOUT LOOKING AT ONE PROJECT OR AN INITIATIVE, IT'S REALLY ABOUT A MINDSET, LIKE JARED SAID, HE USED THE TERM UNDER ESTIMATED RATHER THAN
[01:15:02]
UNDER REPRESENTED, TO TALK ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO NEED THAT, NEED NOT TO BE UNDERESTIMATED BECAUSE OF WHERE WE MIGHT COME FROM OR THE LANGUAGE THAT WE SPEAK OR ANY OTHER OF OUR INTERSECTING, OUR ABILITIES, ET CETERA.IT'S A SHIFT IN MINDSET HOW WE LOOK AT THINGS AT THE CITY.
OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW YEARS, STARTING WITH REALLY THE CITY MANAGER, TC, WHERE COMING FROM TACOMA WASHINGTON AND SAYING WE'RE GOING TO AMPLIFY THE IDEA OF EQUITY.
WE'RE GOING TO START BY CREATING VALUES ABOUT WHAT WE STAND FOR AS A CITY.
AND WORKING WITH HIS TEAM AT THAT TIME, INCLUDED EQUITY IN OUR VALUE OF SERVICE.
IN THAT, WE WERE DEVELOPING A RESILIENCE STRATEGY.
WE SAID WELL, IN ORDER TO BE A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE CAN THRIVE, WE NEED TO START SHIFTING THE WAY WE SEE THINGS AND LOOK AT IT FROM AN EQUITY PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS TRIED TO WORK ALONG THE CONTINUUM OF NORMALIZING, ORGANIZING AND OPERATIONALIZING.
NORMALIZING IS A SHARED ANALYSIS, DEFINITION, A SENSE OF URGENCY AROUND EQUITY EFFORTS, AS PREVIOUS SPEAKERS HAVE SAID, LOOKING AT OUR TERMS, LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS, LOOKING AT DATA IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
ORGANIZING, MEANING BUILDING THE INTERNAL STRUCTURES AND PARTNERSHIPS.
SO NOW WE HAVE AN OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
WITHIN THAT OFFICE THAT I HELP OVERSEE, WE HAVE FIVE DIVISIONS.
THOSE FIVE DIVISIONS CONSIST OF RESILIENCE, FAIR HOUSING, HUMAN RIGHTS, WELCOMING COMMUNITIES AND IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS AND EQUITY.
TOGETHER THEY WORK TOGETHER TO ADVANCE EQUITY IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
BECAUSE AS WAS PREVIOUSLY STATED, WE DON'T SEE THIS WORK AS BEING SOMETHING INSULATED, BUT RATHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BEING AT THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID.
OPERATIONALIZING MEANS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO THE GOOD WORK OF THE PH.D.S WHO ARE ON THIS CALL, TO DATA ANALYSTS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR TEAM, TO LOOK AT DISAGGREGATED DATA, TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES AND DRIVE OUTCOMES USING TOOLS.
I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT A TOOL DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC.
SO DATA ANALYSIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT IN THE EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING AT THE CITY WITH OUR OFFICE OF EQUITY INCLUSION.
WE SEE IT AS THE FIRST STEP OF OUR INTENTIONAL AND INCLUSIVE EFFORTS TO DEPLOY RESOURCES AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS WITH AN EQUITY LENS.
AS I SAID, WE EMPHASIZE THE NEED TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, TO PROVIDE QUALITATIVE DATA, THAT SPECIFIES THE NEEDS OF EACH PERSON'S COMMUNITY.
AS WE KNOW, AS HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY STATED, WE KNOW FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE, DALLAS IS DIVERSE, VIBRANT, TRUE SENSE OF COMMUNITY, AND MANY OF OUR DALLAS NEIGHBORHOODS, WE HAVE A GROWING ECONOMY.
SO HOW DO WE KNOW THAT RESEARCH ALSO SHOWS THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE DISPARITIES ALONG RACIAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC LINES THAT HINDER OUR THRIVING.
I'M GOING TO DROP IT IN THE LINE FOR YOU THERE.
IT HELPS US SEE THINGS FROM A BROAD PERSPECTIVE OF HOW WE ARE FARING AS A CITY IN TERMS OF YOUR EQUITY, ALONG FIVE LINES, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, JUSTICE IN GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, PUBLIC HEALTH, NEIGHBORHOOD AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO, BUT WE'RE TIEING OUR MEASUREMENTS FOR SUCCESS ACROSS MULTIPLE PARTNERSHIPS IN THE CITY WITH EQUITY INDICATORS.
SO LET'S SAY NEIGHBORHOOD AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE KNOW THAT CERTAIN PARTS OF OUR CITIES STILL NEED ACCESS TO RUNNING WATER.
WHEN WE HAVE MONEYS AVAILABLE TO DEPLOY, WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT FROM AN INEQUITY LENS, KNOWING THAT HOW DO WE ADDRESS THOSE GAPS, WELL, LOOKING AT AN EQUITY LENS, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THOSE AREAS ARE THAT NEED WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
SAME TO THE POINT THAT WAS RAISED EARLIER ABOUT DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, LOOKING AT WHERE THERE ARE GAPS TO ACCESS TO FIBER, ACCESS TO WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS AND HOW WE, AS A CITY, AND A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND A COMMUNITY CAN PUT OUR RESOURCES TOGETHER, TO MEND THOSE GAPS.
AND SO THAT REPRESENTS WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT AN EQUITY IMPACT
[01:20:08]
ANALYSIS.IT'S A TOOL THAT WE MODELLED AFTER KING COUNTY WASHINGTON, THREE MAIN FACTORS THAT AFFECT VULNERABILITY TO COVID 19, WHICH INCLUDE RACE AND ETHNICITY, ECONOMIC STATUS AND AGE.
THIS TOOL IS DESIGNED TO HELP OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, EXTERNAL DEPARTMENTS AS WELL, TO ASSESS THE OVERALL VULNERABILITY OF SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE CITY BY COMBINING THESE THREE KEY RISK FACTORS.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY KEY AREAS OF THE CITY THAT WERE AT HIGH RISK AND MOST VULNERABLE FOR PROLONGED HARDSHIPS FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC.
AS AN EXAMPLE, WE USE THIS TOOL TO SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS EXTERNAL TASK FORCES LIKE THE BLACK COVID TASK FORCE THAT HAVE DEVELOPED DURING THE TIME OF THE PANDEMIC, THE DEPLOYMENT OF TESTING SITES AND MOBILE TESTING SITES TO REACH RESIDENTS THAT LACK TRANSPORTATIONS OR OTHER MEANS OF MOBILITY.
DISTRIBUTION OF FACE COVERINGS, TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
DESIGNING OUR DIGITAL NAVIGATORS PROGRAM AND BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, YOU HEARD ONE OF OUR PILOT PROGRAMS THAT HAS BEEN STOOD UP IN OUR COMMUNITY, USING IT TO DEPLOY EVICTION ASSISTANCE AND CREATING THE FIRST CITY EVICTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, TO IDENTIFY AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY SEEN AS SUB STANDARD HOUSING.
THIS IS JUST SOME EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'RE USING EQUITY TOOLS TO APPLY INTERVENTIONS THAT CAN HELP US MOVE TOWARD MORE RESOURCE DEPLOYMENT WITH EQUITY LENS.
SO FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO END BY RECOGNIZING OUR CITY COUNCIL, ON MARCH 24TH, THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL PASSES THE CITY'S FIRST RACIAL EQUITY RESOLUTION.
THE RESOLUTION REAFFIRMS THE CITY OF DALLAS'S COMMITMENT TO PROMOTE EQUITY IN ALL POLICIES IN THE CITY.
ADDRESSING AND DISMANTLING STRUCTURAL RACISM AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE DELIVERY OF HUMAN AND SOCIAL SERVICES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO THAT RESOLUTION SO PLEASE CONSIDER THIS MY INVITATION TO BE A PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
WE'LL HAVE MORE ON THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO START WORK IN EARNEST REALLY SOON.
LET'S ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND GET TO WORK AND HELPING.
INVITE YOU TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER.
IT'S DESIGNED TO PROVIDE TO PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELVES AND THOUGHT LEADERS WHO CAN SHARE IT BROADLY WITH THEIR OWN COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
SO PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH WITH US AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE QUESTIONS AND DIALOG.
BUT THAT LAST PART ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER, I'M GOING TO SIGN UP AS SOON AS WE'RE OFF THIS PANEL TODAY.
AS A FORMER CITY MANAGER, TO ACTIVELY SEE THE CITY PUT THIS OUT AND FOSTER THE DISCUSSION IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO COMMUNITY AND MAKING EVERYBODY A PART OF THE SOLUTION.
AND NOT JUST OBSERVING THE PROCESS.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE FOR ALL PANELISTS, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WE HAVE ABOUT 30 MINUTES, WE'LL PROBABLY DO ABOUT 20 MINUTES IN Q&A, IF YOU COULD PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERAS.
I WANT TO FOCUS THIS PART OF THE CONVERSATION ON COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE THAT WAS THE NUCLEUS OF EVERYTHING THAT EACH OF YOU, THAT WAS THE COMMON DENOMINATOR FOR EVERYONE.
I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS AND WHAT IS NEXT.
THIS CONVERSATION, AS LAST WEEK, WHAT UNT DALLAS AND DALLAS COLLEGE HAVE DONE IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, PROVIDED INFORMATION, PROVIDED CONTEXT THAT WE DON'T GET TO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
BUT IF WE FOCUS ON COMMUNITY, WE FIRST HAVE TO TALK ABOUT JUSTICE.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, WE MISS, WHETHER IT'S PRIVATE, WHETHER IT'S NON PROFIT, WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, OFTEN MISS THE CONVERSATION OF DISCUSSING WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO I WANT TO START OFF DR. RINCON, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW CAN EVERYDAY PEOPLE, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, UTILIZE DATA TO
[01:25:04]
BE ABLE TO EXPRESS AND SHARE THE PROBLEMS AND THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING IN A DIFFERENT WAY SO THAT POSSIBLY PEOPLE CAN PAY ATTENTION AND HEAR AND LISTEN WITH A DIFFERENT LENS.>> WELL, THE WORK THAT WE DID IN SOUTH DALLAS AND FOOD DESERTS I THINK IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
TOO MUCH RESEARCH, PEOPLE IN THE ACADEMIC AREA AND WE ALL DO RESEARCH, SOMETIMES WE'RE TOO BUSY SHARING IT WITH OTHER ACADEMICS AND WE DON'T SPEND ENOUGH TIME SHARING IT WITH THE COMMUNITIES.
I RESOLVED A LONG TIME AGO THAT MUCH OF WHAT I'M GOING TO BE DOING IS GOING TO BE SHARED WITH MASS MEDIA, THE AVERAGE PERSON CAN READ, PRESENTATIONS, WORKSHOPS TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
WE FINISHED OUR STUDY IN SOUTH DALLAS, TO FOCUS ON FOOD DESERTS, WE ARRANGED WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY LEADERS, JAMES MCGHEE, TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION THAT WE DISCOVERED, SO THAT THEY IN TURN TO SHARE IT WITH THEIR CONGREGATIONS, AUDIENCES, SO THEY CAN FINALLY BEGIN TO TAKE ACTION TO CHALLENGE DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE CITY OR COUNTY FOR EXAMPLE THAT LIMIT THE TYPES OF FOOD PROVIDERS THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, WE DO A LOT OF WRITING, BLOG POSTS, ET CETERA, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC, THOSE THAT ARE IN MY LIST, HOW THE CENSUS 2020 RESPONSE RATES COMING ALONG, THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING.
SO WE SHARE DATA WITH COMMUNITY PEOPLE TO ENGAGE THEM, TO MAKE THEM KNOWLEDGEABLE FOR THE FIRST THING AND THEN TO ALSO GIVE THEM IDEAS HOW THEY CAN ENGAGE AND IMPROVE THE STATUS QUO.
AND WE DID THE SAME THING WITH COVID 19 DATA AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF PROBLEMS IN OUR BLACK AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES IN TERMS OF THEIR VACCINE HESITANCY.
BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THAT WE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION STATEWIDE AND NATIONALLY IS THAT SO MUCH OF THE DATA ON VACCINE HESITANCY AND ILLNESSES WERE MISSING 40, 50 PERCENT OF THE DATA WAS MISSING ON RACE AND ETHNICITY.
THAT REALLY CREATED PROBLEMS BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU BE IN THE RIGHT COMMUNITIES IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE IMPACT THAT COVID 19 IS HAVING ON THESE COMMUNITIES.
WE ADDRESSED THAT ISSUE THROUGH THINGS THAT WE WROTE, SHARED WITH THE MEDIA, ET CETERA.
THAT IS WHAT WE TRY TO DO AS AN ORGANIZATION, IS TRY TO MAKE OUR RESEARCH AVAILABLE.
AND TO AS MANY AUDIENCES AS WE CAN.
THIS EVENT IS ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT.
DR. CARTER, I WANT TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, KIND OF GOING ON THE SAME, YOU KNOW, JUST FOLLOWING ALONG THE SAME QUESTION.
ARE WE SPECIFIC ENOUGH WITH YOUR WORK WITH COMMUNITY, ARE WE SPECIFIC ENOUGH IN IDENTIFYING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CITY OF DALLAS, ARE WE SPECIFIC ENOUGH BY SAYING THE BLACK COMMUNITY? ARE WE SPECIFIC ENOUGH TALKING ABOUT THE LATINX COMMUNITY? ARE WE TOO BROAD IN OUR CONVERSATIONS AROUND DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, WHAT CAN WE DO DIFFERENTLY TO REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY, TO ENSURING WE'RE TAKING THEIR VOICES IN CONSIDERATION, MY COMMENT EARLIER, ALSO ENSURING THAT THERE IS REPRESENTATION AT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AS WE'RE FOCUSING ON DEI FOR THEM.
>> I WOULD SAY AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR QUESTION NO ONE GROUP IS AN MONOLITH.
YOU CAN FIND 20, 30 DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THE GREATER COMMUNITY.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CENTER YOURSELF WHERE YOU'RE WORKING.
TO LEARN WHAT THE CULTURE IS IN THAT PLACE.
TO LEARN WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE IN THAT PLACE AND WHAT THE HISTORY IS THERE.
I'LL REFERENCE THAT ONE BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE WERE, BUT IN SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT LIZ MADE, THINKING ABOUT THE INDIGENOUS POPULATION HERE AT THE BEGINNING.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT CAME UP FOR US IN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT COMMUNITY WAS WELL REPRESENTED IN OUR
[01:30:01]
RESEARCH, IN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT.ALSO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IN OAKCLIFF, THE BLACK COMMUNITIES ARE DIFFERENT, BETWEEN 8TH STREET AND 10TH STREET, HISTORIC COMMUNITY, AND THEN AS YOU MOVE FURTHER SOUTH, ZOO PARK AREA, THOSE AREAS HAVE DIFFERENT CHARACTER.
THE COMMUNITIES ARE DIFFERENT.
AND THERE IS A PRIDE IN EACH ONE OF THOSE PLACES ABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE, ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORS.
SO I DON'T EVER SUBSCRIBE TO THE FACT THAT WE SHOULD TREAT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD EXACTLY THE SAME, THERE ARE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES IN EACH PLACE AND ALSO DIFFERENT ASSETS IN EACH PLACE.
IT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL WORK TO GO IN AND LEARN ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE, THE CULTURE THAT EXIST.
BUT IT MAKES YOUR WORK MUCH RICHER.
AND THEN WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT SOLUTIONS AND BEING SURE TO INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY AT EVERY STAGE, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S REALLY NOT AN OPTION.
IF YOU ARE GOING INTO A COMMUNITY TO HELP AND ASSIST, YOU'RE THERE TO ASSIST, YOU'RE NOT THERE TO TELL THEM WHAT THEY NEED.
WHILE YOU MAY HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE, YOU CAN HELP THEM INTERPRET WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND THE SOLUTIONS THAT MAY BE A BEST FIT, YOU REALLY NEED THEIR INPUT AT EVERY STAGE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING AND WHAT YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE MAY LEAN YOU TOWARDS THAT IT ACTUALLY FITS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
ONE WAY WE DID THAT, WE GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, AT THE BEGINNING, WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS, WE WANT THEM TO BE INCLUDED, WE DO PRELIMINARY RESEARCH IN CONVERSATION, AT OUR DESK AND THEN WE COME BACK AND WE TELL THEM WHAT WE FOUND.
AND THEN EVEN IN THAT SAME PROCESS, THIS MARCH, BEFORE THE PLAN WAS FINALIZED, ANOTHER EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT REPORT, BEFORE ANYTHING IS FINALIZED, WE GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, OUR QUESTION IS, DID WE HEAR YOU CORRECTLY, IS THIS AN ACCURATE REFLECTION OF WHAT IS EXISTING IN YOUR COMMUNITY, WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND THEN HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WE'VE CREATED OR COME UP WITH TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS.
AND WE DON'T JUST LOOK AT IT FROM YOU KNOW, WHOEVER OUR CLIENT IS IN THAT WORK, OR JUST THE CITY, EVERYONE HAS A ROLE TO PLAY.
I THINK LIZ MENTIONED THAT TOO IN HER PRESENTATION AND ALSO JARED, IT'S NOT JUST A CONSULTANT'S JOB, NOT JUST A RESEARCHER'S JOB, IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY'S JOB.
WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN OFFER, ONE MAY BE MORE RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC, ONE MAY BE ON THE GROUND, MORE REGULATORY AND THEN ANOTHER ONE MAY COME FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE.
BUT WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY.
AND IN OUR WORK, THAT IS WHAT WE LOOK TO HIGHLIGHT.
WE DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE PRESENTED IN A WAY THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS SO THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE TALKING OVER THEIR HEAD, BUT IT PROVIDES VALUE TO PARTITIONERS TO TAKE THAT WORK AND FIND WAYS TO IMMEDIATELY APPLY IT.
SO JARED, WITH THE WORK, I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
IN MY MIND, JUST WATCHING YOUR JOURNEY IN WORK AS IT RELATES TO HR AND DEI, I THINK DIGGING DEEP INTO ENSURING THAT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND PRIVATE SECTOR IS STEPPING UP AS WELL.
SO I REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW DO WE SHIFT FROM WHAT WE HAVE HISTORICALLY SEEN AND SOMETIMES THAT WE'RE STILL SEEING, THIS MORE PERFORMATIVE WAY OF ADDRESSING DEI, WE'RE REALLY JUST PERFORMING, BECAUSE THE SEASON SAID SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED, WE HAVE TO MAKE A STATEMENT.
SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED, WE'RE GOING TO DO WHATEVER.
HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT GOING UTILIZING THE PRESENTATIONS FROM DR. CARTER AND DR. RINCON, HOW DO WE FOCUS ON DATA AND COMMUNITY TO DRIVE SOLUTIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SEEING OVER THIS PAST YEAR WITH THE DRC?
SO YOU KIND OF ANSWERD IT IN YOUR QUESTION.
BUT I THINK THE MOST IMPACTFUL WAY THAT I'VE SEEN COMPANIES NOT DO PERFORMATIVE DEI IS BY FOCUSING ON THE DATA.
SO I WOULD SAY IF THEY DON'T ALREADY HAVE A TOOL THAT THEY ARE USING INTERNALLY TO TRACK THEIR HIRING PRACTICES, THEIR YOU KNOW, PAY GENDER EQUITY, IF THEY'RE NOT TRACKING YOU KNOW, THEIR SUPPLIER DIVERSITY SPEND, IF THEY'RE NOT TRACKING AND REPORTING OUT ON ALL OF THESE THINGS, THERE SHOULD BE TRANSPARENCY
[01:35:07]
WHERE YOU'RE ACTUALLY SHOWCASING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, THEIR INVESTMENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY SERVE, OR THAT THEY YOU KNOW, OPERATE IN, IT'S VERY EASY TO BE PERFORMATIVE.BECAUSE THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
OLD PHRASE, WHAT GETS MEASURED GETS IMPROVED.
IF YOU'RE NOT TRACKING, NOT MEASURING THE DATA, HOW WOULD YOU EXPECT TO KNOW IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING WHAT YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO BE DOING.
AND IT'S CRAZY TO ME BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED, SO I YOU KNOW, CAME FROM ACTUALLY, I WAS A CONSULTANT.
WE WOULD TRACK EVERYTHING THAT WE DID.
IF YOU LOOK AT ANY OF THE OTHER CALL CENTERS, IN A BUSINESS, THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOME SORT OF GOAL THAT IS TIED TO THE ORGANIZATION'S GOAL.
EVERYBODY HAS THEIR PULSE ON THAT THING.
THEY KNOW AT ANY POINT THEY CAN GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT OR A DASHBOARD THAT SAYS HERE IS HOW WE'RE DOING.
WHEN IT COMES TO D&I, THERE IS ALL THIS HAPPY, WE ARE DOING TRAININGS, WE MET WITH THIS COMMUNITY GROUP.
THERE IS NO DATA TO BACK THAT UP.
THE NUMBER ONE THING I WOULD ENCOURAGE IS IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PERSON ON YOUR STAFF WHO CAN ACTUALLY GET INTO THE DATA AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ALL THIS I SAY WITH THE SAYING THAT NOT EVERY COMPANY IS THE SAME.
YOU NEED SOMEBODY ON YOUR STAFF WHO CAN ACTUALLY HELP YOU IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE INDICATORS ARE AND DIG INTO THE DATA TO SEE WHERE YOU ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION.
OUTSIDE OF THAT, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A QUARTERLY REPORT, WE'RE DOING OURS BIANNUALLY, EXCUSE ME, SEMIANNUALLY, TWICE A YEAR, TO SHOW HERE IS WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND NOT JUST HERE IS THE NICE FLUFFY STUFF, BUT HERE IS THE STUFF WHERE MAYBE WE DIDN'T MAKE AS MUCH PROGRESS AS WE THOUGHT WE WOULD.
HERE IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO DIFFERENTLY IN THIS NEXT HALF OF THE YEAR TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN THAT AREA.
THE CRUX OF THIS THING IS DATA.
YOU TALKED ABOUT IT IN MY BIO.
I WORK WITH A START UP AND THE WHOLE FOCUS IS ON ANALYTICS APPLIED TO D&I.
BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANOTHER ONE THAT REALLY GOES DEEP ON HELPING COMPANIES UNDERSTAND THEIR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL D&I COMMITMENTS AND HOW TO MEASURE THE ROI OF THOSE.
THAT QUESTION IS COMING FROM SOMEONE THAT IS ONE OF OUR ATTENDEES.
SO LIZ, I'M GOING TO FIRST ASK YOU TO CHIME IN ON IT AND JARED, IF YOU CAN DO SOME FOLLOW UP TO IT.
DEI NEEDS TO INCLUDE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THE CITIZENS REPRESENT ALL RACES, ALSO A PROTECTED POPULATION.
LIZ, CAN YOU SPEAK TO INCLUSION AS IT RELATES TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THE EFFORTS OF THE CITY OF DALLAS?
THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, WHOMEVER ASKED IT.
AS I SAID, WE HAVE FIVE HANDS TO THIS EQUITY AND INCLUSION TEAM.
AND WE'RE STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.
DON'T MISTAKE ME FOR SAYING THAT WE HAVE IT ALL DOWN.
BUT WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE MISSING TO THAT VERY POINT, WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS FOCUSING ON PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENTLY ABLED.
WHO ARE TRAFFICKING VICTIMS IN OUR CITY.
TALKING ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, MODERN DAY SLAVERY.
AND WHO SPEAK LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH.
WE KNOW AS SOMEBODY PREVIOUSLY SAID, WE HAVE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES BEING SPOKEN AND ASK OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT HOW MANY, IT'S UPWARDS OF 60 LANGUAGES AND
[01:40:06]
DIALECTS, ET CETERA.SO WE'RE CREATING A WORK PLAN.
I ASK THE PERSON WHO ASKED THAT QUESTION TO PLEASE FOLLOW UP AND E MAIL ME AND I WILL CONNECT YOU WITH OUR HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE CITY HAS A STAND ALONE DEDICATED DIVISION TO HUMAN RIGHTS, HER NAME IS LATOYA JACKSON.
ONE OF HER MISSIONS, LOOKING AT OUR SIDEWALK PLAN TO ENSURE THAT ADA COMPLIANCE.
AND ENSURE THAT WE'RE MEETING WITH COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE ADVOCATES FOR AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO THAT IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS THEY'RE WORKING ON.
IT'S A PRETTY BIG PROJECT BECAUSE IT'S A MASTER SIDEWALK PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
CITY BUILDINGS, CITY FACILITIES, THROUGH OUR ADA PLAN THAT WE JUST UPDATED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR AND USING A CONSULTANT TO HELP US WITH THAT WORK.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE CITY CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
IT'S A BIG JOB FOR THE CITY THE SIZE OF THE 9TH LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THOSE EFFORTS AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP IMPROVING.
>> GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE SIDEWALK.
BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN IN DALLAS AND THE DALLAS AREA, DALLAS FT.
WORTH, I SHOULD SAY, SINCE 2007, NOT THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT I WAS ON A BUS, LOOKING AT CURB CUTS, BEAUTIFUL CURB CUTS THAT WENT INTO GRASS.
I SAID THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
IF SOMEONE HAS A MOBILITY IMPAIRMENT, USING A CANE OR A WALKER OR A WHEELCHAIR OR JUST NEEDS ASSISTANCE, TO GO FROM A BEAUTIFUL CURB CUT, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU HAVE A GOOD TRAIL TO WALK THROUGH TO GET THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT IS CONCERNING TO ME.
SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THAT IS A PRIORITY FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS, BECAUSE IT'S OFTEN UNDERESTIMATED AND OVERLOOKED IN TERMS OF WHAT SIDEWALKS MEAN TO COMMUNITIES.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP, LIZ.
I DON'T KNOW, JARED, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO OFFER, ANYTHING THAT DRC HAS BEEN LOOKING AT OVER THE PAST YEAR, ANY OF THE BUSINESSES ON THE PRIVATE SIDE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT DISABILITIES AS AN ANCHOR FOR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT INCLUSION AS WELL.
I THINK MANY OF OUR MEMBERS HAVE A DISABILITY EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP.
HONING IN ESPECIALLY DURING COVID, HOW CAN THEY ENSURE THAT THERE ARE TOOLS IN PLACE SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO WORK VIRTUALLY.
ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, I THINK SOME COMPANIES HAVE ACTUALLY BECOME MORE AWARE BECAUSE IN A VIRTUAL SETTING LIKE THIS, TYPICALLY YOU WOULD HAVE THE SCRIPT DOWN AT THE BOTTOM THAT IS KIND OF GOING AS YOU WERE SPEAKING, AND THEN THERE IS ALSO NEW WELL, I WON'T SAY NEW.
BUT I THINK A STRONGER PUSH TO GET INVOLVED WITH GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME HERE IN DALLAS, THE TWO THAT STAND OUT MOST, EMPLOYEEABILITY, DALLAS AND DISABILITY IN.
THEY WORK SPECIFICALLY WITH COMPANIES TO HELP BRING DISABLED PEOPLE INTO THE WORKFORCE, OR BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE.
AND THEN THE GREATER WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS HAS A WHOLE FLEET OF OFFERINGS THAT THEY PROVIDE.
AND THEN ONE OTHER THING I THOUGHT ABOUT, SO DISABILITY IN, HAS A DISABILITY EQUITY INDEX.
BUT DISABILITY EQUITY INDEX, THAT HELPS COMPANIES ASSESS HOW INCLUSIVE THEY ARE OF THEIR DISABLED POPULATION.
BEFORE I TURN IT BACK OVER TO MATT, I'M GOING TO ASK THIS LAST QUESTION AND IF YOU ALL CAN TAKE ABOUT 60 SECONDS TO ANSWER, THIS IS GOING TO BE FOR EVERYONE, THIS IS THE LAST QUESTION THAT WE HAVE IN OUR Q&A FORUM.
THE TAPESTRY OF INEQUITY IN DALLAS IS VAST AND SOMEWHAT TROUBLING.
HOW CAN WE CONVINCE RESIDENTS THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS IS NOW COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING INEQUITIES, IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ENCOURAGING SIGNALS THAT WE'RE SEEING FROM YOUR VARIOUS LENSES RIGHT NOW? WE CAN START WITH DR. CARTER.
SO WHAT I WOULD SAY ONE OF THE MOST ENCOURAGING THINGS FOR ME IS ONE, I LOOK AT THE FIELD OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP, I'M A PART OF THAT.
BUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR, THE NUMBER OF WOMEN THAT ARE STARTING
[01:45:07]
BUSINESSES, AND ACTUALLY SUCCEEDING IS ONE POSITIVE SIGN THAT THERE IS ECONOMIC INCLUSION IN OUR AREA.ANOTHER ONE IS LOOKING AT EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT.
AND IT'S A NEW FIELD, A NEW APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT, URBAN PLANNING AND POLICY.
BUT THE CITY OF DALLAS RIGHT NOW IS ONE OF THE LEADERS IN THAT FIELD WITH THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO.
AND THAT WAS MENTIONED IN MY BIO, COMMUNITY DRIVEN GROWTH PROJECT THAT WAS RECEIVED AS A SIX MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT.
TO ACTUALLY INVEST DOLLARS AFTER A PLANNING EFFORT TO BRING RESOURCES DIRECTLY TO THOSE COMMUNITIES, TO HELP THE RESIDENTS IMPROVE THEIR ECONOMIC MOBILITY, IMPROVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND ALSO TO IMPROVE THEIR OWN CAPACITY TO SPEAK FOR THEIR NEEDS AS A COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT TYPE OF WORK IS EXTREMELY POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGING IN OUR CITY.
AND THEN LOOKING AT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THIS CALL.
WE REPRESENT PRIVATE INDUSTRY.
WE REPRESENT ACADEMICS IN RESEARCH.
TO HAVE THAT DIVERSE ARRAY OF PEOPLE IN CONVERSATION, THAT ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN THE CITY IS A GREAT REPRESENTATION THAT THE WORK IS BEING DONE.
IT COULD BE SOLVED EASILY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
PROGRESS IS CONTINUOUSLY BEING MADE.
THE ENCOURAGEMENT IS TO COME AND BE A PART OF THE CHANGE THAT WE ARE CREATING HERE.
>> I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE OUR CITY AND TEXAS GROW OVER MANY YEARS.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF THIS COMMUNITY.
WE'VE GOT ACCESS TO AN EXCELLENT WORKFORCE EVEN THOUGH THERE IS WORKER SHORTAGES IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES.
BUT I SEE THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT HAS TAKEN A CLOSE LOOK AT NOT JUST DALLAS FORT WORTH, BUT ALSO TEXAS.
SOMETIMES WE'RE THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION FOR THE WRONG REASONS.
IN THAT ATTENTION, THERE IS DISCOVERY THAT THERE IS TREMENDOUS RESOURCES HERE.
ECONOMIC, LABOR, THE POLITICS ARE NOT ALWAYS THE BEST.
BUT I THINK THAT ONE THING EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS IS THERE IS A STRONG WILL IN THIS COMMUNITY TO PROTECT OUR VOTING RIGHTS.
AND I THINK THAT ENTREPRENEURSHIP HAS CONTINUOUS TO BE STRONG, I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION'S PROGRAM TO REENGAGE COMMUNITIES ESPECIALLY BLACK AND HISPANIC AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS OWNERS, AS WELL AS ASIANS, I THINK THAT IS GOING TO PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION THAT IS NEEDED TO SEE US THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR AND THE NEXT YEAR.
I REMAIN POSITIVE THAT THE RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE AWARE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE RESOURCES.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO DITTO WHAT DR. RINCON SAID.
A LOT OF CHANGES IN MY LIFETIME.
I THINK WE HAVE CHANGED, DALLAS HAS CHANGED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT I THINK ONE OF OUR GREATEST ASSET IS IN OUR DIVERSITY.
IT'S ABOUT UNVEILING OF OURSELVES OF WHAT THAT DIVERSITY OPPORTUNITY BRINGS TO US.
AND NOT TO PLAY IT DOWN, BUT TO AMPLIFY IT AND TO USE THE RESOURCES OF OUR COMMUNITY, NAMELY OUR PEOPLE TO BUILDING A STRONGER MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITY.
I THINK WITHIN THE LAST MONTH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED A NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN WITH A LARGE EMPHASIS ON EQUITY.
IT HAS PASSED A SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT WITH AN EQUITY EMPHASIS.
WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW, AS I TOLD YOU, ON THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN, WHICH I HOPE INVOLVES ALL OF YOU, TO CONNECT THESE DOTS TO HOW WE BRING THIS TOGETHER SO IT'S NOT THE CHAMBER DOING ITS WORK, THE CITY DOING ITS WORK AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM DOING ITS WORK, IT'S WORKING IN COALITION TOGETHER WITH ONE ANOTHER.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE CAN'T DO IT BY OURSELVES.
[01:50:03]
THE DIGITAL EQUITY PLAN THAT WE WILL BE PRESENTING REAL SOON.I INVITE EVERYBODY TO CHECK IT OUT.
WE WILL BE PRESENTING THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM IT ON A MONDAY, IN OUR WORKFORCE, EDUCATION EQUITY COMMITTEE AT 1:30.
PICK IT APART, TELL US WHAT YOU THINK.
AND LET'S MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER.
BUT SERIOUSLY, I THINK LIZ HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF DALLAS WORKING TOGETHER.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT WAS THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH DALLAS CITIZENS COUNCIL AND THE UNITED WAY OF METROPOLITAN DALLAS ON RACIAL EQUITY PLAN.
THAT IN AND OF ITSELF, THE FACT THAT THE DRC, THE DALLAS COUNCIL AND UNITED WAY, WHICH I HAD TO LEARN HAVE A VERY CHECKERED PAST IN TERMS OF WHY DALLAS IS THE WAY IT IS TODAY, ACTUALLY MAKING THIS IS A PRIORITY IN PUTTING DOLLARS BEHIND IT, MAKES ME HOPEFUL.
AND THEN I THINK DR. RINCON MENTIONED THIS, THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS, I KNOW IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPACE, WE HAVE OVER 100 PROJECTS NOW IN THE WORKS TO COME TO DALLAS.
NOT TO SAY THAT ALL OF THEM WILL.
A LOT OF THOSE WE'RE MARKETING SOUTHERN DALLAS COUNTY AS A PLACE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
BUT MAINLY EXCITED ABOUT US ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
>> I WANT TO THANK THE FOUR >> QUICKLY, I SAY I KNOW THERE WERE ERRORS WITH OUR PRESENTATION, BUT I WILL SHARE THAT WITH THE TEAM AND SO PEOPLE CAN SEE THAT AND LINK TO THE RESOURCES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUAL MAPS AS WELL.
BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS A REQUEST FOR PRESENTATIONS, FOR THIS SERIES.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS FOR ADDING ANOTHER LEVEL TO THE FOUNDATION THAT WE STARTED LAST WEEK FOR THE FIRST INSTALLMENT IN THIS SERIES.
AS A PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, AS A PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, AS SOMEONE THAT SPENT THE FIRST TEN YEARS OF HER CAREER IN FAIR HOUSING AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, I AM GLAD THAT THIS CONVERSATION IS WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW.
BECAUSE IT STARTED TO SLOW DOWN FOR A WHILE.
AND THEN IT CAME BACK WITH A NEW NAME.
MY HOPE IS THAT THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING TODAY WILL CONTINUE.
ALTHOUGH MAKE SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS LAST WEEK AND THIS WEEK CENTERED AROUND THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND THE LATINX COMMUNITY, I WANT TO PUT OUT THERE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE GROUPS AND PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY ARE, BLACK COMMUNITY, NATIVE AMERICAN, PACIFIC ISLANDERS, ASIAN AMERICANS, WOMEN, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, LGBT PLUS, AND IT CONTINUES.
IT'S IMPORTANT AS WE'RE HAVING THESE DEI CONVERSATIONS, FOCUSED ON JUSTICE, DIVERSITY, AND EQUITY AND INCLUSION AND WE'RE NOT LEAVING ANYBODY OUT.
BRINGING EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TIME AND FOR ADDING THAT ADDITIONAL LENS THAT WE NEEDED FOR THIS CONVERSATION TODAY AND TO UNT DALLAS, TO DALLAS COLLEGE, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A PART OF THAT.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, MATT, I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR CLOSING OUT.
>> KIM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MODERATING AN AMAZING DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU ALL NOT ONLY FOR PROVIDING YOUR INDUSTRY EXPERTISE, NOT ONLY FOR PROVIDING DATA POINTS OBJECTIVELY SO THAT THE CITIZENS, PEOPLE ON THIS CALL CAN DIGEST AND APPLY IT TO THEIR SCENARIO, BUT FOR BEING ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER AND PROVIDING YOUR FINDINGS SO THAT WE CAN ALL ENSURE THAT DALLAS IS MOVING FORWARD IN THIS DE&I SPACE.
AS YOU SAID KIM, EARLIER, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, THIS IS NOT OUR FIRST RODEO.
I WANT TO KEEP THE TEXAS THEME HERE.
BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET THIS RIGHT.
AND THE AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION THAT I SAW TODAY, AND LAST WEEK FROM QUITE FRANKLY, INDIVIDUALS WHO HISTORICALLY I DON'T SEE IN THE MAINSTREAM TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY IN THIS CITY.
IT'S VERY ENCOURAGING AND I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU ARE DOING FOR THE WORK.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK OUR ATTENDEES, OUR PARTICIPANTS TODAY.
[01:55:01]
THERE WERE SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES AT THE BEGINNING.I THANK YOU ALL FOR LOGGING ON AFTERWARDS.
AND FOR BEING ACTIVE IN THE Q&A PORTION.
WE TRULY APPRECIATE THE COMMITTEE TRULY APPRECIATES YOUR ATTENTION IN THE MATTER, AS THIS IS VERY SERIOUS.
LASTLY, I WANT TO PROVIDE DIRECTION FOR OUR LAST FORUM.
OUR LAST FORUM IS NEXT THURSDAY.
WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE FUTURE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE NORTH TEXAS REGION.
WE THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO DISCUSS.
WE DISCUSSED THE PAST AND THE PRESENT.
AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR US TO DISCUSS INCLUSIVELY HOW ALL OF US ARE MOVING FORWARD.
NORTH TEXAS IS GOING TO BE THE MOST POPULOUS REGION IN THE COUNTRY IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
IT'S GOING TO HOLD THE MOST AMOUNT OF ECONOMIC POWER, ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMIC POWER HOTBEDS IN THE COUNTRY.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET OUR HUMAN CAPITAL PROBLEMS SOLVED SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE TO HAVE A SUSTAINABLE REGION.
THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS NEXT WEEK.
I AM VERY EXCITED FOR THAT DISCUSSION.
PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS THIS FORUM.
WE WILL PROVIDE THE FIRST LINK OF OUR EVENT LAST WEEK TO YOU ALL VIA E MAIL AND NEXT WEEK IN ABOUT FIVE TO SIX BUSINESS DAYS, WE WILL PROVIDE YOU TODAY'S LINK.
THE REASON WHY IT'S A DELAY IS BECAUSE THROUGH ADA, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE CLOSED CAPTIONING THAT IS ACCURATE SO THAT ALL WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND EXPERIENCE THESE FORUMS. SO GIVE US UNTIL ABOUT WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY OF NEXT WEEK AND THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO PUBLISH THIS WEEK'S FORUM.
AND LET'S ALL WORK TOGETHER TO CONTINUE TO MAKE DALLAS AND THIS NORTH TEXAS REGION GREAT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.