Diversity Initiative report offers suggestions for improved relations

Posted on Jul 11, 2012 in Extra Articles by Jeff Parish

Lamar County has the beginnings of a roadmap for improved race relations in the Diversity Initiative report.

“The current pattern is that the subject of diversity often isn’t discussed until there is a community problem or issue to be resolved. This reactive approach reinforces that diversity is a negative issue and a barrier within the city of Paris and Lamar County,” the report states. “Paris, Texas, and Lamar County are in the perfect position to take action that can heal past wounds and lay the foundation for a community that represents the best of Texas.”

Paris Economic Development Corp. Director Steve Gilbert presented the 85-page report from Executive Diversity Services to the PEDC board this week, with plans to submit a summary at the next meeting.

Executive Diversity Services’ recommendations come in five areas: Awareness, alignment, action, accountability and next steps.

Under awareness, the report suggests:

• People in the area tend to use terms like “racism” and “diversity” together, the report noted. It encouraged a separation of those terms. People should use the word “diversity” when talking about the ways people are different while using the term “inclusion” more often, as including various people will be the focus of future efforts, it said.

• Training “that helps interested leaders expand their vocabulary and develop stronger skills. …We suggest a collaboration of community and business leaders participate so a common language and a commitment to commonly shared behaviors is developed over time.” The report suggests either a locally developed program or Executive Diversity’s own Diversafari.
• Continue Dinner Dialogues or similar proactive activities designed to build awareness and commitment throughout the community.
• Training in crisis response for all leaders “expected to respond to diversity-related problems that occur in the community or the workplace.” That includes elected officials, law enforcement and non-profit groups that may be involved.
• Use technology to increase awareness “about the positive aspects of diversity and inclusion,” such as blogs, social media, webinars and email list servs.

The “alignment” section deals with increasing participation from residents from all areas and demographic segments. The report suggests:

• Use the two ministerial alliances in Paris, which include nearly every church, to engage religious leaders in the effort. Then conduct one-on-one meetings with each minister to identify existing diversity in their congregations and neighborhoods, learn what they are doing to foster inclusion and recruit someone from as many churches as possible “to be the point person for communication and collaboration on this topic.”
• Take advantage of the existing connection elected officials have with the residents to increase “understanding that everyone is connected and interdependent upon each other.”

The proposed action steps include:

• Study Circles or a similar process to engage residents in “actual problem-solving and culture-building.” Where the Dinner Dialogues focus on awareness, the circles are more about actively improving the community. The study suggests a team of 15 to 20 be trained in the process, with groups of three serving as leaders for groups focused on a few important issues.
• A “community recalibration” via a series of town hall meetings within the next three months focusing on race relations because “there is a history of mistrust and a pattern of confrontation related to incidents that occur in the community.” The report says as many elected officials as possible attend each meeting. The sessions should be “listening focused” where the officials hear from their constituents without debating past issues.
• Use existing coalitions among education and non-profits in more effective partnerships.
• Continue the activities previously started by the Diversity Task Force.
• Form an extensive Community Resource Team to support diversity and inclusion efforts in Lamar County. The group should not be saddled with the label of “diversity,” however. Instead, it should have a name “that connects with serving the community, building the culture and/or supporting leaders who are serving the entire community.”

There’s little obvious accountability right now, the report notes. Elected officials and other leaders have some sense of responsibility for the culture in the community, but most people believed the Diversity Task Force volunteers were responsible for anything dealing with diversity. As the region has started moving toward shared leadership and planning, the study recommends a single person or team identified to develop a 3 to 5 year strategy, which would require input from business, community and elected leaders. It may start out as a group of volunteers, but the report says it will eventually need a full-time staff person who works for the city or a non-profit. To pay for the position, it is suggested all the businesses and groups involved should contribute to funding it.

“The number one need for taking the next step is a commitment from leaders to take consistent, proactive and visible action in a cooperative and collaborative way,” the report states. “Paying attention to diversity is not the same as responding to discrimination. Transforming diversity into inclusion is not easy but it can be done.”

The Paris Diversity Task Force started the diversity initiative. PEDC coordinated the effort with support from the Paris City Council, Lamar County Commissioners Court and Workforce Solutions of Northeast Texas. The Project Manager was Dallas-based consultant Tracy Brown.

From December 2011 through June 2012, Brown interviewed community leaders; conducted focus groups; administered an online survey; gathered data about demographics, economic trends and reviewed documents from government offices and businesses; met with Diversity Task Force members; talked with people in the community; and delivered updates.

All that work lead to a written report that covered issues such as current needs and expectations in diversity for Lamar County, obstacles, best practices and recommendations. Executive Diversity also developed a customized tool kit for business owners called “Commitment and Compliance: A Business Owner’s Guide to Laying the Foundation for an Inclusive Workplace” The idea is to help them “understand the impact of diversity on products, people and profit.”