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How to Build a Path for People to Follow

By Fronsy Thurman posted 25 days ago

  

How to Build a Path for People to Follow

by Anita Jones-McNair


Anita Jones-McNair is the Chief Race and Equity Officer of Carrboro, NC. Ms. Jones-McNair participated in the GARE inaugural Southern Innovation Community. The GARE Southern Innovation Community brought together 14 practitioners advancing racial equity in government in North Carolina, Florida, and Texas. GARE Director of Innovative Practice, Olusola Tribble gathered the group online each month from March 2023 to December 2023 and for a 3-day in-person retreat in Tennessee. The cadre participated in seminar-style readings, viewings and discussion groups to draw out key wins, insights and lessons as they embedded the GARE approach into their work. Participants cultivated camaraderie and peer-to-peer relationships through this programmatic offering as they reflected on the often-uphill battle of institutionalizing racial equity work in less-than-favorable political climates.

Anita Jones-McNair responds to the prompt: How do we build a path for people to follow?

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When you think about the process of removing racial disparities, closing gaps of inequity, and improving outcomes for everyone, it may seem easy and a path that everyone would want to follow, right? Those of us committed to this work can all agree it can be difficult, depleting, misunderstood, and at times, unwelcome. Progress can seem difficult to attain. Yet, the positive impact on the lives of the communities we serve, the employees we work with, and the neighborhoods in which we live, work, and play are uplifted by this transformative work. Whether it is a big win or small one, the benefits can be life changing.   

How do we start to build towards racial equity? How do we incorporate the voices of those most impacted? Because we come to this work with varied perspectives and from different starting points, the path can look and feel different for each of us. Some are focused on understanding community needs and setting goals, while others are assessing the necessity of this work and ensuring we are providing equitable services. No matter where we begin, we must create a solid foundation and memorable path for people to follow.

In Carrboro, North Carolina, a small, progressive town in the South - a region still marked by a legacy of racism and harm – this means embedding a racial equity analysis deep in our local governance structures. We use the GARE approach as guidance, which includes the four steps: Visualize, Normalize, Organize, and Operationalize (VNOO). Taken together, these elements help to build and fortify a racial equity infrastructure that can withstand complacency and resistance; while ensuring we are responsive to our community’s needs. 

Think of these steps as breadcrumbs along the path…    

Step One - Visualize the work. Begin by creating a vision for advancing racial equity and transforming the role of government. Collaborate with leadership, staff and the community to identify values and needs to guide the journey. A shared vision helps steer the work in the right direction.

In Carrboro, the Town Council initiated this journey in 2018 by asking: Are we doing all that we can? How can we more equitably serve our community? They unanimously voted to lead with race, and we began this racial equity journey. We joined GARE and made racial equity a core organizational pillar. This commitment deepened as staff engaged in training, and accessed learning resources, helping to develop and sustain a shared vision of racial equity.

Step Two - Normalize the work.Create a racial equity culture by weaving equity into governance through ongoing training. Normalize the conversation and environment by providing training for leadership and staff to build a shared understanding and common language. Everyone is at a different place on the journey - some are eager, some are unsure, and others may question its importance. A shared language creates a strong foundation.

In 2019, the Carrboro CORE team joined the first North Carolina GARE Learning Cohort, which laid the groundwork for our journey. Now, all Carrboro employees are required to take the GARE Self-Paced Learning course, and we work with GARE and Race Forward to develop more extensive training opportunities. We also host regular conversations and offer spaces for staff to connect. 

Shifting organizational culture requires more than one-off training. We encourage activities like brainstorming, book clubs, and current event discussions to normalize racial equity conversations. While uncomfortable at times, these conversations help us build a shared understanding of why this work is essential. It is equally important to understand the historical context that shapes racial equity work. Carrboro’s CORE team developed a 27-page document highlighting the town’s history and disparities, and we conducted a biennial racial equity employee survey* to establish a baseline, track progress, and guide future efforts. GARE resources support this ongoing work, which aims to capture the employee perspective as key drivers of organizational transformation.

Step Three - Organize the work.  Build strong alliances within and beyond the organization.  In Carrboro, all employees share responsibility for equitable service delivery, supported by the Race and Equity team. This team collaborates with leadership, the CORE team (members from every department), and staff to advance racial equity, and foster continuity across our efforts. Regionally, Carrboro is a member of OneOrange, a collective of jurisdictions advancing racial equity across Orange County, NC, with initiatives like a racial equity framework, a data dashboard, and documenting the county’s racialized history.  

Strengthen partnerships with institutions, communities, non-profits, and other stakeholders. We build partnerships to address shared needs such as affordable housing with housing nonprofits and language access with immigrant and refugee organizations. Building trust is key - engage your community, listen to those most impacted, and cultivate allies. We meet people where they are - walking the neighborhoods, hosting Carrboro in Motion events, often in apartment complexes, and collaborations with county services to provide resources and gather feedback to shape upcoming plans and projects.

Step Four - Operationalize the work. Use the resources available to you, adapt and apply existing racial equity tools to evaluate policies, practices, procedures, and service delivery. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, refine it to meet your needs. Develop strategies with clear goals and measurable outcomes. Carrboro’s Racial Equity Assessment Lens (REAL), modeled on GARE resources, is one of our most valuable tools. Every action item going before the Council includes an equity analysis, with a plan to mitigate harm, asking questions like: Who benefits? Who is burdened? What does the data say?  Once you implement this analysis into processes, it becomes hard to “unsee.” Ultimately, this transforms decision-making, making equity impossible to ignore.

Engage your community in decisions. In 2020, the Town Council approved a Reparations Resolution for Black Carrboro, establishing a Racial Equity Commission. Composed of community members and business owners with lived experience, and representatives from partner organizations, the commission reviews operational REALs and advises on how the town meets its racial equity and climate action goals. The Economic Development Department supports this work by strengthening BIPOC businesses through training and resources.

Track disaggregated data to guide decisions. Many town departments use data to inform and improve strategies. For instance, the Carrboro Fire Department’s focus on workforce diversity led to the most diverse class of recruits in the Town’s history.

Now, develop a racial equity action plan. This plan will guide your organization’s vision and improve outcomes. Build a path for people to follow. In 2023, The Carrboro Town Council adopted the Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP):  Weaving Equity in Carrboro Town Governance. To start your own plan, refer to the Government Alliance of Race and Equity’s How to Manual and other tools to support your journey.

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Following these steps is not a “one-and-done” or linear process. The steps are designed to create, align, and sustain momentum. This is especially important when the path seems uncertain, confusing, and unfamiliar. The breadcrumbs along the way serve as affirmations that we are moving in the right direction.

Sustainability is essential for building racial equity infrastructure. This work requires intentionality, consistency, and a commitment to ongoing learning – much like building a muscle. Equity, inclusion, and belonging must be woven into the fabric of governance, starting with leadership and radiating throughout the organization and community. In Carrboro, we have seen progress taking shape at every level, yet we recognize that the work is far from over. Transformation requires a steadfast dedication to reimagining systems, centering community voices, and holding ourselves accountable to the vision we have set. By continuing to take bold steps, we forge the path forward, guiding ourselves and future generations toward a more just and equitable future.

* Interested in conducting a racial equity employee survey at your organization? GARE can help! For more information, please email Jeanetta Churchill, GARE Director of Survey Research at jchurchill@raceforward.org.


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