Anti-Racism Plan - Kansas City, Missouri: A Component of the FOCUS Kansas City Plan	.
Jacques A. Gourguechon, AICP	Author Info

Abstract

Building the New American City: Making Connections for the 21st Century

These are the words of Emanuel Cleaver, the Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, and they state the ambitions of the FOCUS1 Kansas City Human Investment Plan quite clearly. The American city of the 21st Century will be an eclectic place with a diverse population, economic base, lifestyles and job choices. Building on its strengths, Kansas City can position itself to become a model for the New American City. With its midwestern sensibility and civility, it can provide a foundation for the necessary move beyond its agrarian and manufacturing roots to a new era of information technology and a global economy. To thrive in this competitive environment, Kansas City must understand its own strengths and begin to act as one connected city with a clear agenda for the future.

The FOCUS Plan emphasizes connections - connecting people to places, people to each other and the past to the future. If Kansas City can act as one connected city with an optimistic vision, a unifying strategy and a clear course of action, a city can emerge that really works for people.

"Connectedness" in the 21st Century will require that artificial barriers and discrimination among people be radically reduced and human rights for all be actively promoted. The greatest need, in this regard, is the elimination of racism. This statement cannot be made lightly; American society has been plagued by racism for more than 200 years and few comprehensive initiatives are being undertaken to address systemic racism. Kansas City will truly be breaking ground in the 21st Century in taking a community stand to denounce racist behaviors and root them out of community life.

Efforts to eliminate racism and other forms of discrimination should permeate every aspect of FOCUS as it passes from vision into reality. These efforts, especially important to human investment, are reflected and recognized in numerous areas throughout this plan. For example:

• In business development efforts that recognize the unique contributions of all entrepreneurs
• In neighborhood-based, job-readiness and job-skill training that respect and encourage people as individuals
• In efforts to eliminate racial disparities and cultural biases in health care
• In efforts to build strong relationships between police officers and all local communities
• In the struggle to help our youth, especially African-American males, navigate successfully into productive, satisfying adulthood
• In schools that develop in all children a love of learning and respect for those around them
• In recommendations for promoting diversity in the arts and culture, among both artists and audiences
• In assuring equal access to home ownership, finance and insurance

In short, no aspect of community life can be left untouched. Every citizen, in every walk of life and every endeavor, will be asked to contribute to building a community free of racism and discrimination and honoring the rights and dignity of all human beings. The city must adopt a policy of tolerance.

Eliminating Racism and Other Forms of Unfair Discrimination

Citizens, institutions and neighborhoods need to be urged on inch by inch, encouraged step by step and empowered by small successes to accept the next risk on the road to racist-free living. There will be times of despair and setbacks, as is the case in every social change process. Committed leadership from local government, the faith community and the business sector need to be there in order to hearten those who would act to change institutional practices that perpetuate racism, welcome people of all races and backgrounds to their neighborhoods, change their personal positions and insist on equal treatment and social justice.

But racism is not the only form of unfair discrimination. Gender, ethnic and lifestyle discriminations also erode the civility of our community. Persons afflicted with developmental challenges are all too often subjected to mockery and unfair discrimination only because they speak or act differently from others in the mainstream. These practices should be eliminated from our society to make the community a welcome place for all its citizens.

The social and individual costs of racial prejudice and other forms of unfair discrimination are high. Prejudice is a disease that erodes everyone's quality of life. It is a horrible drain on the economy. Fear and hatred only work to create more fear and hatred. People end up living in isolation, harboring fear and resentment; some become prisoners in their own neighborhoods. Racism and other forms of bigotry keep people apart. But besides economic losses and isolation, racism and other unfair discrimination victimizes people and denies them the equal chance to pursue their dreams and realize their full potential. In this vicious circle, the social cost and economic cost to the citizens and the city is immense.

To remove racism from a community, there are a number of steps, some larger in scope than others, that must be taken:

• The elimination of systemic and institutional forms of discrimination such as lending and insurance redlining and hiring biases
• The elimination of educational disparities between mainstream white students and students of various other ethnic and racial backgrounds
• The elimination of historical, and often deeply held, misbeliefs about persons of "other" racial and ethnic backgrounds
• The creation of a climate of welcome and respect for persons of all racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds and lifestyles
• The creation of a climate of tolerance towards all members of the community and, in turn, the creation of a climate of intolerance to expressions of discrimination and hate crimes
• The creation of a climate that encourages persons of all backgrounds to pursue dreams, remain hopeful and have opportunities to participate fully in city life as productive citizens
• The creation of a climate conducive to knowing and interacting with persons whose racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds are different than one's own
• To work to overcome traditional systemic racial thinking in our culture and the damage that racial prejudice has caused to targeted groups

What is racism specifically? The most prevalent definition, and the most current, is the exercise of racial prejudice in combination with power in order to deny those discriminated against equal access and full participation in key societal functions and, in extreme cases, to marginalize the existence of a particular racial group and its members. It is based on the notion of superiority of one group over another. As such, racism confers special privileges on the dominant group; a dominance attained only because it holds power. The victimized group responds with anger and frustration. Community polarization almost always follows and both oppressor and oppressed are dehumanized in the process.

Blatant bigotry, while it still exists in some circles, is not the most difficult problem we now face. That kind of prejudice is transparent and subject to easy rejection by right thinking people. Rather, it is the subtle, unthinking, unknowing and certainly unacknowledged prejudices that are so vexing to deal with in present day American society. Its most insidious form, of which very few of us are aware, is institutionalized racism. It is the mechanisms, structures and practices that perpetuate the dominant group privilege and corresponding racial injustice.

The reality is that it may take generations to eliminate racism, even if we do the best possible job and devote a substantial amount of energy to it. That means 20 to 25 years of continuous effort by committed community leaders. Eliminating racism must become an institutionalized process. The effort to eliminate racism cannot survive this long period of time as an individual or a special interest group project. It has to be given permanence as a community institution. It must be treated in much the same way we treat the ongoing community-wide effort to preserve the best of our old buildings or the way Kansas City has tackled the drug scourge. The work in each case must be carried out by many committed groups working together and separately, yet continuously, over the long haul.

Approaches to Combating Racism

We are most familiar with the first of these, which is basically a punitive approach that makes certain discriminatory practices a crime and then fines or otherwise punishes perpetrators. The second element includes deeply ingrained practices that may not appear racist but work to produce systematic discrimination. Often, no individual has to promote or espouse bigotry to have this insidious impact occur. Indeed, those who are not directly victimized by this problem are not even aware of it. It is the most difficult element to change precisely because it is faceless and silent. As a just society, it is necessary to root out this expression of racism with the equal resolve applied to the education and sensitization of the community and the maintenance of a "zero-tolerance" attitude towards illegal discriminatory practices.

The third has begun to appear in society mostly through church life and diversity instruction in school rooms. For the most part, however, it has been the individual choice of the leader (clergy or teacher) who has made this happen.

Diversity Council

The job of the Mayor's permanent council, as described by the Task Force would be to help the Kansas City area improve race relations. This permanent group would be the sustaining force keeping the community on track for the long-term task of eliminating racism. It would act as the catalyst for anti-racism activities and constantly remind the community of its commitment to this worthy goal. Why permanent? Racism will not dissolve easily. It will take a long time.

While the business of this council would be directed specifically at the social ill of racism, the council must reflect the hopes and aspirations of the community for a just, civil and connected community. It must be the symbol of the community's best spirit in this regard and express the community's basic acceptance and celebration of diversity. It would acknowledge that Kansas City, like the rest of America, is burdened by racism and other unfair discriminations. It will, through its work, remind the community that the Kansas City Spirit is grounded in putting the phrase "love they neighbor" into action in everyday life and in every facet of our society.

This council should be a reflection of the community, racially and economically. It should be convened by community leaders including the Mayor of Kansas City and, if possible, the mayors of surrounding cities and suburbs. Participation of area businesses and corporate leaders is essential to the success of the initiative.

The council should concentrate on the issues of racial justice. It should work with the wide range of institutions within the city to help them root out practices that perpetuate racism. The council must also take proactive positions and either establish programs that provide equal opportunity or convince others who may be better positioned to do so. An example here might be the Task Force's recommendation that a venture capital fund be established for black entrepreneurs. Initiatives that are appropriate to include on the agenda are:

• Forging partnerships to combat racism
• Education to eliminate racism and support diversity
• Purging the institutionalized practices that perpetuate racism
• Vigilantly seeing that illegal discriminatory actions are rigorously prosecuted

Council of Congregations

Both councils will need private sector funding. They have an important task to accomplish in providing consistent and steady communication to a large and diverse population. A number of actions will be necessary in order to carry out the mission, including a relatively expensive public relations campaign for the entire life of the project.

Work Team Initiatives

Kansas City must take a "zero tolerance" stand on racism and other types of discrimination. Until the community eliminates racism, builds greater understanding of diversity and creates a citywide climate of respect, it can never reach its full economic or social potential. Moreover, a multi-cultural perspective can lend vitality and new ideas to the community which will that contribute to the achievement of common goals. In particular, diversity is extremely beneficial for entrepreneurism, due to its ability to generate new, unorthodox ideas and serve new and expanding markets. Diversity should come to be viewed as an asset and a cause for celebration, not as a series of walls between different groups.

Community policing must be expanded and police-community relations need to be actively promoted, particularly in low income communities.

The philosophy behind community policing is that the police, residents and the business community are partners in solving crime, preventing crime, apprehending offenders and setting good examples for young people. As a result, community policing is making a significant difference in the livability of the target neighborhoods in Kansas City, where it is now in operation. There is every reason to believe this philosophy of policing can improve the quality of life in all neighborhoods, particularly in communities of color, though community policing should be supplemented by efforts to improve mutual understanding, resolve differences, build trust and learn new methods of cooperation between community residents, police officers and other personnel.

Anti-Racism Action Steps

1. A concentration should be placed on training community opinion makers and leaders from all elements of city life in anti-racism principles. Multiple day, highly structured retreats on anti-racism leadership should be regular events sponsored by the councils. The on-going training of senior police officials is important since they lead and train officers who are frequently confronted with difficult situations that involve racial misunderstandings.

2. Police officers and trainers, along with members of minority communities, including young people, should continue to be involved in workshops that encourage them to explore the perceptions and realities of their relationships and ways in which they can be improved.

3. The establishment of an anti-racism resource center is necessary. This center's function should be to assist groups who wish to work on the issue by supplying information such as the names of facilitators, videos, books, workbooks and pamphlets. The center may also offer seminars for those who seek training as facilitators or wish to begin an anti-racism campaign within their group organization. Marketing events may also be a regular offering of the center in the ongoing effort to convince institutions and organizations to work on purging racism.

4. All Kansas City school districts must be assisted in upgrading their anti-racism curriculum. Children are the best hope for a non-racist community. When they are grown, 20% of the population of the United States will have a background that is something other than Euro-American. The success of their world will depend, in part, on how dependable society is in providing them with sound anti-racism training in grammar school and high school.

   The Kansas City school districts should work together to assure that the curriculum is sufficient and that the message is consistent across the city. If possible, the metropolitan suburban school systems in Kansas and Missouri should join the fourteen city districts. Special efforts should be made to provide African-American male administrators and teachers in the school systems at every grade level. Models are important for the boys and young male adults - the country's and city's most at-risk group.

   The Mayor's Task Force on Race Relations highlighted the special role available to the sports industry - a good model for anti-racist harmony. Sports heroes can serve as role models for youth. Contributions by the sports industry in other major cities, such as the efforts of the Chicago Bulls organization, stand as excellent examples of the impact the industry can have on race relations.

5. Establish additional and strengthen existing mentoring programs for minority youths. Young minority males need special attention and care if they are to meet the challenges facing them. This is not to say that teenage women from minority groups, or that all teens, are not in need of adult attention and leadership. Clearly, all youth of this age group need parental and community support. However reality shows us that minority youngsters, especially males, have special needs and vulnerabilities. Mentoring and tutoring programs for this group are crucial to achieving a racism free community. The Council of Congregations proposed by the Mayor's Task Force can galvanize volunteers from across the metropolitan area to address this need. Men, individually or from social and service groups, are especially important as mentors for minority teens.

6. Facilitate connections between youth and police and among cross cultural organizations metro-wide. Agencies that provide youth development services across the city need to bring both diversity and cross-cultural experiences to the young people in their charge. Special attention and support should be given to advancing police/youth interaction to create good relations between them. Many activities and creative means will be developed to accomplish this. Sports, social events and church activities are some outlets available. Bringing people together is the key. The councils can perform an invaluable service in facilitating connections between such groups from different neighborhoods and parts of the metropolitan area.

7. A qualified group of anti-racism managers and facilitators need to be developed to serve the Kansas City region. These facilitators should be available to answer the call from various groups, businesses, institutions, public safety organizations, churches and other such organizations to provide anti-racism seminars and workshops. The council can provide training and model workshop formats to meet different group needs. Special facilitators should be available to mediate neighborhood and other group disputes to defuse racially tense situations that might arise in schools or other institutions. Such facilitators undoubtedly now exist in the Kansas City region as they do in most larger cities. Most have come up through the faith communities and can form the basis to develop a skilled labor force large enough to meet the challenge of a city intent on eliminating racism.

8. Community policing must be expanded citywide. Community policing is an essential aspect of the anti-racism component. The plan calls for universal community policing across the city and the city has already committed to deploying its police officers in accordance with this concept.

9. Local religious and cultural organizations must work to create gatherings that provide opportunities for cross-cultural and cross-racial exchange and understanding. The barriers between the races that now exist are there for many valid reasons, but the simplest answer to overcoming these barriers is getting people together. People need assistance, encouragement and a comfortable setting in which to move into new behaviors.

   A multitude of ways and means can be found to effectuate such gatherings and pairings. Again, the churches of the city and metro area can pick up this challenge on a grand scale. It has been suggested that interracial congregational partnerships and congregational pairings be formed and that pulpit exchanges and joint work projects for the good of the community be started. For example, groups should eat together - what better way to gather share and learn from each other. All these means, and many more, can be the work of the councils to initiate and carry on over time. However, it is also important that other elements of society strive to bring people together. Neighborhood exchanges, charitable organizations, political functions, businesses and workplaces all offer opportunities for pairings that would bring the community together.

   It is important to learn the skills of effective communication with others, as well as how to celebrate the differences and learn to enjoy the richness of our unique composite culture. All such learning requires some teaching and thus, an additional role for councils is to spread the word through media, pamphlets, videos and speakers who are ready to go to any and every group with an anti-racism agenda.

10. A model and an assistance package for institutions to undertake a self-directed racism audit should be created and available to the community. The councils should provide in-depth educational material for this most difficult area of institutional racism. Consultants and facilitators who understand the concepts of organizational development and human behavior should be available, through the councils, to find specific ways each organization can address the hidden racism it may unwittingly be dragging long.

11. The media should be utilized to present positive stories of racial harmony and breakthroughs in purging racist tendencies that result from community efforts. The media has a special opportunity to influence the community by its manner of delivering race-oriented news. The city's Office of Communication can work with the media to provide such stories and continuously urge them to present restraint in their treatment of at-risk youth groups in the city, recognizing that these young people need to be embraced and their sense of worth as individuals, and as a group, be nurtured, strengthened and celebrated.

12. Issues of racial justice such as lending practices, insurance company performance, fair housing practices and equal employment opportunities still require diligent attention. There are numerous examples. The Mayor's Task force found that, in 1996, housing discrimination remained quite prevalent. Redlining appeared to remain an issue in minority communities and many parts of the older central city. Employment and advancement practices in critical service areas must be made to reflect the racial composition of the city. The judicial system also needs to better reflect the population and carefully respond to calls for equal treatment and fairness.

Conclusion

1 FOCUS stands for: Forging Our Comprehensive Urban Strategy

Jacques A. Gourguechon, AICP, Principal Consultant
Camiros, Ltd., Chicago, Illinois