Inclusive Asheville

Police race relations deserve more meaningful attention than error-filled consultant report provides

by Patricia Digh

Update 9/10/07:

When contacted this morning by phone, Lynda O'Connell, executive director of the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation, the organization that Lt Franklin represents, had this to say: “We knew nothing about it. We do not endorse it. We disagree with the quality and representation of the report. Again, the report has nothing to do with VCPI. We do not endorse it at all. It was done without our knowledge, without our participation, and without our endorsement.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the report.

My question is this: why did the AC-T not uncover these facts before running their front-page story with the headline “Police hit on race relations”? 

My core message is this: I believe that every police department in the country should be accountable to do better in terms of their relationships with minority communities--and the APD is no exception to that. However, the AC-T had no business running such an inflammatory story without at the very least documenting the faults in the report and uncovering the fact that the report was not endorsed by the very organization the consultant represented.

My response to the 9/9/07 front page story in the AC-T:

The recent report to the city by “diversity consultant” Anthony Franklin (as available on the AC-T website) is an embarrassment, and not for the reasons described by the recent front-page article in the Asheville Citizen-Times (AC-T). Sure, like every municipal police department (and most corporations) in this country, the APD could likely do more to enhance diversity in its ranks and between its officers and the minority communities it serves. I’m sure there is work to be done, improvements to be made, people to be held accountable--there always is, because positive relations between police and minority communities are typically difficult and very complex across the U.S. Asheville is no exception.

I don’t know the truth of the APD’s record on race relations, but I know I won’t find it in the consultant’s report featured in the AC-T. To be honest, I don’t know what is more appalling—the document itself, the fact that our newspaper covered it as fact on the front page in large type, or the thought that the City might actually pay attention to it.

The report is an embarrassment for five reasons: 1) it is replete with spelling, grammatical, syntactical, and logical errors to an alarming degree, casting doubt on the integrity of the thought processes underscoring it; 2) it is the work of a police officer from Richmond, Virginia, who does “diversity training” on the side, not a professional experienced in complex social issues like community race relations; 3) it is based on biased interviews with too-few individuals to be statistically significant and relies on unmoderated, web-based discussion forums for some of its data rather than in-person interviews; 4) it depends too heavily on third-person anecdotal reports (a friend of a friend said…); and 5) it represents no true understanding of diversity issues and race relations in a community (or any other) setting.

Lt. Franklin’s report is so badly written that, in fact, it is difficult to interpret the meaning of many of his “findings” and suggestions, such as they are. For example, he suggests that the APD conduct community dialogue sessions without mentioning that Chief Hogan has done just that since coming to Asheville in 2005.

Rather than an indictment of Chief Hogan and his leadership team, this report is an indictment of the city officials who hired Lt. Franklin to do the work in the first place. The health of our community—and the race relations between the APD and the community—are far too important to be addressed in such an illogical, unstructured, and ultimately meaningless report. In my assessment as a diversity professional with more than twenty years of experience, the report is so badly done that it deserves no further review or consideration by the City. In fact, I have never read a report so badly conceived and executed--nor as dangerous--as the one recently presented by Lt Franklin to the City.

Having done literally thousands of similar interviews and reports about race relations in corporate and community settings across the U.S. and abroad, I shudder to think what kinds of leading, unschooled questions were asked in those "interviews."

In an area as “hot” as race relations, this is a dangerous place to fuel fires with misinformation, or information so badly presented as to be misread. To do so—as the AC-T has done—is irresponsible.

I urge City officials to consider themselves at risk if they make decisions about the APD (or about Asheville as a whole) based on this ill-conceived document. Rather, I would challenge the City to show that it really is serious about diversity issues by exploring in a more professional and meaningful way how Asheville and its police department can best address tough topics of race. Perhaps Lt Franklin has gotten some things "right." Let's find out for sure. There are many cities across the U.S. that can serve as models for the kind of serious work we need to do about race relations here in Asheville.

This report is so poorly executed that it doesn’t deserve to be argued—in fact, it defies argument or discussion from a logician’s perspective. In a case such as this, the only alternative is to start over, to recognize that every city has diversity issues that need addressing, and to roll up our sleeves and really explore in a meaningful and balanced way what we can do to ensure that all of our citizens receive fair treatment at the hands of our public servants. May I respectfully suggest, by the same token, that Chief Hogan and his leadership team deserve no less consideration, balanced judgment, fairness, and professionalism.

Patricia Digh's first book, Global Literacies: Lessons on Business Cultures and National Cultures, was a Fortune magazine "best business book" in 2000. Her second book, The Global Diversity Desk Reference, was published in 2003. She consults widely in the U.S. and abroad on diversity and race relations, and lives in Asheville.

Does Racism Make Us Sick?

13th Annual Summer Public Health Research Videoconference on Minority Health

Does Racism Make Us Sick?

Satellite and Internet broadcast from the UNC-CH Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History
June 25, 2007, 2:00pm-4:00pm
Location: Teleconferenced into MAHEC Classroom 5, Asheville / Free, No pre-registration required

Panel

Luisa N. Borrell, DDS, MPH, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Gilbert C. Gee, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan

Karina Walters, MSW, PhD, William B. and Ruth Gerberding Endowed Professor, School of Social Work, University of Washington

David R. Williams, PhD, Florence Sprague Norman and Laura Smart Norman Professor of Public Health, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health

Moderator: Stephanie L. Crayton, Media Relations Manager, UNC Health Care

Presented by the
Minority Health Project (UNC Program on Ethnicity, Culture, and Health Outcomes) and the UNC-CH Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs

and the Center for Health Disparities Solutions at Morgan State University

Sponsored by

UNC-CH School of Public Health Dean's Office

UNC-CH Diversity and Multicultural Affairs

www.minority.unc.edu 

Making a future for our children

Saturday, June 2 from 8:00am-2:00pm

W.C.Reid Center Community Day

A gift to the "Raise the Roof at the Reid" capital campaign will do just that. Your contribution will help build a state-of-the-art facility at the W.C. Reid Center for Creative Arts which will provide cultural, recreational, and academic opportunities for youth. With this facility and programs, these youth can go to the center at no-charge during after-school hours and stay focused and learn while being supervised by caring adults.

The renovation of the W. C. Reid Center for Creative Arts will begin in 2007 and your help, along with the entire community is needed.  We appreciate your support and encourage you to tell your neighbors and friends about this exciting project.

The kids are raising money by having a car wash -a-thon of sorts on June 2nd. Please make a contribution and get that pollen cleaned off your car!! Come on by to support a community that is on the move! The Reid Center is located at  133 Livingston Street (corner of Livingston St & Gaston Street).

So please join the City of Asheville and the Parks and Recreation Department along with the WC Reid Center KIDS on Saturday, June 2 from 8:00-2:00 at the Reid Center Community Day.

There will be games, entertainment, food, and a short program at 10:00 a.m.  Representatives from the Asheville Fire Department and Asheville Police Department will also be in attendance.  All proceeds go to the renovation of the W.C. Reid Center for Creative Arts.

For more information, contact:

Meg White
Fundraising Specialist
Asheville Parks and Recreation
828-259-5811 - phone

"She's Not There" chosen for June 2007 meeting

The next Bridging Differences book club meeting will be held on Monday, June 4th at 7pm in the Malaprop's Bookstore Cafe.

We will discuss Jennifer Finney Boylan's "She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders." You can find a useful "discussion guide" for Boylan's book here to guide in your reading.

New members are welcomed at any time. Participants are asked to bring passages that stood out for them, questions for the group that arose from the book, and questions on the relationship of the book's message to life here in Asheville.

We hope to see you there! Feel free to email with any questions.

Parity Institute plans Disparity Update 2007

The Asheville Buncombe Institute of Parity Achievement (ABIPA) has announced an "It Takes a Village Disparity Update 2007" for May 25, 2007. Featuring House Representative Thomas Wright, more information can be found at the ABIPA website or by contacting them by phone (828-251-8364) or by email (info@abipa.org).

"My First White Friend" chosen for May 2007 book club meeting

The next Bridging Differences book club meeting will be held on May 7th at 7pm in the Malaprop's Bookstore Cafe. 

We will finish our discussion of Richard Powers' novel, The Time of Our Singing, and contrast his approach to issues of race with that of Patricia Raybon in our May selection, My First White Friend. You can find a useful "discussion guide" for Raybon's book here to guide in your reading.

New members are welcomed at any time. Participants are asked to bring passages that stood out for them, questions for the group that arose from both books, and questions on the relationship of each work to diversity issues here in Asheville.

We hope to see you there! Feel free to email with any questions.

Talking about gay issues in school

March 22 - A screening of "It's Elementary" will be held at 12:20 p.m. Thursday, March 22, at UNC Asheville's Karpen Hall, room 010.

It's Elementary takes cameras into classrooms across the U.S. to look  at one of today's most controversial issues - whether and how gay issues should be discussed in schools. It features elementary and middle schools where (mainly heterosexual) teachers are challenging the prevailing political climate and its attempt to censor any dialogue in schools about gay people. Rather than focusing on the debate between adults, though, the film takes the point of view of the school children, starting as young as first grade.

The results are surprising and, as the LA Reader says, "funny, touching, and fascinating." Third graders' jaws drop when they find out some of their favorite celebrities are gay; second graders react to a book about a girl who gets teased because she has two moms; fourth graders say it makes them "feel weird in your stomach" when other kids yell "faggot" on the playground and teachers don't do anything about it; eighth graders fire a barrage of poignant questions to the gay guest speakers who visit their social studies class; third graders passionately debate the current events issue of the day: should gays be allowed to get married?

Civil Rights Documentary "Freedom's Call" to be shown at UNCA

March 22 - Civil Rights Documentary “Freedom’s Call"; - UNC Asheville will host a screening of the civil rights documentary “Freedom’s Call” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22, in UNC Asheville's Humanities Lecture Hall. The noted film chronicles the experiences of two pioneering African-American journalists who documented the civil rights movement. A panel discussion with filmmaker Richard Breyer and local journalists will follow the screening. The event is free and open to the public; a $5 donation will be suggested at the door. All proceeds will benefit the "I Have a Dream Foundation," which helps underserved children reach their educational and career goals by providing long-term mentoring and tutoring.

Exploring the Jewish American Experience through Story

March 18 - Share, Hear and Listen: An Exploration of your Jewish American Experience though Storytelling and Story-hearing - In addition to the performance, a workshop for adults will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 18, at the Asheville Jewish Community Center. “Share, Hear and Listen: An Exploration of your Jewish American Experience though Storytelling and Story-hearing” will use writing and physical improvisation to explore the theme of belonging. No acting or writing experience is required. The workshop is free and open to the public. For more information, call UNCA Center for Jewish Studies at 828-251-6576 or the Asheville Jewish Community Center at 828-253-0701.

American Jewish experience comes to life on stage

March 17 - “The Wonders” - The American Jewish experience will come to life onstage when UNC Asheville hosts “The Wonders” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 17, at the Asheville Jewish Community Center, 236 Charlotte St., the play intertwines the stories of three fictional women’s lives: an immigrant Yiddish actress, a Southern beauty queen and a young contemporary playwright.   An original production by the Traveling Jewish Theatre based in San Francisco. 

Advance purchase tickets are $10 general admission or $5 for senior citizens, area students and children under 12. Tickets purchased at the door are $15 general admission, $8 for senior citizens, and $5 for students and children under 12. To reserve tickets by phone, call the UNC Asheville Box Office at 828/232-5000. Tickets may be purchased in person at UNC Asheville’s Box Office, the Asheville Jewish Community Center, Congregation Beth Ha Tephila and Congregation Beth Israel.