This document summarizes the proceedings of an Ad Hoc Committee on Cultural Competence & Racial Equity meeting in October 2013. It lists the participants in the committee and discusses their process, which involved storytelling, asset mapping, and identifying issues to develop a shared understanding and prioritize solutions. The committee aligned on priorities to address structural racism barriers and close the gap in third grade reading scores between Black and White children. They agreed to form a Community of Practice to employ tools to combat structural racism and work on multiple levels through collective action. The next steps outlined continuing outreach and launching the Community of Practice in December 2013.

1. Ad Hoc Committee on Cultural
Competence & Racial Equity
October 2013

2. Lansing Early Childhood Equity
Partnership
Presenter:
Angela Waters Austin
One Love Global

3. Mich. panel weighs holding back reading
deficient third graders
A House committee heard testimony
Wednesday on new legislation to prohibit
students from starting fourth grade without
passing the state reading test in third grade.
One-third or 33,000 of Michigan’s third-graders,
weren’t proficient in reading on last year’s test.
- October 30, 2013 Associated Press

4. What We Accomplished
June – September 2013:
• Purpose
• Process
• Participants
• Proceedings
• Priorities
• Partner Engagement

5. Purpose
• Meet and come back to GSC and LECEP
with a plan
• Identify topics and things we can do
• A multi-level approach is needed
• Shape recommendations that others in
the community may take on long-term

6. Participants
Hon. Donald Allen, 55th District Court,
Ingham Change Initiative
Sarah Anthony, Ingham County Board of
Commissioners
Angela Waters Austin, One Love Global
Ward Beard, N.E.O.N.
Stephanie Butler, Church of Greater
Lansing
Pam Eaton Champion, Pam’s Academy
for Champions
Katie Ellero, Power of We Consortium,
AMERICORPS
DeLisa Fountain, N.E.O.N.
Rose Henderson, Power of We
Consortium
Shanell Henry, N.E.O.N.
Mina Hong, Michigan’s Children
Kindra Jackson, Kindra’s Precious Care
Sandra Johnson
Cameo King, One Love Global
Teresa Kmetz, Capital Area United Way
Cassandre Larrieux, Ingham County
Health Department
Tiffany Lemieux-McKissic, Asset
Independence Coalition
Laurie Linscott, Michigan State
University
Tim Lloyd, N.E.O.N.
Barb Monroe, Office for Young Children
Michelle Nicholson, Ingham Great Start
Collaborative
Sharon Rogers, Capital Area Community
Services Head Start
MC Rothhorn, N.E.O.N., Great Start
Family Coalition
Derrell Slaughter, MI Public Service
Commission
Isaias Solis, Power of We Consortium
Lia Spaniolo, Power of We Consortium
Ken Sperber, Ingham Great Start
Collaborative
Valerie Thonger, Ingham Great Start
Collaborative
Adam Williams, N.E.O.N.
Jerome Vierling, Sounds Good Ministries

7. A grateful thanks to committee members for sharing your hearts and minds to help
our community cast a vision for improving outcomes for children by removing barriers
created by racialized policies, practices and perceptions.

8. Process: Dialogue
•
•
•
•
•
Organizing and Agenda Setting (utilizing
the Racial Equity Collective Impact diagram
and process to build an inclusive committee to
develop an action agenda for improving
outcomes for Black males)
Storytelling (drawing on the personal
experiences of all to equalize power for trust
and relationship building)
Asset Mapping (data collection designed to
build on strengths rather than deficits)
Issues Identification (developing a shared
understanding of problems and potential
solutions)
Goal Alignment and Prioritization (applying
solutions to NEON SMART objective and data to
promote collective action with families)

9. Process: Dialogue

10. Proceedings: Dialogue Themes

11. Priority Alignment
Which actions are most
likely to have an impact
on closing the gap in 3rd
grade reading scores
between Black children
and White children?.

13. Priorities

14. Structural Racism Priorities

16. Community of Practice
• Employ the best tools and thinking in
identification of structural racism barriers
• Commit to working on multiple levels to
combat structural racism
• Learn by doing through collective action to
close gap in 3rd grade reading scores
• Serve as champions for racial equity in
early childhood

17. Next Step: Partnership
•
Report out on ad hoc committee to targeted
constituencies (October 31 - ongoing)
•
Extend partnership agreements to bring existing
resources into the CoP (November 15)
•
Determine GSC members that will participate in
the CoP (by November 20)
•
Launch the Community of Practice for Racial
Equity & Healing (December 2)
•
Complete individual and collective assessments
(by January 31)

19. Thank you for your interest in improving outcomes in early
childhood for children of color.
Proceedings
If your organization is interested in joining the CoP, please contact
Angela Waters Austin – angela@oneloveglobal.org