2002 Beyond the Talk: Improving Race Relations

Beyond the Talk: Improving Race Relations Study

Significant race-based social and economic inequalities still existin Jacksonville, and much improvement is still needed.

Past and current efforts to address racial disparities, discrimina-tion, and tensions have not addressed the fundamental issuesthat created the problems.

Addressing racial discrimination in Jacksonville requiresintentional change by individuals, families, businesses,government, and other community institutions.

Successful efforts to improve race relations must addressdeep-seated race-based beliefs, individual behaviors by racialminorities that contribute to racial disparities, and the multi-generational economic impacts of past racial discrimination.

2

Summary

Highlights

The Mayor of Jacksonville should galvanize community leadershipto create a vision for Jacksonville of racial justice and inclusion.

Community institutions (government, education, business, housing,criminal justice, health-care, religious, and political) should takeaction beyond current efforts to decrease racial disparities (seespecific recommendations beginning on pp. 25 for details.)

Jacksonville's leadership, particularly its black leadership, should moreactively mobilize the community to address self-destructive behaviorsthat contribute to racial disparities.

City government and other institutions should be held accountablefor their efforts to improve race relations, through annual communityreporting and citizen oversight.

Major Concerns Recommended Solutions

Biologists insist that there's only one race–the human race. Yet sincethe beginning of the American experience, differences in appearancehave impacted how people relate to each other. In particular, beingclassified as "black" in America has resulted in stark disparities in legalprotection status and opportunity. The overt legal structures of asegregated society were dismantled in the 1960s in response to theCivil Rights Movement, but the underlying racist attitudes andinstitutional practices of a still divided people remained. Today racialidentity remains a significant social and cultural identification: "Welive in the same community," as one resource person put it, "but indifferent worlds."

Over the last 40 years, people in Jacksonville have come togethernumerous times to address race relations, often in response to a flare-up of tensions in the community. Each time, the resulting dialogueled to an easing of tensions until the next crisis. This study ambitiouslybuilds on those efforts, seeking to move "beyond the talk" byexamining the cycles of tension, blame, denial, and mistrust and byevaluating the practices and processes of public and privateinstitutions that may, perhaps unintentionally, create or perpetuatethese cycles in the community.

The study began by considering the history of race relations inJacksonville and moved quickly to the present, evaluating currentconcerns and existing efforts to address them. The study committeeunderstood from the outset that this issue is emotional, andcommittee members brought their pain, anger, guilt, and frustrationto the table. While several organizations and programs in Jacksonvilleare working to address hurts and foster reconciliation amongindividuals, this study concentrates on the larger picture involvingthe actions and impacts of institutions.

The study focuses primarily on the relations between blacks and whitesin Jacksonville because the history of Jacksonville, as well as the numberof whites and blacks living in Duval County, places this relationship at thecenter of local race relations. At the same time, Jacksonville isbecoming increasingly diverse, with growing Hispanic, Asian, and NativeAmerican populations, as well as increased Eastern Europeanimmigration. This expanding diversity poses new challenges andopportunities for the Jacksonville community as it addresses racerelations. The study committee evaluated how steps to improveblack/white relations may apply to all members of the community,regardless of race or ethnicity.

The study committee found that Jacksonville residents, depending ontheir race, perceive race relations differently. Beyond those perceptions,the study committee discovered and documented race-based disparitiesin education, employment and income, neighborhoods and housing,criminal justice, health, and the political process. The persistence ofthese disparities in Jacksonville has inhibited efforts to improve racerelations.

To move beyond the talk and improve race relations for all its citizens,Jacksonville needs:

leadership, including leaders from government, business, education,and the faith community, to work together to make Jacksonville a placein which all residents, regardless of race, participate fully in public life;a vision, shared by the community, of a Jacksonville withoutrace-based disparities or discrimination;action by community institutions, by government, and by individualcitizens, to realize that vision; andaccountability, through independent monitoring, communitycelebrations, and annual report cards, to ensure results.

Jacksonville Community Council Inc. 3

FINDINGS 4

Introduction 4

Demographics of Race 4

Differences in Perceptions 6History 6Measuring perceptions through surveys 8Perceived discrimination 9

Disparities in Quality of Life 11Education 11Income and employment 13Neighborhoods and housing 14Health 14Criminal justice 15Political process 16

Explaining the Disparities 17Racism and prejudice 17Institutional practices 17Individual choices and behaviors 20Education and income 20

Table Of Contents

Mission Statement

JCCI is a nonpartisan civic organization that engages diverse citizens inopen dialogue, research, consensus building and leadership developmentto improve the quality of life and build a better community in NortheastFlorida and beyond.

Cover design, concept study layout and supporting graphics by graphic designer, Kristin Jackson.

Efforts to Address Racial Tension 21Efforts to increase interpersonal

interaction across racial lines 21Efforts to increase understanding and

reconciliation 21Efforts to identify and eliminate

discrimination 21Efforts to understand and reform

institutional practices 21Efforts to address disparities directly 21Impacts on race relations 22

CONCLUSIONS 23

RECOMMENDATIONS 25

REFERENCES 28

RESOURCE PEOPLE 29

COMMITTEE MEMBERS 30

ABOUT JCCI 31

Beyond the Talk: Improving Race Relations Study4

FindingsFindings represent the information received by the committee.They are derived from published materials, from facts reportedby resource people, and from a consensus of the committee'sunderstanding of the opinions of resource people.

IntroductionWe hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men arecreated equal, that they are endowed by their Creator withcertain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure theserights, Governments are instituted among Men, derivingtheir just powers from the consent of the governed.

Declaration of Independence, 1776

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridgethe privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States;nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, orproperty, without due process of law; nor to deny to anyperson within its jurisdiction the equal protection of thelaws.

Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, 1868

Across the country, people are in pursuit of the "AmericanDream"—happiness, economic prosperity, good health, personalgrowth and fulfillment, peace, and a host of other values sharedregardless of one's racial or ethnic background.

Yet in Jacksonville today, as in America, the color of one's skin stillaffects the pursuit of one's dreams. On average, according to the2000 U.S. Census and other measures, blacks continue to fareworse than whites and most other racial and ethnic groups ineducation, employment, income, access to health care, and healthoutcomes. Blacks also are more likely to be incarcerated and to bediscriminated against in housing.

Despite legal equality fought for and achieved in the Civil RightsMovement, these differences persist. Discovering the reasons forthe disparities is difficult because the disparities are tightlyintertwined. Disparities in employment status, for example, aretied closely to differences in access to health care (through privatehealth insurance coverage) and housing (the availability andlocation of an affordable home). Housing location, with someexceptions, relates directly to public school district boundaries.Disparities in educational outcomes, such as graduation rates ortest scores, often correlate with family income and school place-ment. Disparities in educational outcomes in turn affect futureemployment and family income.

Race-based disparities in the quality of life in Jacksonvillenegatively affect race relations. They serve as constant remindersof a divided, unequal community. Among many racial and ethnicminorities, they reinforce anger, resentment, and mistrust against

those who are perceived to benefit from the current situation butwho appear not to be addressing the disparity issue. Residential andsocial segregation isolates and insulates many in the community fromthe issue, and what they do see may only reinforce traditionalstereotypes and fears.

The issue is yet more complex. Tensions in race relations stem notonly from racial disparities, but also from the cumulative effect of his-torical grievances, differing perceptions of ongoing discrimination,and frustration with government and other institutional attempts atremedies. Comments from study participants demonstrated thistension: anger at past injustice; anxiety that a particular minority maybe left out of the process; distrust of "one more study" after pastefforts failed to produce desired changes; denial that a race relationsproblem exists; frustration that government already gives too many benefits to minorities; and more.

One resource speaker described the results in this fashion: "Forblacks, it's always about race. For whites, it's never about race." Howpeople experience life in Jacksonville affects how they perceive racerelations and the extent of the underlying problems.

Jacksonville has experienced a pattern of periodic community inci-dents causing flare-ups of racial tension. These incidents are oftenperceived in different ways; for many whites, the incident is anaberration that should and can be resolved by directly addressing theimmediate issue. For many blacks, the incident provides visible evidence of underlying systemic problems that have never beenadequately addressed.

Demographics of race

History and culture have made race an important aspect ofidentity in American society. The 2000 Census shows that DuvalCounty's population continues to grow more diverse, whichimpacts efforts to understand and to improve race relations.

Race is an imprecise concept. As few as six out of 40,000 genes inthe human body are involved in determining skin color, far fewerthan the number of genetic divergences that biologists use toidentify separate classifications within a species.

At the same time, the identification of people and their status insociety based on race has a long history in America. The U.S. Censushas always classified people by race. Traditionally, American publicpolicy has followed the concept that someone with ancestors ofmore than one racial or ethnic group is classified with the racialcategory of lowest social status. Also known as the "one-drop rule,"this policy meant that one nonwhite ancestor, however remote, wassufficient (if known) to classify an individual as a minority, whichoften had significant negative legal and social implications.


Duval County population, 2000 U.S. Census

Percentage oftotal population,

1990

Percentage oftotal population,

2000

Population,2000

Race:

Black

Asian/ Pacific Islander

Other

Native American

Ethnicity:

Two or more races

Total

Hispanic (of any race)

72.8%

24.4%

1.9%

0.3%

NA

NA

2.6%

65.8%

27.8%

2.8%

0.3%

1.3%

2.0%

4.1%

512,469

216,780

21,603

2,598

10,170

15,259

778,879

31,946

White

Source: 2000 U.S. Census.NA = not applicable

However, the 2000 Census dropped the "one-drop rule", askingrespondents to "indicate what this person considers himself/herself tobe," while providing no definitions for the accompanying categoriesand allowing respondents to select multiple categories or providetheir own. Yet in a 1999 administrative rule, the federal governmentreaffirmed that people who selected more than one racial categoryon the 2000 Census are classified as "minority," thus ensuring againststatistical dilution of minority political influence.

The actual terms Americans use to identify different racial and ethniccategories have changed frequently during the last century, aspreviously used terms came to be considered pejorative. This studyuses the terms white, black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American torefer to racial and ethnic categories. Because some organizations thatserved as data sources for this study maintain data in different ways,Asian and Native American statistics are sometimes combined underthe label "Other" in tables or charts from those sources. In all chartsand tables, the greatest level of detail available is provided; during thecourse of this study, the study committee found that many organiza-tions keep statistical information in white/nonwhite or black/nonblackcategories only.

Statistics of Jacksonville's Hispanic population often are calculatedseparately from racial classifications, adding to the complexity inunderstanding the data. The 2000 Census identifies "ethnicity"as a separate category from racial classifications. While ethnicity in

general use refers to national origin or cultural heritage, insteadthe Census uses "ethnicity" to mean Hispanic or non-Hispanic–one can be Hispanic and white, Hispanic and black,and so forth–but the Census provides no other ethnic classifica-tions. Because race is understood in both genealogical andcultural terms, some aspects of the following discussion apply toethnicity, although this study focuses on race.

Jacksonville's recorded history begins with conflict among rivalEuropean powers and Native Americans. The indigenousTimucua population was largely destroyed by the 1600s.Attempts by other Native American groups to settle in NortheastFlorida ended when Andrew Jackson, after whom Jacksonville isnamed, defeated the Seminoles in 1817.

The population in Northeast Florida soon shifted to consist ofmostly European colonists and enslaved Africans. In the 1990Census, 97 percent of the population in Duval County identifiedthemselves as either black or white. By 2000, growth amongAsian, Native American, Hispanic, and other racial and ethnicgroups more than doubled the percentage of Jacksonville'spopulation that considered themselves neither black nor white.

This study focuses on race relations between blacks and whites inJacksonville in order to identify strategies for improving racerelations for the long-term benefit of the entire community.


Differences in perceptions

Whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans havediffering perspectives on the state of race relations inJacksonville, although most agree that significant progress hasbeen made and that significant improvement is still needed.Understanding the state of race relations today must begin witha review of the past, because people's past experiences affecthow they view current events. A number of surveys havedocumented how Jacksonville residents view race relations.These surveys, along with similar national reports, illustrate themagnitude of the issue this study addresses.

History

Over the last 150 years, American public policy relating to racefocused on the role of blacks in society. Official segregationended through a series of actions beginning in the 1950s andextending through the late 1990s. The legacy of institutional-ized segregation and discrimination continues to influence racerelations in Jacksonville.

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln in1863, began the process of removing institutional racial discrimi-nation in America. The 13th Constitutional Amendment, ratifiedin 1865, abolished slavery. In 1868, the 14th Amendment pro-vided for equal protection under the law, regardless of former con-ditions of servitude. In 1870, the 15th Amendment guaranteedthe right to vote for all men, and black men began voting in elec-tions in Florida.

However, national and state public policy continued to fosterinstitutional discrimination. Florida passed a poll tax in 1885 andtook other actions to keep blacks from voting. In 1896 the U.S.Supreme Court, in Plessy v. Ferguson, upheld that "separate butequal" was constitutional, although the lone dissenter, Justice JohnHarlan, wrote:

Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nortolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights,all citizens are equal before the law.... In my opinion, thejudgment this day rendered will, in time, prove to be quiteas pernicious as the decision made by this tribunal in theDred Scott case.... The present decision, it may well beapprehended, will not only stimulate aggressions, more orless brutal and irritating, upon the admitted rights ofcolored citizens, but will encourage the belief that it ispossible, by means of state enactments, to defeat thebeneficient purposes which the people of the UnitedStates had in view when they adopted the recentamendments of the Constitution.

Policies called Jim Crow laws mandated segregation in publicplaces, and Colored Only/Whites Only signs became common-place in Jacksonville.

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s challengedofficial segregation. The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education

Supreme Court decision explicitly reversed Plessy v. Ferguson, declar-ing "separate but equal" and segregated public schools to beunconstitutional. Passage of the 1964 federal Civil Rights Actrequired desegregation of public accommodations. From the 1960sthrough the time of this study, Jacksonville citizens confronted oneanother repeatedly over the implementation of desegregation, withsit-ins, protests, riots, lawsuits, and boycotts (see timeline on page 7).

Because discriminatory public policy and ordinances specifically targetedblacks, civil rights protests in Jacksonville focused almost exclusivelyon the rights of black citizens. For this reason, and because blackshave comprised the largest racial minority, race relations inJacksonville traditionally have been a black/white issue. One conse-quence of a society in which laws treated people differently based onskin color has been to develop institutions and a culture that treat allpeople differently because of the color of their skin, including Asians,Hispanics, Native Americans, and other ethnic groups.

In 2002, Jacksonville's present is built on its past. Its history ofdivision and race-based mistreatment still plays a significant role in itsinstitutions and in how many people view current situations. AsJacksonville grows through increasing in-migration, the history of racerelations impacts people differently, based partly on the length oftime they have lived here and the history they bring with them.Interracial interactions often are complicated by differing perceptionsof shared events, based on their past personal experiences.

Achieving Desegregation: The Caseof the Duval County Public Schools

The 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board ofEducation required the elimination of segregated publicschools. Jacksonville was slow to comply with this deci-sion; 11 years later, only 137 black students were attend-ing white schools, while no white students attended blackschools.

In 1971, the courts ordered busing to eliminate segregat-ed schools, citing the Supreme Court's mandate that dis-crimination must be "eliminated root and branch." In1990, the school system adopted a new desegregationprogram, emphasizing magnet schools, to allow therequired busing to be more voluntary.

In 1999, the federal district court declared the DuvalCounty Public Schools to be "unitary," meaning that theschool system was operated without discrimination "to themaximum extent possible." This ended court supervision ofdesegregation efforts. The decision was upheld on appealin 2001.

Using the definition of a desegregated school from the1990 Desegregation Stipulation and Agreement betweenthe Jacksonville Branch of the NAACP and the DuvalCounty School Board, 58 percent of Duval County public-school students attended desegregated schools in the2000-01 school year. In the same year, 49 percent of


Timeline

JacksonvilleNational

Montgomery Bus Boycott,recognized as beginning theCivil Rights Movement

Brown v. Board of Educationrejects "separate but equal"as unconstitutional

Selected Events in History

1954

1955

1959

1960

1963

1964

1967

1968

1969

1971

1974

1984

1990

1991

1992

1995

2001

Blacks picket downtownbusinesses, protesting segregation

"Axe Handle Saturday": black protestorsattacked in Hemming Plaza

13 black first-graders attend white schoolsfor first time

Civil disturbances in reaction to Mayor Burns'support of segregation

U.S. passes Civil Rights Act

City of Jacksonville establishes Human RightsCommission

City of Jacksonville/Duval County consolidationtakes place

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.is assassinated

Riots after white salesman shoots black youthon Florida Avenue

Riots after white policeman shoots black youth;Court-ordered busing begins in Jacksonvilleschools

U.S. Civil Rights Commission recommendscutting off federal funding for Jacksonville lawenforcement due to racially discriminatory policiesand practices

Jacksonville City Council passes first minorityset-aside ordinance; Clarkson Committeerecommends improvements in police policyand procedures

NAACP and School Board enter intoDesegregation Agreement; magnet schoolsreplace forced busing

NAACP sues Duval County School Board overimplementation of desegregation agreementJudge John Santora makes racially-prejudicedremarks and is removed from being Chief Judge

Jacksonville Together! presents recommendationsfor community healing

Jacksonville elects first black sheriff

Jacksonville schools declared "unitary," removedfrom federal supervision


Overall, how would you rate the state of race relations in Duval County?

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't Know

11%

2%4% 2% 3%

52%

17%

31% 30%

48%

White

Black

Source: 2000 Jacksonville University survey

In your opinion during the last year, do you feelthat racism is a problem in Jacksonville?

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Source: JCCI 2001 Quality of Life Report. Survey conducted by American Public Dialogue, September 2001

19851987

19891991

19931995

19971999

2001

People of color

White people

8

Measuring perceptionsthrough surveys

Hispanics, whites, blacks, Asians, andNative Americans respond differently toquestions about the state of race relationsin Jacksonville. Most agree that racerelations are improving in Jacksonville.Most also agree that significant improve-ment is still needed.

Several recent telephone surveys havesought to document the state of racerelations among Jacksonville residents.They consistently demonstrate both aconcern for race relations in Jacksonvilleand a difference in how people view theissue, depending on their racial or ethnicbackground.

University of North Florida surveys, 1998-2000

The University of North Florida's Center forCommunity Initiatives, in partnership withthe Jacksonville Human RightsCommission, has conducted annual phonesurveys since 1998 about perceptions ofrace and race relations in Duval County.

The surveys reported that responses fromwhites and blacks in Jacksonville differsignificantly, indicating that whites andblacks "see the world through two differentlenses." They also found that mostJacksonville residents consider racerelations to be an important issue in theirlives. In the 1998 survey, 85 percent ofwhite respondents and 88 percent of blackrespondents agreed with that statement.

The 2000 survey concluded: While thereappears to have been some improvementin the area of race relations, much stillremains to be done.

Jacksonville University survey, 2000

The Social Science Research Center atJacksonville University (JU) conducted apoll for WJCT public television betweenNovember 20 and December 8, 2000,during the controversy over the 2000Presidential elections. The survey reportedthat 63 percent of whites felt race relationswere "excellent" or "good," while 78 per-cent of blacks rated them "fair" or "poor."

JCCI Quality of Life Indicators, 2001

Jacksonville Community Council Inc.'s (JCCI) Quality of Life in Jacksonville: Indicators forProgress, published annually since 1985, examines current measures of the quality of life andreports trends over time. The JCCI survey displays a consistent difference between theperceptions of white respondents and of people of color (survey respondents include a smallpercentage of Asians and Hispanics.) In 2001, 53 percent of whites and 67 percent ofpeople of color felt that racism was a problem in Jacksonville.


Perceived discrimination

Different perceptions of the quality of race relations are related todiffering perceptions of the extent of discrimination inJacksonville. In general, a higher percentage of blacks report thatthey believe discrimination is a problem in Jacksonville thanwhites do; many whites report that they think discrimination nolonger exists. Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans alsoreport discrimination, though generally at lower rates thanblacks. National studies report that differing perceptions aboutdiscrimination made significant differences in opinions aboutpublic policy toward race.

Perceptions differ by race, not only about race relations inJacksonville, but also about how life is experienced by members ofanother race. Tensions in race relations often are related to percep-tions of mistreatment. In Jacksonville, many blacks report feelingdiscriminated against, while many whites report that they thinkdiscrimination no longer exists.

In UNF's 2000 survey, for example, most white respondents feltblacks have equal opportunities for success and are treated fairly inhousing, employment, education, the criminal justice system, and inthe media. On the other hand, blacks reported much higher levelsof discriminatory treatment and a much more pessimistic view ofhow the Jacksonville community treats blacks. Other surveys havehad similar results, as follows:

Employment

In JCCI's 2001 Quality of Lifesurvey, 39 percent of blackrespondents report having per-sonally experienced racismwhile at work in the previousyear, compared to 12 percentof white respondents. In JU's2000 survey, 35 percent ofblacks thought blacks had justas good a chance as whites toget a job for which they werequalified, compared to 81 per-cent of white respondents.

In general, do you think that black people have as good a chance aswhite people in your community to get any kind of job for which theyare qualified, or don't you think they have as good a chance?

Whites Blacks

Don't have as good a chance

Don't Know/No Answer

81%

16%

3%

35%

61%

4%

Have as good a chance


Differing Perceptions:The Case of Consolidation

In 1968, the governments of Duval Countyand the City of Jacksonville were consolidat-ed into one governmental unit. Perceptions ofwhy this consolidation occurred differdramatically among residents, based on race:

Whites are more likely to cite the efficienciesof the new form of government, the corrup-tion in the pre-consolidation county and citygovernment offices, changes in property taxassessments, and disaccreditation of DuvalCounty Public Schools, believing that "right-eous indignation" led citizens to act to createa better government.

Blacks are more likely to stress white fearsabout the growing population and politicalpower of blacks in the pre-consolidated Cityof Jacksonville as driving the consolidationmovement. Without consolidation, blackswould shortly have had a majority of the vot-ing population and could have elected blackleadership. Many blacks contend that blackswere forced to choose between the potentialpolitical power or promises of improvedservices in the core city, including betterschools and improved drainage.

Consolidation was adopted by a citizenreferendum, which received the majority ofboth white and black votes.

Which perception of the motivations for con-solidation is accurate? Reasonable peopleoften disagree. Proponents see local gov-ernment as more efficient and effective thanit was before consolidation. Critics arguethat inner-city schools and drainage remain


Criminal justice

Surveys in Jacksonville report differences in the belief that racialprofiling, which is being stopped by the police because of one'sracial or ethnic background, occurs; 65 percent of black respon-dents to JU's 2000 survey said they thought racial profiling was"widespread," compared to 26 percent of white respondents. Inaddition, 37 percent of blacks reported having been stopped bythe police just because of their race; only 4 percent of whitesreported having the same experience.

10

In some areas, it has been reported that police officers stop motoristsof certain racial or ethnic groups because the officers believe thatthese groups are more likely than others to commit certain types ofcrimes. Do you believe that this practice, known as "racial profiling"is widespread or not in Duval County?

Whites Blacks

No, not widespread


26%

50%

24%

65%

21%

14%

Yes, widespread


Have you ever felt that you were stopped by the police just becauseof your race or ethnic background?

Whites Blacks

No


4%

94%

2%

37%

62%

1%

Yes, specify


Political system

The 2000 UNF survey found that "far fewer Black respondentsbelieved that local government gives equal representation to theinterests and concerns of all racial and minority groups compared toWhites and Other Minorities."

Quality of life

Surveys have also measured racial differences in people's perceptionsof their own quality of life. Results of these surveys show that blacksconsistently report a lower quality of life than whites, with Asians andHispanics generally in between.

In the 2000 UNF survey, blacks in Jacksonville reported experiencinga lower overall quality of life than did whites, Asians, Hispanics, orNative Americans. A 2000 national survey conducted by theNational Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) foundsimilar results. Respondents were asked to rate whether they were"satisfied" or "dissatisfied" with distinct aspects of their life. The tableillustrates strongest dissatisfaction among the black community andsignificant differences among the reporting groups.

Life Satisfactions by Race/Ethnicity

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the following aspects of your life?(Satisfaction levels shown in percentages)

WhitesAspects of life (percent satisfied)

Your present housing

Your job or the work you do

Your education

Your access to health care

The education children are getting today

How well different groups in societyget along with each other

73%

91%

88%

81%

78%

36%

29%

Blacks Hispanics Asians

49%

77%

74%

67%

73%

29%

21%

69%

72%

48%

41%

64%

82%

80%

81%

82%

49%

43%

68%

90%

82%

Your household income

Source: NCCJ 2000 survey.Satisfaction with work based only on those employed.

Results of these surveys are consistent in all areas of concern withthose of similar national polls. Whites and blacks have differingperceptions about the extent of discrimination in their communitiesacross the country. Recent reports suggest that these differencesimpact efforts to improve race relations in at least two ways:

hindering the ability to achieve a common understanding of theproblems in a community that need addressing; andinfluencing opinions about the proper public policies to addressthese concerns.

A 2001 national survey conducted by Harvard University, in partner-ship with the Washington Post and the Kaiser Foundation, askedrespondents about the life experiences of blacks in America. Thestudy compared the survey responses with 2000 U.S. Census dataand found that 70 percent of white respondents had significantmisperceptions about the actual quality of life of blacks. The level ofmisperception about real disparities in income, employment,education, and access to health care made significant differences inthe opinions respondents held about public policy solutions.

Housing

In JCCI's 2001 survey, 23 percent of black respondents reportedhaving experienced discrimination while renting or buying a homein the previous year, compared to 5 percent of white respondents.JU's 2000 survey reported that 83 percent of whites think blackshave an equal playing field in the housing market.

In general, do you think that black people have as good a chance aswhite people in your community to get any housing they can afford,or don't you think they have as good a chance?

Whites Blacks

Don't have as good a chance


83%

12%

5%

50%

43%

7%

Have as good a chance



Disparities in Quality of Life

The following analysis of actual disparities in Jacksonville is designed tomove beyond perceptions of discrimination to create a commonfactual basis for discussing solutions.

Studies have consistently found significant differences in thequality of life between blacks and whites in America. The sameholds true in Jacksonville. Available data demonstrate significantracial disparities in education, income and employment, housing,criminal justice, health, and the political process.

Many aspects of the quality of life are numerically measurable.Substantial data reveal that blacks and whites experience differentactual outcomes in major aspects of life in Jacksonville.

Duval County Public Schools:Racial/ethnic distribution by exceptional education program, 2000-01

White non-Hispanic

Blacknon-Hispanic

Hispanic

Gifted program

Educablementally handicapped

49.2%

70.2%

23.4%

42.7%

16.5%

73.8%

3.7%

3.8%

1.6%

2.7%

6.6%

0.6%

0.2%

0.3%

0.1%

1.6%

2.5%

0.4%

Total students

Source: Florida Department of Education

Asian/Pacific Islander

AmericanIndian/

Alaskan NativeMultiracial

Education

The Duval County Public School population in 2000-2001(125,727 students) was 49 percent white, 43 percent black, andeight percent other racial or ethnic groups. Significant race-baseddifferences exist in several measures of educational outcomes:participation in certain exceptional education programs,standardized test scores, and high-school graduation rates.

While less than three percent of public-school students participatein gifted programs, those who do are mostly white. Black students,while 42.7 percent of the student body, make up just 16.5 percentin the gifted program.

Students classified as "educable mentally handicapped," meaningthat their IQ is assessed between 50 and 70, are predominantlyblack. Only 23.4 percent of students in educable mentallyhandicapped programs are white.

Standardized test scores are one way of measuring educationalachievement. In 1998, the State of Florida began requiring thatpublic-school students take the Florida ComprehensiveAchievement Test (FCAT). Through 2001, tests were given to allstudents in 4th, 8th, and 10th grades. In 2002, the tests wereexpanded to all grade levels. The reading and mathematicssections of the test are graded on a five-point scale. Level Threerepresents satisfactory grade-level performance.


Calculated graduation rate and dropout rateDuval County Public Schools, 2000-01

White Black Hispanic

Dropout rate

46.4%

7.5%

34.8%

9.3%

46.7%

8.4%

68.8%

5.9%

80.0%

6.5%

51.6%

7.0%

42.3%

8.3%

Graduation rate

Source: Florida Department of Education The graduation rate is calculated by comparing high-school graduates with ninth graders entering school four years previously. Floridaschools no longer calculate the graduation rate this way; beginning in 1999, students are tracked by ID number for a more accurate rate.However, rates are not calculated by race or ethnicity in the new method. Rates calculated in this chart include only standard diplomas.Special diplomas, GEDs, and other certificates are not included.

AsianAmerican

Indian Multiracial Total

12

In 2000, a significantly higher percentage of white students scoredat Level Three or above than black students. The percentage ofHispanic students scoring at those levels fell in between the othertwo, while Asian students generally did better on the FCAT thanany of the other groups for whom data were reported. Whilescores for all students improved over three years, the disparity ineducational achievement remained consistent.

These differences in test scores remain even when householdincome is factored in. Using participation in the free or reduced-price lunch programs as a measurement of household income,black students, on average, underperform other students withinthe same income categories.

FCAT Scores, Level 3 or Higherby participation in free or reduced-price lunch programs and by race

2001 math and reading scores

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Math Reading Math Reading

15.9%

40.0%

27.9%

48.9%

32.2%

62.5%

49.6%

73.6%

Source: Duval County Public Schools Scores are from the 2001 FCAT, fifth-grade math scores and fourth-grade reading scores. Data include all studentstaking the test. Socioeconomic status is measured by student participation in the free or reduced-price lunch programs.Household income must be below 180 percent of the federal poverty line to participate in one of these programs. Thepoverty threshold income in 2001 for a family of four was $17,650; 180 percent of that is $31,770.

Black

Non-Black

Free/Reduced-price Lunch Full Price Lunch

Duval County Public Schools 2000 FCAT Scores: Level 3 (satisfactory) or higher

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

White Black Hispanic Asian

72%

53%

40%35%

21%14%

59%

40%

31%

68%

57%

45%

Source: Duval County Public Schools Scores reported are those transmitted to the State of Florida for school grading purposes. They do not include students in English as a Second Language or Exceptional Student Education classes.

4th grade

8th grade

10th gradeReading

Duval County Public Schools 2000 FCAT Scores: Level 3 (satisfactory) or higher

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

White Black Hispanic Asian

62%67% 69%

25%30% 28%

39%

55%49%

75% 72% 74%

Source: Duval County Public Schools Scores reported are those transmitted to the State of Florida for school grading purposes. They do not include students in English as a Second Language or Exceptional Student Education classes.

4th grade

8th grade

10th gradeMath

Another measurement of educational outcomes is the high-schoolgraduation rate. Data in Duval County show significant race-baseddifferences in the rates that students achieve high-school diplomas.The Duval County Public Schools and the Florida Department ofEducation do not calculate high-school graduation rates by racialcategory. However, by calculating the number of students who earna standard diploma and comparing that to the number of studentswho entered ninth grade four years earlier, approximate graduationrates by race can be obtained. Until 1999, this method was used bythe State of Florida to calculate official high-school graduation rates.These calculations show a 12 percent difference in the 2001 high-school graduation rate between white and black students. Hispanic,Asian, Native American, and multiracial students graduated at rateshigher than those for either white or black students.

Similarly, the dropout rate varies by racial group. Asian students havethe lowest dropout rate among racial categories, at 5.9 percent,while the rate for black students is the highest, at 9.3 percent. (Thehigh-school dropout rate measures the number of students whowithdraw from school between the 9th and 12th grades, as apercentage of the total school population. This number is not theinverse of the graduation rate, because many students stay in schoolbut fail to graduate.)


Income and Employment

Income disparities between whites and blacks have remainedrelatively constant, even when the average household income foreach group has risen. Nationally, median household income ishighest among Asians and lowest among blacks. In Duval County,43.7 percent of black households earned income less than $15,000per year in 1990, compared to 18.7 percent of white households and15.2 percent of Asian households. In contrast, while 29.3 percent ofAsian households and 23.8 percent of white households earnedmore than $50,000, only 9.2 percent of black households hadsimilar incomes.

National Median Household Incomeby Race and Ethnicity, 2000

Race or EthnicityMedian

Household Income

White

Hispanic (of any race)

Black

$55,500

$44,200

$33,400

$30,400

Asian and Pacific Islander

Source: 2000 U.S. Census

Percentages of Duval County households with incomein lower and upper income brackets, by race, 1990

White Black Asian

$50,000 or more

18.7%

23.8%

43.7%

9.2%

15.2%

29.3%

Less than $15,000


Income disparities can be measured by the percentage of childrenparticipating in the free or reduced-cost lunch programs in the DuvalCounty Public Schools. Eligibility is determined by householdincome. Free lunch is available to those whose household income iswithin 130 percent of the federally defined poverty level andreduced-cost lunch for those whose income is within 180 percent. In2000-2001, two-thirds of black children were in the program,compared to about one-fourth of white students and half of Hispanicstudents.

Blacks are more likely to be unemployed than whites. In 2001,the national unemployment rate for whites was 3.3 percent; forblacks, 6.3 percent; and for Hispanics, 5.3 percent. Blacks aremore likely to remain unemployed for longer periods of time; in1999, unemployed white male workers remained unemployed foran average of 12.7 weeks, Hispanic males for 12.1 weeks, andblack males for 18.0 weeks.

Black workers are more likely to have lower-paying jobs thanwhites. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 1999,white workers were more likely to have white-collar occupationsthan black workers, and within white-collar occupations weremore likely to hold professional or managerial employment thanblack workers.

Even when holding the same kind of employment, medianearnings vary. In 1999, white male professionals earned anaverage of 32.9 percent more than black male professionals and14.5 percent more than Hispanic male professionals.

On the job, black employees are more likely to experience racialdiscrimination than white employees. In 2000-01, the JacksonvilleHuman Rights Commission processed 178 charges of race-basedemployment discrimination. Blacks filed 63.6 percent of alldiscrimination complaints; whites 30.7 percent; Hispanics 3.9percent; Asians 1.5 percent, and Native Americans 0.3 percent.

Percent of students by race/ethnicity participating in free or reduced-costlunch programs, 2000-01

Whitenon-Hispanic

Blacknon-Hispanic

Hispanic

27.2% 67.0% 55.1% 34.4%31.3% 48.6%Free/reduced-cost lunch

Source: Florida Department of Education

Asian/Pacific Islander

AmericanIndian/

Alaskan Native

Multiracial

2000 figures were not available for this study.


Neighborhoods and housing

Jacksonville continues to have a high proportion of Census Tractswith a resident population between 75 and 100 percent black or75 to 100 percent white. Jacksonville was ranked as highly seg-regated in 1990 by the Lewis Mumford Center for ComparativeUrban and Regional Research. According to the 2000 Census, ithas become somewhat less segregated in the last ten years. Inorder to be fully desegregated, according to the 2000 MumfordCenter analysis, 54 percent of either blacks or whites inJacksonville would have to move to a different Census Tract.

The 1998 Jacksonville Area Rental Audit conducted by the FairHousing Advocacy Center found that blacks experienced differingtreatment in 58 percent of attempts to obtain rental housing inJacksonville. Differences occurred in information about availability,access to appointments to see the unit, access to an application, andrental terms (including amount of rent, application fees, anddeposits).


Health

Significant disparities exist in health outcomes between white andnonwhite populations in Jacksonville, mirroring statewide andnational trends. One measure of health is the death rate, which isthe ratio of deaths to the number of people in a specific populationin a given year. A lower death rate suggests a higher life expectancyand a healthier population.

In Duval County, the age-adjusted death rate for blacks is 1.4 timesthe rate for whites. The rate for Hispanics and other minority groupsis much lower than the rates for either whites or blacks; however, therelative size of these population groups may influence the rates.

The data also show significant differences in death rates for specificcauses among different racial groups in Jacksonville. Black infantsare 2.7 times as likely to die as white infants before their first birth-day. Blacks are more likely to die from strokes, diabetes, and AIDS-related causes than whites. Other diseases show similar disparities.The black death rate from prostate cancer is approximately doublethe white rate. Heart disease rates are higher among blacks thanwhites, although lung cancer is higher among whites than blacks.Blacks are more likely to die from homicide, while whites commitsuicide at double the rate of blacks.

Disparities selected in health-care outcomes, Duval County

Whites

Infant death rate per 1,000 births (2000)

Stroke death rate (1999)

Diabetes death rate (1999)

Newly-diagnosed HIV cases per100,000 people (2000)

HIV/AIDS death rate (1999)

922.1

6.2

62.0

26.3

16.6

11.2

Blacks Other Hispanic

1,333.0

16.8

122.9

71.9

122.7

35.4

8.0

6.0

0.0

7.5

9.4

2.5

457.9

2.0

48.7

348.3

5.4

20.5

Death rate (1999)

Source: Florida Department of Health. Rates are per 100,000 unless otherwise specified. All death rates in table are age-adjusted. Age-adjusted death rates are calculated to avoid skewed data resulting from the distribution of age groupsin the population. Data for Asians or Native Americans are available only combined in "Other."Data reported are for the most recent year available.


Criminal justice

In Jacksonville, a black motorist is more likely to receive a trafficcitation than a member of any other racial group.

Traffic citations issued in Duval County by race, 2001

Traffic citations,2001

Percent of totaltraffic citations

Percent of DuvalCounty population Race

Black

Other

57.9%

39.6%

2.5%

133,892

91,591

5,886

65.8%

27.8%

6.4%

White

Source: Duval County Clerk of the Court Data for Asians, Native Americans, and Hispanics are availableonly grouped under "Other."

Blacks are arrested and incarcerated at nearly double the level oftheir percentage in the Duval County population. Blacks incarceratedfor drug-related offenses are even more overrepresented, at morethan three times their percentage of the population.

People incarcerated in the Duval County Jail, 2001

Numberincarcerated

Percent ofincarcerated


Black

Other

46.6%

52.3%

1.1%

22,353

25,110

508

65.8%

27.8%

6.4%

White


Drug-related incarcerations in the Duval County Jail, 2001

Numberincarcerated

Percent of thoseincarcerated


Black

Other

38.0%

61.3%

0.7%

2,424

3,913

50

65.8%

27.8%

6.4%

White


While blacks are overrepresented as inmates in the criminal-justicesystem, they are underrepresented among those administering thesystem. The proportion of private attorneys, assistant stateattorneys, public defenders, and judges who are black is lowerthan the percentage of blacks in the total population and muchlower than the percentage of blacks who are arrested and chargedwith a crime. In 2001, two of 25 circuit court judges (8 percent)and two of 14 county court judges (14 percent) were black. Blacklawyers make up between two and three percent of the Florida BarAssociation total membership. Less than 20 percent of allJacksonville police officers were black. However, the sheriff,Jacksonville's chief law enforcement officer, was black.

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Sworn Officers, 2001

Numberof officers

Percent ofofficers


Black

Other

77.3%

19.2%

3.5%

1,186

295

53

65.8%

27.8%

6.4%

White



Minority-access legislative districts

Minority-access legislative districts have political boundaries drawnso that demographics positively influence the chance that aminority candidate will win election. In Jacksonville, with a blackpopulation of 27.8 percent, four of the 14 City Council districts(29 percent) have majority-black populations and are designated"minority-access" districts.

Public policy assumes that, without minority-access districts,minorities would likely not get elected and would thus havediminished access to political power. Minority-access districts alsomake it less likely that a minority could run successfully outside of thedesignated districts. While blacks have occasionally won at-largeseats on City Council, no black has won in a majority-access district.Given these dynamics, the likelihood, with minority-access district-ing, that minorities could gain a majority of 10 out of 19 City Councilseats (14 district seats plus five at-large seats) appears remote.

Government leadership

As of 2002, 23 percent of elected officials in the City of Jacksonvillewere black, as were 30 percent of department heads and 24 percentof division chiefs. The white Mayor was advised by a white chief ofstaff, a white chief administrative officer, and a black deputy chiefadministrative officer. Of the six independent authorities inJacksonville, four had black executive directors, and two had blackboard chairmen.

Government elected leadership inDuval County, 2002

Percent ofelected officials

Percent of DuvalCounty population

Black

Other

Hispanic

75.0%

23.2%

1.8%

1.8%

65.8%

27.8%

6.4%

4.1%

White

Elected officials include the School Board (7 members, 2 black), theCity Council (19 members, 5 black), State legislators (11 members,3 black), County Court judges (14 judges, 2 black, 1 Hispanic, 1 Other),and the Mayor, Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections, Tax Collector, andProperty Appraiser (of which the Sheriff is black.)

City of Jacksonville appointed leadership, percentages by race, 2002

Board membersof independent

authorities Division chiefs

Percent ofDuval County

populationDepartmentdirectors

Black

Other

Hispanic

70.6%

26.5%

0.0%

2.9%

70.0%

30.0%

0.0%

0.0%

78.0%

22.0%

0.0%

0.0%

65.8%

27.8%

6.4%

4.1%

White

16

Political process

Disparities in access to the political system can be examinedthrough events (voting in the 2000 presidential election), processes(creation of minority-access legislative districts), and people(the racial demographics of current elected and appointedgovernment officials.)

2000 presidential election

The 2000 presidential election was decided by 537 votes in theState of Florida. In Jacksonville, 26,909 ballots were declaredinvalid (4,967 under votes, in which no vote was recorded forPresident, and 21,942 over votes, in which more than onecandidate for President was selected.) Significant disparities emergewhen the rates of ballot disqualification are compared to the racialcomposition of the voters. City Council districts with the fewestblack voters had the fewest ballots declared invalid, while districtswith the highest percentage of black voters had the highestpercentages of ballots declared invalid. The minority-access dis-tricts 7, 8, 9, and 10 had two to four times the number of ballotsdeclared invalid of any other districts.

The data hold true at the precinct level as well. In precincts 8R and9R, which had the highest rate of ballots disqualified in DuvalCounty (31 percent of all ballots cast), over 99 percent of thosevoting were black. By contrast, the six precincts that had twopercent or fewer of ballots declared invalid averaged 98 percentwhite voters.

Disqualified ballots (overvotes and undervotes) by City Council District 2000 Presidential Election, Duval County

City Council DistrictPercentage

of ballots castby black voters

Percentageof total ballots

declared invalid

3

6

5

14

4

12

2

13

1

11

7

10

8

9

5%

5%

7%

6%

12%

13%

14%

18%

20%

52%

73%

74%

77%

74%

5%

5%

5%

6%

8%

8%

8%

8%

8%

9%

18%

18%

19%

20%

Source: Supervisor of Elections


Explaining the Disparities

Disparities in the quality of life experienced by people in differentracial and ethnic groups in Jacksonville are created and sustainedby multiple causes. Individual racism and prejudice explainsome. Practices of public and private institutions influencedisparities as well. Individual choices and behaviors alsocontribute. Income and education disparities, above all others,reinforce each other and magnify other disparities.

Race-based differences in the quality of life enjoyed in Jacksonvilleare rooted in multiple causes. While individual situations may vary,the causes of the disparities identified in this report can beunderstood in three categories: racism and prejudice; institutionalpractices; and individual choices and behaviors. Beyond thosecategories, the effects of poor education and poverty deepen allother disparities and extend across generations.

Racism and prejudice

Some of these quality-of-life disparities result from individual actionsby people who maintain racist attitudes and prejudice toward others.These actions may be intentional or unintentional, but their effect isthe same–to create a disparate quality of life, depending on people'sracial or ethnic background.

While civil-rights laws make most racial discrimination illegal, lawsthemselves cannot change longstanding practices, resolve distrust, orerase racial stereotypes and prejudices. Individual discriminatorybehavior remains evident in the workplace, in renting or buyinghomes, in retail stores, and in other arenas of public life.

Race-based stereotypes explain some of the opposition tolow-income housing and disparities in hiring practices. Fears ofmistreatment explain why some racial and ethnic minorities delaygoing to the doctor when ill or avoid looking for housing inidentifiably white neighborhoods. Stress resulting from fear of realand perceived racism explains some of the health disparitiesexperienced by black residents of Jacksonville.

Institutional practices

Some disparities may also be explained by institutionalfactors–practices of private businesses and government agencieswhich create disparate opportunities and/oroutcomes, although they are usually notintended to have a discriminatory result. Inaddition, the many institutional practicesthat discriminate against people based ontheir income may result in a disparate racialimpact because of disproportionately lowerincomes among blacks.

Education

Duval County's public-education system contributes to race-baseddisparities.

Some disparities in educational outcomes can be attributed tothe way in which children are taught. Despite subscribing toeducational theories that recognize cultural differences, theDuval County Public Schools, in practice, tend to treat all stu-dents as if they share the same cultural background. Resourcespeakers emphasized that children's cultural background affectsthe skills, preparation, and learning styles they bring to the class-room, and that teachers need to receive adequate training tomeet the diverse needs of their students.

Duval County Public Schools have had difficulty attracting andretaining high quality teachers, principals, and administrators inlow performing schools. Duval County receives the lowest fund-ing per student of all school districts in the state serving a diversestudent population of 100,000 or more. Inadequately preparedteachers, principals, and administrators often perpetuate the dis-parities by being assigned to low-performing schools, most ofwhich disproportionately serve black students.

Maintaining racially-identifiable schools contributes to poor out-comes. According to a 1997 study by The Florida Times-Union,black students attending desegregated schools in Jacksonvilletend to score better on tests than those attending racially segre-gated schools.

Disproportionate participation of students, based on race, ingifted programs creates disproportionate opportunities for futureeducation and employment.

Disproportionate participation, based on race, in mentally-handicapped programs contributes to long-term disparities,especially since the labels associated with mentally-handi-capped programs and the types of instruction received createlifetime disparities.

Historical differences in school funding also have contributed tocurrent education disparities. Within the past several years,however, the school system has allocated increased funding andother resources to low-performing schools.

Disparities in educational outcomesmultiply over time. The best predic-tor of future educational success isthe age and education level of themother at the time of the student'sbirth. Levels of literacy and spokenvocabulary at home affect a child'spreparation for school. The nextgeneration of students begins schoolwith the effects of the previous gen-eration's disparities in educationaloutcomes.


Employment

While most businesses have equal employment-opportunitypolicies, many continue to perpetuate employment disparities.

The practice of using traditional networking channels to find newemployees tends to exclude minorities from hiring opportunities.These networks tend to reflect and perpetuate older patterns ofsingle-race hiring.

Organizations that use search committees to find employeesoften find that those hired tend to reflect the racial makeup ofthe committee. A search committee composed primarily ofwhite males may feel more comfortable with candidates who arewhite males.

Supervisors often make subjective judgments when selecting the"right person for the job." If evaluation is based on ability to "fitin well with the team," supervisors may feel more comfortableworking with candidates similar to their own race, social class,and education. Physical appearance, hairstyle, and manner ofspeech may similarly affect hiring opportunities.

Opportunities for advancement within many organizationsfollow procedures similar to hiring practices. Shared socialnetworks and perceived similarities may play a large role indeciding which candidate to promote. In addition, a mentormay be an important component in advancement, and peopletend to mentor others of their own race.

Some businesses, especially small businesses, lack formal policiesconcerning diversity and racial harassment in the workplace.Others have these policies but do not enforce them.

Businesses that do not recruit or promote racial or ethnicminorities, and/or do not enforce against race-based harassment,are more likely to continue to employ and retain largely whiteemployees, contributing to employment and income disparities.Racial and ethnic minorities, perceiving discrimination, are lesslikely to seek employment with such businesses, thus reinforcingthe perception and the resulting disparities.

Neighborhoods and housing

Segregated housing patterns are influenced by several institutionalfactors.

The location of Public Housing units in low-income areasreinforces existing residential patterns. In 2000, the U.S.Department of Justice accused Jacksonville of violating fairhousing laws and issued a consent decree mandating thatJacksonville locate 225 new Public Housing units in majority-white neighborhoods by 2006.

For many years, neighborhoods in the core city with a highproportion of black residents received fewer public services andinfrastructure improvements. Only recently, the City ofJacksonville has begun to invest a majority of its neighborhoodinfrastructure funds in these neighborhoods as a start towardremedying past neglect.

Commercial development in southeastern Duval Countyhas exacerbated the financial and racial divisions amongneighborhoods. New residential development has followedbusiness development to Jacksonville's Southside, while bothcommercial and residential development has languished on theNorthside and Westside, which have larger proportions of blackpopulation.

The residential real-estate market also perpetuates racialdisparities. Some realtors show homes in different neighborhoodsto different prospective buyers, based on their race. Some bankingand financial institutions charge higher interest rates or higher feesto racial or ethnic minorities for home mortgages. Someapartment complexes also charge higher rates or impose extrafees based on race. Though illegal, these practices continue,effectively pricing many lower income racial minorities out ofcertain areas, and adding to the difficulties of sustaining homeownership.

These effects on residential housing patterns in turn affect theracial makeup of neighborhood schools. Choices to attend non-neighborhood schools are limited for students of families withoutthe resources to transport or support their children from a distance.

Criminal justice

Certain practices within the criminal justice system influencerace-based disparities in both arrests and sentencing.

The geographical assignment of police officers to differentneighborhoods in Jacksonville impacts disparities in arrests:

Based on a history of calls received and incidences of criminalactivity, greater numbers of police officers are assigned to patrollower-income inner-city areas. This increases the number ofpolice/citizen encounters in racially identifiable black neighbor-hoods, which in turn is used to justify assigning greater numbersof police officers to these neighborhoods.

Patrolling police officers respond to crimes that they observe inprogress. This increases their concentration on street crime,including violence, prostitution, and drug trafficking, rather thancrime that occurs out of the public view. Street crime is moreprevalent in low-income neighborhoods, resulting in a dispro-portionate number of blacks being arrested.

Other practices influence disparities in sentencing:

People with low to moderate household incomes are less able toafford private legal representation and have less access tobonding opportunities.

18


Certain sentencing factors are disproportionately weighted againstlow-income arrestees, including:

the differences in sentences for possession of "crack" cocainecompared to those for possession of powder cocaine(possession of five grams of "crack" cocaine has the samefive-year mandatory minimum sentence as possession of 500grams of powder cocaine); and

the stability of the home environment and family economicstability may be used as factors in sentencing, which mayresult in longer sentences for the poor and those fromsingle-parent homes.

Intervention and diversion programs for juveniles, through whichoffending youth are provided services rather than time in prison,serve disproportionately white youth, while black youth are morelikely to serve time.

The result of these factors is that residents of low-income,predominantly-black neighborhoods are more likely to be arrestedand more likely to serve longer sentences than the white populationin Jacksonville. This removes a disproportionate number of blackmen from the workforce, adversely impacting their future earningpotential and decreasing family stability, which may in turnreinforce criminal activity.

Health

Disparities in health outcomes are related to two institutional factors:differences in health insurance coverage and differences inhealth-care treatment.

Whites are more likely to have health insurance coverage and tohave better insurance coverage than most other racial groups,which correlates with differences in employment and incomeamong racial groups.

Even when health-care coverage and income levels arecomparable, race-based disparities in health outcomes persist.Research indicates that health-care patients tend to receivedifferent quality or types of treatment, based on their racial or eth-nic group. Treatment methods used for white patients are oftenmore aggressive than those used for other patients. Resourcespeakers stated that inadequate physician training in diversityissues contributes to this problem.

Poor health outcomes may reinforce the distrust many blacks feeltoward the medical establishment due to historical incidents ofmedical abuse, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. This maydeter some people from seeking medical treatment, which may inturn create worse health outcomes.

Political process

State policies and local political practices have contributed to racialpolarization in Jacksonville and the perception that blacks have lim-ited influence in Jacksonville's political processes.

Political campaigns have been racially divisive:

Political leaders in Jacksonville, including both candidates andparties, have used race-specific messages on occasion toadvance a candidate or a cause.

To the extent that the primary local newspaper participates inJacksonville politics, it is perceived by many, especially in theblack community, to contribute to racial divisiveness as well.

Disparities in perceived or actual access to the political system inJacksonville are compounded by income disparities:

Many public-policy decisions appear to be made by selectgroups of top businessmen, who are white males.

The cost of campaigning for office appears prohibitive to manyin Jacksonville, leaving a disproportionate number of racialminorities feeling that they have limited access to the politicalsystem.

Policies regarding voting and voting districts also influencerace-based disparities in political access:

In Florida, those convicted of felonies are disenfranchised(prohibited from voting) for life, unless their civil rights arerestored through an appeal to the state Clemency Board, aninfrequent occurrence. Because black males are disproportion-ately convicted of felonies, they also are disproportionatelyexcluded from the voting process.

The process of using race as a criterion for mapping votingdistricts creates both districts in which minorities have a greaterchance of being elected and districts in which minorities have asmaller chance of being elected. One result has been theappearance that political representation is based on racial, notgeographical, lines.

These factors make it more difficult to resolve racial tensionsthrough the political process.


Individual choices and behaviors

Personal choices and individual behaviors play an important rolein explaining disparities. For example, housing patterns are influ-enced by individual choice. Many people of all racial and ethnicbackgrounds feel more comfortable and less threatened living bypeople of the same background. This pattern of choices inJacksonville contributes to racially-identifiable neighborhoods.

Recent research concludes that personal choice influences healthoutcomes as well. Blacks tend to accept lower-functioning as anacceptable outcome, and are more averse to risky treatments.Whites, on the other hand, are more likely to insist on full func-tionality and more willing to take risks in their medical treatment.

Individual behaviors affect disparities as well. The higher rates ofbirths to teens and of single parents in Jacksonville's black com-munity contribute to economic disparities, as single-parenthouseholds have lower average incomes than dual-parent house-holds. In addition, resource speakers suggested that more blacksare in jail because proportionately more blacks commit crimes.

Education and income

Beyond particular factors related to personal prejudice, institutionalpractices, or individual choices, the pervasive effects of disparities ineducation and income mutually reinforce one another and deepenall other disparities.

Disparities in educational outcomes contribute to income dispari-ties. Higher educational outcomes usually transfer to better employ-ment and higher wages. Similarly, income disparities affect educa-tion. Students from lower-income families on average underper-form students from middle- or upper-income families. Connectedto family income is the student mobility rate; if a family moves sev-eral times during the school year, the student is less likely to learn atthe same rate as his or her peers.

Economic disparities influence the affordability of housing, the abil-ity to obtain and maintain adequate health insurance, and the abil-ity to pay for needed services and medications not covered by insur-ance. Lower-income patients also feel a greater financial urgency toreturn to work, perhaps before they are medically ready to do so.Income disparities also create differences in access to and influencewith elected and appointed officials.

Different education levels strongly influence one's ability to accessand maneuver through the criminal justice system, the health-caresystem, and the political process.

The effects of poverty, as with poor education, worsen over time.Wealth is traditionally accumulated over generations, and passeddown to children and grandchildren. Historical racial inequities maybe felt for several generations.


Efforts to Address Racial Tension

Many organizations and institutions in Jacksonville are involvedin addressing racial tension. Their efforts vary in approach andfocus. Some concentrate on reducing individual racism andpersonal prejudice. Others work to reform institutional practicesthat create race-based disparities. Still others concentrate oneliminating race-based disparities directly. The net impact ofthese efforts to date on racial tensions and race relations ismixed.

A number of organizations in Jacksonville work, in different ways, toreduce race-based disparities in the quality of life. The followingsections describe the major efforts now underway.

Efforts to increase interpersonal interaction acrossracial lines

These efforts focus on getting people of different racial and ethnicbackgrounds to interact personally through learning, networking,solving problems, and/or worshipping together. The expectation isthat increased interpersonal interaction will improve race relationsand decrease discrimination in the community. Organizations withthis focus include the Interfaith Council, NCCJ's Metrotown,Volunteer Jacksonville's Project Blueprint, and LeadershipJacksonville.

Efforts to increase understanding and reconciliation

These efforts seek to bring people together to discuss their differingperspectives and gain a greater understanding of diverse viewpointsamong people of different races. They emphasize dialogue and,through dialogue, expect reconciliation and mutual action thatreduces racism. Programs include Study Circles, sponsored by theJacksonville Human Rights Commission, and Citizen's Forums forRacial and Cultural Harmony, sponsored by the Jacksonville branchof the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ).Other organizations, such as the Interchurch Coalition for Action,Reconciliation and Empowerment (ICARE), Reconcile Jacksonville,JCCI, and the First Coast Diversity Council, also seek to achieve racialharmony and understanding by facilitating dialogue.

Efforts to identify and eliminate discrimination

Racial discrimination is illegal in businesses with more than 15employees, housing where the seller or leaser owns or managesmore than four units, and in public accommodations. Severalorganizations offer legal assistance in cases of alleged discrimination.These include the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission, theUnited States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, andJacksonville Area Legal Aid. Legal Aid also tests fair housing practicesusing undercover volunteers.

Efforts to understand and reform institutional practices

Local government and many local businesses make efforts toidentify and eliminate practices within their institutions which createracial disparities. They may hire one of several local consultants

who focus on diversity training and analyses of the effectsorganizational practices have on supporting a racially diverse workenvironment. Most large organizations have developed policiesprotecting the rights of minority employees; for example, theJacksonville Sheriff's Office requires cultural diversity training for allof its officers.

Some individuals and organizations are working to promoteinstitutional change in other ways. In 2002, CreatingOpportunities that Result in Excellence (CORE) was created toprovide financial incentives for experienced teachers to work inlower-performing public schools, most of which serve primarilyblack students. The NAACP has organized boycotts, lawsuits, andprotests of institutions it identifies as acting in a discriminatorymanner in order to promote change.

Efforts to address disparities directly

Education: The Duval County Public Schools fund their racially-identifiable black schools at higher per-student rates than otherschools. Other community-based educational initiatives providesupport for students in lower-performing schools, seeking toreduce the dropout rate and improve student educational out-comes. These initiatives serve all students in need, regardless ofrace. Because of the racial disparities in family income andeducational outcomes, however, they play an important role inreducing educational disparities. These programs include HeadStart, Communities in Schools, and Full Service Schools.

Employment: Governmental affirmative-action programs seekto address employment disparities by encouraging or requiringthe hiring of racial and ethnic minorities. Minority contractingpolicies developed by the City of Jacksonville, independentauthorities, and the Duval County School Board have increasedthe percentage of public dollars that go to minority-ownedbusinesses.

Several organizations have been formed to promote economicand other interests of racial and ethnic minorities in Jacksonville.These include the First Coast African American Chamber ofCommerce, Hispanic American Business Association, AsianAmerican Cultural Council, and the Filipino-AmericanCommunity Council of Northeast Florida.

Housing and neighborhoods: Most efforts to redevelopdeclining neighborhoods are targeted to issues other than race.However, because a disparate number of racial and ethnicminorities live in economically-depressed neighborhoods, theseefforts address the race-based neglect these neighborhoodsreceived historically. The City of Jacksonville has increasedpublic funding for infrastructure improvements in low-incomeneighborhoods and created an Intensive Care Neighborhoodsprogram to address housing disparities. Private redevelopmentefforts, such as local affiliates of Habitat for Humanity, FreshMinistries' Operation New Hope, and Local Initiatives SupportCorporation (LISC), as well as neighborhood revitalization organizations are improving some older blackneighborhoods.


Programs that directly address disparities have had widespreadcommunity support–unless the program is perceived to havenegative impacts for a particular segment of the population. Forexample, many residents of white neighborhoods who say they favorhousing desegregation efforts protest locating Public Housing neartheir homes. Some white workers feel they have lost opportunitiesfor employment or advancement due to affirmative-actionemployment programs. At the time of this study, some whitecontractors were suing to eliminate minority contracting programs bythe City of Jacksonville, contending that they have an adverse eco-nomic effect on their businesses and on whites who are deniedopportunities because of the programs. Some efforts to reducedisparities directly have resulted in increased, rather than reduced,racial tensions in Jacksonville.

Other programs designed to address disparities directly have helpedto improve race relations. Actually reducing disparities helps to buildtrust and positively impacts those who benefit from the programs. InJacksonville's past, just announcing a plan to address race-baseddisparities has helped to defuse racial tensions. By the time of thisstudy, however, people were more skeptical of such announcementsand were more likely to wait to see the results.

This study was charged with discovering best practices being used incommunities around the country to improve race relations. Manycommunities operate programs similar to those in Jacksonville, suchas Study Circles or other dialogue efforts. However, this study didnot identify a community whose race relations practices provided ablueprint for Jacksonville to follow; instead, the complexity of theissue appears to demand a unique local solution.

Criminal justice: The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is encouraginggreater community input into the criminal justice system throughthe Sheriff's Advisory Councils (SHADCO) and the CitizensAcademy. The City of Jacksonville's Juvenile JusticeComprehensive Strategy Minority OverrepresentationCommittee is studying disparate outcomes in the criminal justicesystem.

Health: Many public and private health initiatives are seekingto improve indigent health care. Most have identified andtargeted reducing race-based health disparities as an essentialpart of their efforts. They include Healthy People 2010, HealthyStart, Communities in Charge, and targeted community healtheducation fairs.

Impacts on race relations

The net impact, to date, of the many efforts to improve racerelations or race-based disparities in Jacksonville is mixed. Whilesome efforts succeed in improving race relations, others have beenless successful or have even fostered negative reactions in thecommunity.

Dialogue-based programs, such as Study Circles, are successfullycreating understanding and improved race relations among theirparticipants. However, that participation is limited, and theprogram focuses on attitudes over outcomes.


Conclusions7. The Duval County Public Schools provide insufficient training

to enable teachers effectively to educate children from diversecultural backgrounds.

8. Despite the use of public policies and strategies, revitalizationof the economy of Jacksonville's Northside has beeninsufficient. As a result, race-based economic disparitiescreate divisions in Jacksonville which inhibit positive racerelations.

9. The implementation of affirmative-action policies inJacksonville has created new racial tensions while attemptingto address racial disparities.

10. Failure to enforce fair housing fully in Jacksonville, despite acourt order and other attempts to integrate Public Housing,has far-reaching impacts in racial disparities. Historically,these disparities have been attributed too widely to theexercise of individual choice or to the dynamics of eco-nomics. This perspective still impedes the development ofpositive race relations, suggesting that much work is need-ed to improve the effectiveness of fair housing policies andinitiatives.

11. Jacksonville's minority-access districts for electedrepresentatives have provided opportunities for politicalpower to blacks that otherwise would not have existed.However, because these districts concentrate representation ofminorities among only a few elected representatives, blackshave reduced influence in other districts.

12. Jacksonville's political leaders, black and white, often haveused inflammatory appeals to racial identity ("playing the racecard") to get elected or to gain support for a political issue. Theresult is divisive and further aggravates racial tension in thecommunity.

13. Jacksonville's political leaders have inadequately addressedrace relations in specific public policy initiatives.

14. The existence of substantial race-based disparities inhealth-care outcomes reveals inadequate awareness, concern,and attention to the health of blacks in Jacksonville.

15. The disproportionate number of blacks who are incarceratedin Jacksonville contributes to the incidence of single-parentfamilies, economic disparities, disproportionate disenfran-chisement, and the perception that racial minorities shoulddistrust the criminal-justice system. The low numbers of blackswho work as professionals in the criminal justice system alsocontributes to this distrust. The result is increased racial fearand tension in the community.

Conclusions express the value judgments of the committee basedon the findings.

1. Although the United States is committed, on paper, to fairness forall its citizens, these ideals have yet to be met in practice. WhileJacksonville has made progress in race relations over the past 40years, significant race-based social and economic inequalities stillexist in Jacksonville, and racism still persists. Much improvementis still needed, because racism breaks the body, mind, heart, andspirit of people.

2. Past and current efforts to address racial disparities,discrimination, and tensions have been insufficient:

Efforts to deal with race-based flare-ups have focused on thesurface problems of the moment and have failed to addressthe fundamental issues that created the problems. Policies designed to reduce economic disparities have notaddressed the attitudes and beliefs that perpetuaterace-based disparities in Jacksonville. Attempts to improve race relations through dialogue only,although beneficial, have reached small numbers of people,have not resolved race-based disparities and their effects onracial tensions, and inadvertently have increased racialtensions when they were not followed up with communityaction.

3. Addressing racial discrimination in Jacksonville requiresintentional change by individuals, families, businesses,government, and other community institutions. People of allraces in Jacksonville must recognize the problem and assumeindividual and collective responsibility for eradicatingdiscrimination.

4. Institutional factors which create or perpetuate racial disparitiesare difficult to address because these factors now are moresubtle and covert, often are not intentionally perpetrated, andfrequently are denied. Strong, active, and persistent leadershipis required to ensure that government, businesses, and othercommunity institutions rid themselves of discriminatory attitudesand practices.

5. Jacksonville's failure to eliminate racial disparities in educationalexpectations, placements, and achievement has lifelong negativeconsequences for many children and inhibits resolving racialtensions. Eliminating disparities in school performance is criticalto ensuring a high quality of life for all Jacksonville citizens.

6. The Duval County Public Schools magnet-school program is insuf-ficient to attain full school descregation. The continued presenceof racially identifiable schools prevents children from learninghow to live and work with children from other races and limitseducational outcomes for all children.


16. While the mass media in Jacksonville have made efforts toinform and enlighten the public about Jacksonville's diversepopulation, they have inadequately reported the reality ofrace relations to the community. Currently, the media areboth a significant part of the problem and a necessary part ofthe solution.

17. Because churches and other faith-based institutions areinfluential with many people in all racial groups, they caneither help or hinder in improving attitudes and behaviorstoward people of other races. Many faith-based institutionshave failed to use their influence to effectively improve racerelations.

18. Progress to improve race relations in Jacksonville has beenimpeded by the following unproductive individual behaviors:

blaming or stereotyping people based on past or currentactions of other members of their racial group;unwillingness to act outside of one's comfort zone withmembers of another racial group; inability to differentiate between one's perception of racerelations and objective reality, as well as unwillingness toaccept that one's perceptions could be inaccurate;poor communication skills, including both unwillingnessto listen and using language patterns that inhibitunderstanding; andpersistent debating over whose perception of history iscorrect, which precludes meaningful discussion aboutcurrent race problems.

19. Successful efforts to improve race relations must address:

deep-seated, longstanding race-based beliefs that dominateJacksonville's social environment;individual behaviors by racial minorities that contribute toracial disparities; andthe multigenerational economic impacts of past racialdiscrimination.

20. Those who experience positive social interactions andinterpersonal relationships with people of other races andcultures are more likely to value tolerance than those who havenot had these experiences.

21. The wide range of perceptions among Jacksonville's citizensabout past and current racial disparities impedes resolution ofproblems in race relations. Because people tend to drawconclusions and make decisions about current situations basedon the filter of past experiences, people of different races mayreach significantly different conclusions about the same event.Currently no process exists in Jacksonville to acknowledge andresolve these differences.

25Jacksonville Community Council Inc.

RecommendationsRecommendations are the committee's specific suggestions forchange, based on the findings and conclusions.

1. The Mayor of Jacksonville should take ownership of the racerelations problem in Jacksonville. The Mayor should galvanizecommunity leadership, including government, business,education, and the faith community, to create a vision forJacksonville of racial justice and inclusion, in which all residentsfeel free to, and actually do, participate fully in public life,unimpeded by race-based disparities or discrimination.

2. To build public support for that vision and to hold thecommunity accountable for achieving it, the City of Jacksonvilleshould sponsor an annual weeklong diversity celebration. Thecelebration should include:

convening community-wide accountability sessions, using arace relations report card (see Recommendation #4) andother data to document the degree of progress towardresolving race-based disparities and discrimination inJacksonville; recognizing efforts that address race relations issues andproduce outcomes that reduce disparity and discrimination; including and paying attention to the perspectives ofemerging racial and ethnic minority groups; andsponsoring public events designed to celebrate diversity andfoster interracial interaction.

3. The Jacksonville Human Rights Commission (JHRC) should takea more active role in monitoring and advising City governmenton its efforts to resolve race-based disparities and discriminationin Jacksonville.

4. Jacksonville Community Council Inc. (JCCI) should convenecitizens to create and distribute an annual report card on racerelations in Jacksonville, modeled after its Quality of LifeIndicators report. The report card should measure race-baseddisparities as well as perceptions of racism and discrimination inthe community. It should also prioritize the measures based onthe need for action to improve race relations.

5. The Jacksonville Human Rights Commission (JHRC) and theJacksonville branch of the National Conference for Communityand Justice (NCCJ) should build on past efforts and increasinglyavailable community data on local race relations to expandsignificantly the Study Circles and other community dialogueprograms. Participants in these programs should learn to becomeagents for institutional as well as individual change. Toaccomplish this, JHRC and NCCJ should:

increase partnerships with and significantly expandparticipation from government, business, media, andreligious organizations;

train members of these organizations to act as facilitatorsfor interracial dialogue in their organizations; focus dialogue efforts to foster subsequent developmentand implementation of action plans that will improverace relations in Jacksonville; and publicize the outcomes of action-plan implementationefforts.

6. The Duval County Public Schools should focus attention oneliminating racial disparities in educational outcomes. Thiswill require strong leadership from both the School Board andthe Superintendent. Specifically, the system should expand itsefforts to:

identify low-performing schools in which students aresucceeding, identify successful policies, practices, andteaching methods that support the success of thesestudents, and incorporate them into all schools;work to improve all low-achieving schools, regardless ofthe racial makeup of the student body;ensure that all students gain sufficient proficiency in theEnglish language to enter college or employment; ensure that all students are taught about conflictresolution, cultural diversity, and racial tolerance; issue an annual report card on progress in eliminatingracial disparities in educational outcomes, includingmeasures such as graduation rates, dropout rates, and testscores, and identify and implement specific strategies toaddress lack of progress; andprovide learning opportunities outside of the traditionalschool setting, including evening and weekend classes,for low-performing students and their parents. Individualschools, with full support from the School Board, shoulddevelop partnerships with community organizations andbusinesses to facilitate these educational opportunities.

7. The Duval County Public Schools, through the Schultz Centerfor Teaching and Leadership, should expand and emphasizetraining that enhances the ability of public school teachersand principals to educate children from diverse racialbackgrounds. This training should include an awareness ofcultural differences as they impact race relations in theclassroom, including:

understanding diverse cultural behaviors;teaching to diverse learning styles;promoting respect for all races and cultures;resolving conflict; anddeveloping ways to manage classroom behavior positively.


8. The City of Jacksonville should establish a fund to match theincentive money to be paid to successful teachers working inlow-performing public schools through the privately-fundedprogram called Creating Opportunities that Result inExcellence.

9. The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission shouldstrengthen its policies that require businesses receivingincentives to meet targets for racially diverse participation by:

adding a penalty clause to ensure that companies complywith racial diversity goals and nondiscriminatory practicesor provide substantive evidence of a good faith effort; andreporting on the progress of participating businessestowards meeting racial diversity goals in their contractingor employment.

10. The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, incooperation with major lending institutions, should take thelead to remove obstacles to economic development inminority communities by:

identifying the degree to which racial discrimination is abarrier in lending practices to minority companies;creating a micro-loan fund to assist new and under-capitalized businesses that do not qualify for conventionalfinancing; and encouraging practices to improve access to capital foreconomic development in racial minority areas.

11. All public contracting entities, including the City ofJacksonville, Duval County Public Schools, and the publicauthorities, should revise their minority business contractingprograms, based on principles of flexibility and fairness, toinclude:

monitoring closely the structure and operation ofdisadvantaged business participation in contracts toeliminate "pass-through" contracts that do not substantiallyadvance disadvantaged businesses; establishing mentoring programs, independent ofprocurement programs, between established businessesand disadvantaged businesses, to enhance the latter'schances of success; andencouraging the development and expansion ofapprenticeship programs that will develop and strengthenminority businesses.

The study committee considered but did not reachconsensus on additional steps to modify the City ofJacksonville's minority business contracting policies.

12. The Jacksonville Housing Authority should locate PublicHousing and other types of affordable housing in non-minorityareas in numbers of units beyond those required by the JusticeDepartment consent decree.

13. The Jacksonville Human Rights Commission should continue tostrengthen relationships with its partners, such as theJacksonville office of the U. S. Department of Housing andUrban Development and Jacksonville Legal Aid, Inc., in theirefforts to provide fair housing enforcement.

14. The Northeast Florida Board of Realtors should aggressivelypartner with the Jacksonville Housing Partnership and theJacksonville Urban League to ensure that all Jacksonvilleresidents have the widest range of possible housing choicesavailable to them by:

tracking and reporting home sales by race and location todetermine if prospective buyers are being steered to certainneighborhoods based on their race;encouraging increased communication among real estateagents to ensure that race is not a factor in which homes areshown to particular clients; andworking with neighborhood associations and CPACs toreduce prejudice and fear of housing integration.

15. The Duval County Health Department should work with areahealth-care associations and institutions to ensure that theyeducate their members on current racial disparities inhealth-care outcomes and treatment and to train medicalprofessionals in best practices to improve health-care deliveryfor all people.

16. Communities in Charge Jacksonville, a community coalitionorganized to generate solutions to the problem of the medicallyuninsured, should continue its leadership role in conveningpublic and private health institutions to ensure adequatemedical care for all and to decrease the disproportionate racialgap in medical coverage.

17. The Florida Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Dental Association,Northeast Florida Medical Society, Duval County MedicalSociety, Duval County Health Department, United Way ofNortheast Florida, and American Cancer Society should worktogether and with area health-care institutions to offer anannual health summit to provide comprehensive healthscreenings and education targeted to the black community.

18. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, State Attorney's Office, Clerk ofthe Courts, and Public Defender's Office should continueactively to recruit black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native Americanemployees to deploy a criminal-justice workforce that reflectsthe diversity of the community. Creative efforts should be usedto identify and attract these recruits. Each organization shouldreport annually its progress toward achieving racial diversity.

19. The Chief Judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit should requirethat:

all adult and juvenile diversion programs in the criminal orjuvenile justice systems track and report participation andoutcomes by race; andthe Clerk of the Court track disposition of all cases by race.


25. The Jacksonville branch of the National Conference forCommunity & Justice (NCCJ), with the support of theInterfaith Council and other religious organizations, shouldimplement a program that develops partnerships betweenfaith congregations of differing racial composition fordialogue, worship, social activities, and economicdevelopment activities.

26. The Florida Times-Union, with other print and broadcastmedia, should support community efforts to eliminate racialdiscrimination and disparities by:

ensuring racially diverse viewpoints on their editorialboards;recognizing racial disparities in Jacksonville andenhancing community awareness of the issues in itsreporting; andreporting and giving positive editorial recognition toefforts that successfully address Northeast Florida's racialdisparities and race relations.

27. The Jacksonville branch of the National Conference forCommunity & Justice (NCCJ) should convene a broad-basedcoalition that should create a "Declaration of Principles"regarding race relations and advocate for its formal adoptionby as many public and private organizations as possible.

20. The City of Jacksonville should annually evaluate its departmentsand divisions on their accomplishments in setting and meetingdiversity goals.

21. The Mayor of Jacksonville should investigate the need for anAsian American Advisory Board, modeled after the existingHispanic American Advisory Board, to advise the administrationon concerns and issues of interest to members of the Asiancommunity.

22. The Supervisor of Elections should create an independent,non-partisan, community-based commission to:

establish guidelines for and monitor adherence to faircampaign practices, especially as they relate to race; andeducate voters about the qualifications of and policiessupported by all candidates for public offices in Jacksonville.

23. United Way of Northeast Florida should convene the leadership(political, religious, education, and business) of all racial groupsin Jacksonville to mobilize the community to address self-destructive behaviors that contribute to poverty and resultingracial disparities, particularly within racial minorities, such asteenage pregnancy, substance abuse, and dropping out ofschool. Jacksonville's black leadership in particular should takea more active and public role in addressing these issues.

24. The Jacksonville branch of the National Conference forCommunity & Justice (NCCJ) should create a Center for ConflictResolution where potentially divisive issues can be mediatedand constructive solutions found before crises erupt. The Cityof Jacksonville should grant funds to the center, seekingfinancial partnerships with law enforcement and educationalorganizations.


ReferencesThe following written materials offered useful information related to the study issue.

Jessie Ball duPont Fund, Unfinished Business: Overcoming Racism, Poverty, and Inequality in the South, 1998.

Florida Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, Racial and Ethnic Tensions in Florida, March 1996.

The Florida Times-Union, Special Report on Duval County Public Schools, October 1997.

Michael Hughes and Melvin E. Thomas, "Race, Class, and Quality of Life in America", American Sociological Review, 1998, Vol. 63

(December: 785-795).

The Institute for Democratic Renewal and Project Change Anti-Racism Initiative, A Community Builder's Tool Kit: 15 Tools for Creating

Healthy, Productive Interracial/Multicultural Communities, 1998.

Jacksonville Community Council Inc. Quality of Life in Jacksonville: Indicators for Progress. 2001.

Richard Martin, A Quiet Revolution: Consolidation of Jacksonville-Duval County and the Dynamics of Urban Political Reform,

White Publishing Company: 1993.

The Mayor's Council on Community Reconciliation, Jacksonville Together! Recommendations for Community Healing,

February 13, 1992.

The National Conference for Community and Justice, Faith Leaders on Intergroup Relations: Perspectives and Challenges,

New York: 2002.

The National Institute on Educational Governance, Finance, Policy-Making, and Management, Office of Educational Research and

Improvement, U. S. Department of Education, Leading for Diversity: A Study of How School Leaders Achieve Racial and Ethnic

Harmony, December 20, 1999.

National Issues Forum, Racial and Ethnic Tensions: What Should We Do? 2000.

National League of Cities, Ensuring Race Equality: Resources for Local Officials, 2002.

The New York Times, How Race Is Lived in America: Pulling Together, Pulling Apart. Times Books: New York, 2001.

Bradley R. Schiller, The Economics of Poverty and Discrimination. Prentice-Hall: New Jersey, 2001.

R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., Beyond Race and Gender: Unleashing the Power of Your Total Work Force by Managing Diversity.

Amacon: New York, 1991.

The Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard University, Special Report: Race and Opportunity, The

Washington Post, July 11, 2001.


W.O. Birchfield Former state legislator

James Boddie, Jr.St. Pius V Roman Catholic Church

Steven BakerJacksonville University

Mary Borg University of North Florida

Lloyd Brown The Florida Times-Union

Jim CrooksRetired historian

John Curtin Jacksonville Neighborhoods Department

John DelaneyMayor of Jacksonville

Willye Dennis Former state legislator

Duane Dumbleton Baha'i faith

Edward Eng Asian American Cultural Council

Ronnie FergusonJacksonville Housing Authority

Michael FigginsJacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc.

Ruby George Duval Teachers United

Jacqueline GibbsCity of Jacksonville PurchasingDepartment

Nat GloverSheriff

Jeff Goldhagen Duval County Health Department

Bibiana Golfin-Greer Filipino-American Community Council ofNortheast Florida

Dan Haskell Associated Builders and Contractors

Edward HayesDiversity Training Associates

Wendell Holmes Past School Board president

Rodney Hurst Former City Council member

Bob IngramBethel Baptist Institutional Church

Mia Jones Duval County Public Schools, MinorityBusiness Affairs

Stan Jordan State legislator

Susan Lamb First Coast Council of ConservativeCitizens

Gwen MarlowThe Marlow Resource Group

Michael Matuson Temple Ahavath Chesed

Elizabeth Means SHANDS Jacksonville

Joe Miller Jacksonville Public Works Department

Donald Moran Duval County Chief Judge

Ken Myers Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church

Tony Nelson First Coast Black Business InvestmentCorporation

Ray OldakowskiJacksonville University

Rolando Perez Hispanic American Cultural Association

Edward Pratt-Dannals Duval County Public Schools

Alexis Priestly-Jackson Attorney

Isaiah Rumlin NAACP

Bill ScheuAttorney

Fred Schultz Schultz Investments

Richard Seibler Jacksonville Sheriff's Office

Harry Shorstein State Attorney, Fourth Judicial Circuit

Mario Taylor Jacksonville Department of Regulatoryand Environmental Services

Charlene Taylor Hill Jacksonville Human Rights Commission

Gerald Tjoflat U.S. Circuit Judge

Davette Turk Fresh Ministries

Clark Vargas Hispanic American Business Association

Paula Weatherby Political consultant

Mark WilbanksSouthside Baptist Church

Carolyn Williams University of North Florida

Isiah Williams Jacksonville Advocate

Resource PeopleThe JCCI study process relies on information supplied by knowledgeable resourcepeople, in addition to published reference materials. We wish to thank thefollowing for their contributions to this study.

MANAGEMENT TEAM

COMMITTEE

Roberto AriasAl Barlow

Michelle CookConnie Hodges

Pete JacksonAudrey McKibbin Moran

Nes PapelBill Scheu

Deborah ThompsonPaula WeatherbyValerie Williams

Judy ArandaGeorge BashureTony BatesRichard BerryErica BowmanWanda BoydDavid BoyerClanzenetta BrownLee BrownShepard BryanDoug CarterJohnny CarterJeane ChappellJim CrooksLaura CrooksSherry CzerniejewskiChristopher DaboulLaura D'Alisera

John Edwards, Jr.Edward EngJerry FlakusElgin Foreman, Jr.David FosterJohn FrankBill HoffAndrew JacksonHelen JacksonJosephine JacksonVeronica JamesStephen JensenMel JohnsonMia JonesBonnie KnightDinah KossoffMarietta LeBlancMarcia Lebold

Carla MarlierGuy MarlowGwen MarlowVirginia MorrisonCheryl MurphyRoosevelt PaigeDorothy PateBrenda PollakTommy PraterMarvin ReeseKatherine SanduskyAnna ScheuRandolph SilasElla SimmonsJon SingletonPaul StasiDelena StephensLeonard Stevens


CommitteeMembership and Work

Committee members met together 33 times from October through June. In addition, themanagement team met many times to provide guidance and direction for the study. Thecommittee received information from 51 knowledgeable resource people and additionalwritten materials researched by JCCI staff.

Tom SullivanCaroline SwainMaria TaylorCharlene Taylor HillLeonard ThiesenDenise Thomas Robb TrippsmithValveta TurnerGretchen Van AkenRichard WeberNeil WilliamsNovella WilliamsStephen WilliamsPatricia WrightAlton YatesJohn YoungJudy Youngblood

Bruce Barcelo, Co-chair Brian Davis, Co-chair


About JCCIBoard of Directors

Edgar Mathis, PresidentDavid M. Foster, President-Elect Paula B. Weatherby, Secretary

John Cobb, Treasurer

Oliver BarakatWilliam H. Bishop III, AIA

Elizabeth Corrigan BomhardVirginia Borrok

Michael T. BoylanPatricia A. Brzozowski

Joy BurgessSue K. Butts

Charles A. ClarksonGary Corbitt

John Daigle, Jr.Jack Diamond

Edward J. Eng, P.E.Charles L. Griggs

Edward F.R. HearleDavid W. Hemphill

Howard KelleyWilliam Mason IIIDouglas C. MillerJohn Rutherford

Susan McCranie SiegmundMary Ellen SmithDebra Thompson

Glenda WashingtonGerald W. Weedon

Susan Summerall Wiles

Executive DirectorLois Chepenik

Past PresidentsJ.J. Daniel

Jack H. ChambersYank D. Coble, Jr.Robert D. Davis

George W. CorrickHoward R. Greenstein

Jacquelyn D. BatesDavid M. Hicks

James C. RinamanKenneth W. EilermannJ. Shepard Bryan, Jr.

Juliette Woodruff MasonLucy D. Hadi

Charles P. Hayes, Jr.Steve Pajcic

Tracey I. Arpen, Jr.Guy Marvin III

Luther Quarles IIIW.O. BirchfieldMichael J. Korn

William E. ScheuAfesa Adams

William D. BrintonSherry BurnsSue K. Butts

JCCI StaffLois Chepenik

Executive Director

Ben Warner* Associate Director

Planning StaffMickee BrownCheryl MurphyJennifer ParsonsMichelle Simkulet

Support StaffEarlene HostutlerTabatha JoynerTess Mork*Lashun Stephens *

* Staff for this study

Jacksonville Community Council Inc. (JCCI) was created in 1975with the goal of improving the quality of life in Jacksonville throughinformed citizen participation in public affairs. JCCI is a nonprofit,nonpartisan, broad-based civic organization. It involves citizens incommunity issues through open dialogue, impartial research,consensus building, and leadership development.

Each year, JCCI produces an annual report on the quality of life inJacksonville. It also selects two issues for in-depth community study.Diverse study committees meet weekly for about six months, gaininga thorough understanding of the problem and reaching consensus onkey findings as well as recommended solutions. Following completionof the study and publication of a report, an implementation task forceof citizens takes the report to the community and seeks to place theissues on the community agenda. The goal is to seek furtherdeliberation, increased public awareness, and finally, action byappropriate officials.

In addition to its annual studies and Quality Of Life report, JCCI plansand coordinates human services for United Way of Northeast Floridaand the Human Services Council (HSC), a coalition of the local fundersof human services. A second indicator document, the CommunityAgenda, is prepared annually for United Way and the HSC. Itsindicators focus on health and human services. JCCI also facilitatesJCCI Forward, an initiative of emerging leaders to pave the way forgreater progress under the next generation of local leadership. Uponrequest, JCCI provides a variety of planning, research, consulation andfacilitation services under contract.

JCCI receives funding from United Way of Northeast Florida, the Cityof Jacksonville, the Duval County Public Schools, corporations, andindividual members. JCCI membership is open to all citizens interest-ed in building a better community.

More information about JCCI and its projects is available atwww.jcci.org.

Previous JCCI Studies JCCI studies are available free to interested, local individuals. Most studies may bedownloaded from our website at www.jcci.org. Those marked with a star are outof print; copies available at $7.00 each.STUDY CHAIR

1977 Local Government Finance* Robert Davis1977 Housing* Thomas Carpenter1977 Public Education (K-12)* Robert W. Schellenberg1978 Public Authorities* Howard Greenstein1978 Strengthening the Family* Jacquelyn Bates1979 Citizen Participation in the Schools* Susan Black 1979 Youth Unemployment* Roy G. Green 1979 Theatre Jacksonville* Richard Bizot1979 Civil Service* Max K. Morris1979 Planning in Local Government* I. M. Sulzbacher1980 Capital Improvements for Recreation* Ted Pappas1980 But Not In My Neighborhood Pamela Y. Paul1980 The Energy Efficient City* Roderick M. Nicol1981 Coordination of Human Services* Pat Hannan1981 Higher Education* R. P. T. Young1982 Disaster Preparedness* Walter Williams Jr.1982 Teenage Pregnancy* Mari Terbrueggen1982 Downtown Derelicts* Earle Traynham 1983 Mass Transit* David Hastings1983 Indigent Health Care* Linda McClintock1984 Jacksonville’s Jail* Eleanor Gay1984 Growth Management* Curtis L. McCray1985 Visual Pollution Doug Milne1985 Minority Business* Jack Gaillard 1986 Private Delivery of Public Services George Fisher1986 Mental Health and Drug Abuse

Services for Children and Youth* Flo Nell Ozell1987 Child Day-Care Services George W. Corrick1987 Infrastructure* Joan Carver 1988 Local Election Process* Jim Rinaman1988 School Dropout Prevention* Gene Parks1989 Reducing the Garbage Burden* Jack F. Milne &

James L. White III1989 Independent Living for the Elderly* Roseanne Hartwell1990 Future Workforce Needs* Yank D. Coble Jr.

STUDY CHAIR1990 Philanthropy in Jacksonville* Juliette Mason1991 Adequate Water Supply* Russell B. Newton Jr.1991 Positive Development of Jacksonville’s

Children* Henry H. “Tip” Graham1992 Long-Term Financial Health of the

City of Jacksonville* Mary Alice Phelan 1992 Young Black Males* Chester A. Aikens &

William E. Scheu1993 Planning for Northeast Florida’s

Uncertain Military Future* David L. Williams1993 Public Education: The Cost of Quality* Royce Lyles1994 Reducing Violence in Jacksonville

Schools* Dale Clifford1994 Jacksonville Public Services: Meeting

Neighborhood Needs* Michael Korn1995 Teenage Single Parents and Their Families* Afesa Adams1995 JAXPORT: Improvement and Expansion Jim Ade1996 Creating a Community Agenda: Indicators

For Health and Human Services* Bruce Demps1996 Leadership: Meeting Community Needs* Bill Brinton1997 Improving Public Dialogue* Jim Crooks1997 Transportation for the Disadvantaged* Cathy Winterfield1997 Children with Special Needs* Virginia Borrok1998 The Role of Nonprofit Organizations Sherry Magill1998 Incentives for Economic Development* Henry Thomas1999 Improving Adult Literacy* Edythe Abdullah1999 Arts, Recreation and Culture

in Jacksonville Ed Hearle2000 Affordable Housing* Bill Bishop2000 Improving Regional Cooperation Jim Rinaman2001 Services for Ex-Offenders Dana Ferrell Birchfield2001 Growth Management Revisited Allan T. Geiger2002 Making Jacksonville a Clean City Brenna Durden

Jacksonville Community Council Inc.2434 Atlantic Boulevard, Suite 100Jacksonville, Florida 32207E-mail address: [email protected] address: http://www.jcci.org

JCCI is a United Way Agency

Nonprofit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPermit No. 1999Jacksonville, FL

2002 Beyond the Talk: Improving Race Relations

Documents

Transcript of 2002 Beyond the Talk: Improving Race Relations