Knoxville Equity Partners

As we, Black people and White allies, attempt to capitalize on this new push for racial equity and justice, we must be cognizant and look out for what I call Bubble Gum policies and legislation. These are policies and legislation that seem equitable and effective on their face, but they do little or nothing to truly bring about systemic change and deep, sustainable progress for Black people. These policies are like the worst kind of bubble gum – the first few chews are sweet & soft but very quickly gets bland, stale, and hard. We need to know and learn to recognize what good, effective public policy looks like and develop the ability to adumbrate, during the draft phases, what the likely outcomes will be to ensure that we are writing and supporting meaningful, impactful measures for our growth and empowerment.

This is especially important for White allies. Too often, I speak with White people, who I believe are genuinely anti-racist, but refuse to recognize certain actions and people as racism and racists. For example, I pointed out to a person in an executive level position within government, that one of their department directors engages in discriminatory practices and that this person is a problem. The response I got was, “I don’t know her to be that way.” The person I said this to is a White woman; of course, she does not know that person to be that way. She would not experience racism from another White woman, but her failure to realize that is what often impedes racial progress. White allies must come to realize and accept that Black people know when we are being discriminated against and we deserve to be and must be believed. White people must recognize this as a blind spot and increase their awareness of how they unintentionally inhibit racial progress because it prevents effective public policy from being written, supported, and executed. Those who hold the power to write or influence policy do not look in the cracks and crevices where racism and discrimination hide and do not consider Black people’s experiences as credible. Just like women know when they are experiencing sexual harassment and they deserve to be heard and believed, Black people know when we are being discriminated against and we deserve to be heard and believed.

Bubble Gum policies like homeownership programs that are supposed to increase homeownership among minorities are usually applauded and promulgated in cities across the nation. Most require participants to buy in designated areas. These areas are usually predominantly Black, impoverished, experience high levels of crime, are under appreciated and under resourced, which means that purchasing in an area like this will not build wealth, result in financial security, or even equity accrual. Though such programs look great on their face, they are by and large, ineffective in closing the racial wealth gap because they are not designed to produce or build wealth in Black communities.

The way to identify Bubble Gum policy is to look at the outcome(s) of the policy. If they are not producing results that translate into increased access to capital for Black business owners and entrepreneurs, the growth and expansion of Black firms, increases in household incomes, decreases in racial income and wealth disparities, then you have identified a Bubble Gum policy. For instance, going back to homeownership programs, these would be effective if included in the policy were mandates requiring local municipalities to invest dollars in the development of those areas for infrastructure, minority developer, builder, and investor incentives, minority small business development and support, workforce development initiatives, and other such measures to ensure that revitalization is happening in these areas designated in homeownership programs- without it, owning a home in a neighborhood with extreme blight, high crime, low performing schools, poverty, few jobs and low wages is not a win and it is not an effective public policy.

Do I believe these Bubble Gum policies are purposely designed to be ineffective? Yes. White public servants and even private individuals seem to be keenly astute in creating policy for White people and their communities that is effective, but all too often when it comes to Black communities, it’s a mystery as to how to address poverty, low wages, high crime, and low performing schools. What I’ve observed over the years is that when a marginalized group demand change and better outcomes, those in positions of power roll out a policy that sounds good, but have little to no impact on household incomes, education outcomes, employment rates, and wealth accrual. It is incumbent upon Black people and those committed to the fight for racial equity and economic justice to be vigilant in identifying and rejecting these Bubble Gum policies and skilled in writing truly effective public policy.

 

The greed of the wealthy and White elite has created a scenario where the majority of Black people and many White people now share the same problems. It’s become just as hard for many Whites to build wealth, find housing that’s affordable, take vacations, send their children to decent schools, protect and provide for their families, get jobs that pay livable wages, afford the expenses of an education, and the list goes on. The current structure of the economy and social order is no longer comfortable for most White people. They’ve been left no other choice than to face the harsh reality that Blacks have been forced to live with for centuries- white wealthy people use systems of racism to extract cheap labor out of middle and low income Whites. A reality they could ignore so long as they weren’t as unfortunate as Blacks. Even though they weren’t as privileged as rich Whites- at least they were doing better than somebody. Those days of comfort are long over. They’re left with astronomical student debt, high healthcare expenses, poor wages, high housing costs and fewer opportunities and all of that is eating into the wealth that was accumulated and passed down.

Undoubtedly, the elite are shocked that so many Whites are now venturing into the realm of anti-racism and fighting for the cause of racial equity and justice. Questions are certainly raised in private meetings and conversations around this sudden and wide spread support for Black lives and why this social shift is happening. As basic life necessities become increasingly unaffordable, more and more middle income households are finding themselves in low income brackets, signaling that something is fundamentally wrong with the system. Along with that comes the obvious- improving the lot of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged will positively affect outcomes for others, thus this coalescing of White moderates and liberals with Black people. What Martin Luther King Jr. was trying to accomplish with his Poor Peoples Campaign during the civil rights era, now has a real chance at being achieved. The economic and social ground has been tilled by the ever increasing income and wealth gaps and the seeds of racial collaboration to truly form a more “perfect union” are being planted; but are we preparing to resist and defeat a move to destroy the harvest? What happens when, not if, “the powers that be” implement a national economic plan to support and grow the middle class, making life, once again, comfortable for Whites? How do we maintain fervor and urgency around racial progress? What legislation, policy and steps need to be made now to establish equity as the most pressing social issue to tackle?

When I first saw the cover of TaNehisi’s book, The Water Dancer, I wasn’t moved by it. I don’t even think I liked it but that’s probably because of the word “dancer”. To me, dancing seems fun, gregarious, an activity for those full of life and well, the cover looked like a boy who had drowned and his lifeless body was just floating at the surface of the water waiting to be discovered by a shocked and horrified fisherman and I just couldn’t connect the word dancer with that imagery.

Anyway, all of that prompted me to google the cover artist, Calida Garcia, to see if she talked any about the cover and she said that water symbolizes transition and even though I haven’t read the book yet, I’ve heard Coates talk about it so I know that it’s about an enslaved boy who has the ability to remember everything- it’s his super power. With that in mind, I can see how the notion of transitioning from the world of slavery to one of freedom, even if only in his imagination, is still like death because the memories of enslavement can’t be escaped, and perhaps her artwork is symbolic of that. But it still leaves questions for me, like “why is he faced down instead of up?” “Why does his body appear lifeless instead of in motion?”  Can’t wait to read the book to find out.

Visit https://www.calidagarciarawles.com/ for more on Calida Garcia

 

We talk a lot about the 42% poverty rate among Black Knoxvillians, and something has to be done about that.  But we often don’t look at the other side of the coin, which are the 58% of Black Knoxvillians who aren’t in poverty. That’s leverage that can be used to help decrease the 42%. The development of a sports stadium in East Knoxville may be just the opportunity to do so.

In a recent news article here, Randy Boyd talked about his plans to develop a stadium downtown: “Boyd hopes the plan is so attractive the city or county, or both, will jump on board with tens of millions of dollars in additional funding.”

I would suggest that if the City and County invest our tax dollars in this development, that they require a set-aside of at least 25% for Black contractors and professionals, which include engineers, architects, planners, general and subcontractors, and others. It would definitely be the right step in repairing the damage done to Black businesses and neighborhoods from Urban Renewal. I would also like to see the City create incentives for Black developers to develop in this area and for Black people to buy and purchase residential and commercial properties on the East side. When we talk about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), this is what it looks like.  It means being intentional about racial equity, and it is time to move the conversation of DEI from the table to some actionable items.

And for the record, DEI is not just building affordable housing and a community center in close proximity to wealth, development, growth and opportunity.  DEI means that the “wealthy” includes a proportionate number of Black people and other people of color who contribute to the development and growth of our community, and who take advantage of opportunities and create opportunity.

In order to mitigate gentrification and spur revitalization, these are the kinds of measures that must be taken and implemented at the very beginning of the planning stage. In his book, Know Your Price, Andre Perry states, “We must restore value iteratively in ways that empower and support those who have been committed to the neighborhoods without pricing them out. That starts with incentivizing homeownership among current renters…. ownership would make people less vulnerable to displacement or gentrification.” Without this type of intentional planning and inclusion on the part of local municipalities alongside other public and private investors, poor and racial minorities will continue to be displaced and marginalized.

 

A large portion of the white population enjoy and are quiet advocates of the racial disparities that exist in this country because it gives them an advantage.

They’ll say they’re anti-racist, proponents of diversity, equity, & inclusion, but they do nothing to advance or implement measures, policies, strategies, or legislation to realize DEI. They do nothing in their positions of power to take a firm stand against those who resist fairness and equity.

They do nothing to speak up for, fight for, or advocate for Black Agendas; race centered economic, social and political empowerment initiatives.

I am still befuddled by the fact that there was more movement and passion for the liberal agenda than the black agenda- there is no group more marginalized, more oppressed, more disadvantaged, or discriminated against than Black people- yet this group receives the least support and attention.

When you live in a City where the poverty rate of your community is 42%, you should expect that there would be a concerted effort from the State, County, & municipal level to draft and implement a long term, comprehensive plan to address this. The only people who I expect to be ok with so many black people living in poverty and not lift a finger or work a brain cell, or pick up a pen to work on and fix this issue are racists. All others, I expect to hear & see an all hands on deck approach, as this is an emergency in this city. I do not understand how some people have been in seats of power, money and/or influence for so long and are not embarrassed enough to do something about it. It’s one thing for a City to have pride, but how can you be proud of a 42% poverty rate? Unless, of course, you see nothing shameful about having nearly half of Knoxville’s Black American population impoverished like some third world country.

We realize there are many who have been laid off from work and have no income and limited resources and reserves and may be struggling to pull together their next meal.  At Knoxville Equity Partners (KEP), we want to be a resource to the people and communities that we serve; please refer to the links below for information regarding help for those who have been impacted due to COVID-19.

Feel free to call, comment, or email us with any additional resources and we will share with the wider community.

Economic Impact Payments

https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments

Paycheck Protection Program

https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program-ppp

Unemployment Resources

https://www.tn.gov/workforce/covid-19/employees.html

Knox County Schools COVID-19 Updates

https://www.knoxschools.org/covid19update

~Together we will K.E.P Thriving, Growing, & Doing

I’ve been thinking deeply about the effects that this pandemic will have on black people and our communities and I must say that, for a brief moment, I thought to not address or discuss it along the lines of race because everybody is dealing with it and “the powers that be” will surely use that as an excuse to not give sufficient attention and resources to the communities that suffer the most. When folks say, “when America gets a cold, black people get the flu”, that is real and it’s a shame. Our communities deserve extra attention and resources and until America redress the destruction of its policies and laws on the black community, we will always have to view everything along the race line. The truth is that our communities cannot afford to slack in our fight for economic, political, and social justice/empowerment- not even during a national crisis, in fact, we must insist, all the more fervently, that our specific needs and issues are on the table and met with adequate resources to ensure that the current disparity gaps that exist don’t widen. Black people are still trying to regain ground lost during the 2008-2009 economic recession. It was widely touted and accepted that America had recovered, families had recouped much of what they had lost, businesses were on the rebound, and Wall Street had survived; unfortunately the black community had not experienced that recovery to the same degree- not even close, and here we are facing another economic downturn, with loss of jobs, incomes, and potentially homes and businesses. This is going to be devastating to black people, both individually and collectively, unless we resolve now to stem the damage and include provisions in the forthcoming plans to revive the economy that are robust, comprehensive, sufficient and long-term.

Knoxville government can look to the efforts of Maynard Jackson when he was Mayor of Atlanta, GA in the 1970’s, as they create plans designed to meet the needs of everyone but also include provisions to ensure that this crisis does not exacerbate the socio-economic racial inequities that currently exist. During his term, Mayor Jackson, to the fierce opposition of the white power structure in Atlanta, mandated that all public contracts include a 25% set-aside for minority businesses, he threatened to move City money from Atlanta Banks, if they did not diversify their Boards and staff, and he focused “his efforts on reforms for African Americans’ needs, particularly affirmative action programs.” By doing so Atlanta became a hub of black entrepreneurship, ingenuity and innovation – the black middle class was created. He sparked a sort of political and economic revolution across America as cities followed suit in electing their first black representatives and implementing similar reforms to advance economic inclusion for its black constituents.

Black Americans were forced into ‘social distancing’ long before the coronavirus

This is not an easy thing to do. It requires courage and vision- a level of determination and astuteness capable of out-pacing and defeating antiquated social norms, the status quo, discrimination, and the gall to unyieldingly stand face to face against blatant racism- refusing to give in to fear, threats, or bribes. However, it can be done, and it must be done in such a way to make these reforms systemic for longevity and maximum impact.
We can no longer play nice with racism. The time is ripe, and the day has come to fight it and destroy it at the root. We cannot afford to spare feelings or appease the social elite or consider the sensibilities of those who enjoy and make good use of white privilege. Black people are suffering, lagging further and further behind, and these times require bold, outspoken, strong leaders who use their positions to right wrongs, correct records, and end discriminatory policies and practices. Leaders who champion and enforce diversity, require and mandate economic and political equity, and who stand at the forefront of real racial inclusion.

The Corona Virus pandemic is forcing many of us to stay home and avoid unnecessary interaction with others. The economy and social activity is slowing to a crawl, companies are laying off employees, small businesses are potentially facing bankruptcy, countries are closing their borders, state and federal governments are collaborating with health officials to formulate a plan to address this crisis, and news outlets are reporting on it 24/7. It’s a scary and uncertain time as many are overwhelmed with worry for themselves, their families, friends and loved ones, yet we must resolve to persist through this by staying positive, doing what we can to help others, and finding productive outlets to vent our anxieties and restlessness.

As we wait this out, here are two ways to stay engaged and still contribute to your community and to the well being and strength of the nation.

1. Take the 2020 Census online. It’s important- money & state representation is on the line. It’s only 10 questions for you & members of your household.

2. Complete The City of Knoxville’s Impediments To Fair Housing Survey. It’ll take only about 10 minutes & will inform what’s included in the City’s Consolidated plan.

All you need is a computer or smart device with access to the internet.

2020 Census
https://my2020census.gov

City of Knoxville
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/StakeholderSurveyforAI

Be Encouraged. Be Safe. Be Well.

 

I am befuddled. I, too often, see instances where simply acknowledging African Americans or other persons of color, their work and accomplishments, or even giving them a seat at the proverbial table without any real financial or decision-making power is accepted as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI.) Worse even is when a group of the “privileged” gather and talk about the importance and maybe even the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and walk away thinking they’ve engaged or implemented DEI.

It leaves me wondering, do we know what DEI truly is? Do we know what it looks like? Do we know what the results of it should be? Recently, a new word has entered the conversation around DEI and that is intentionality, but most are still lost on what it means to promote and engage in intentional DEI. Shouldn’t there be benchmarks and targets to measure how successful we are in intentionally diversifying spaces, ensuring equitable opportunity and access, and inclusivity?

We all know that minorities are not on the same playing field nor have the same advantages as their white counterparts, and particularly African Americans face challenges that other groups don’t. Yet the conversation and actions have not progressed to discuss how to eliminate the barriers that prevent access to opportunities and resources and impede DEI. As an example, organizations whose work it is to provide capital, training, and business development to minority businesses require African Americans and other minorities to provide a business plan. While business plans are necessary, many minorities cannot afford to pay a consultant to complete a market analysis and feasibility study. This obstacle contributes to the inability of minorities to start and/or expand businesses. The solution to this and other hurdles perhaps is to remove them altogether and offer “hand-ups”- a practice of creating access without any barriers or impediments.

Truly implementing and practicing DEI should result in increased numbers of African Americans and other minorities in board rooms, in decision making positions, starting and expanding businesses, pursuing post-secondary education, buying real estate, running for public offices, obtaining government contracts, joining police forces, becoming doctors and engineers, integrating neighborhoods and churches, participating in recreational activities like traveling or simply, horseback riding and sailing. True DEI should reveal a steady and consistent reduction in the income and wealth gaps. Statistics should begin to show that African Americans/minorities are just as likely to become judges, or business owners or have a sizeable personal net worth or any number of good and productive outcomes that whites, by and large, experience.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion must be more than just a “feel good” notion or idea that we talk about. DEI must be intentional, systematic, measurable and measured to ensure that we are doing more than just talking about it but actually achieving it.

We all want our young people to have successful lives, full of well-being, meaningful work, surrounded by people who care for them, and a community to which they belong.  We celebrate the young who move into such lives.  Yet, too many of our young don’t seem to make it.  East Knoxville and Mechanicsville neighborhoods are not alone with this sorrow.  It happens in black communities across our state and country.

This is a big problem with no quick fix.  Lots of different strategies have been tried to overcome the impediments of growing up black in America, yet here we still are.  And we persist in wanting the best for our children and wanting to rid our community of the policies, practices, and attitudes that cause the difficulties our children face.

When people have allowed great degeneration within the world to persist over a long time, correcting the harm becomes extremely difficult as people have come to consider the decay as normal.  Our success depends on proper deliberation.  Without knowing the cause and simply focusing just on fixing its symptoms in the world, whatever we do will not work and perhaps make the situation even worse.

But what is different now is that the conversation has deepened as many more have come to understand that black children and families continue to not have the same opportunities as other Americans because of policies, practices and attitudes that have deep roots in the past.

Once we collectively understand the deep cause of the rot within the American culture, then we must work on uprooting the decay.  Such an effort accords with the possibilities of the time.  We cannot recoil from this work, which will lead us through great danger and difficulty.    This work will cause us a lot of distress because of the learning associated with uncovering denial and identifying options that others cannot or do not want to see.

Decisiveness and energy must take the place of the inertia and indifference that have led to the decay so that uprooting the cause leads to a new beginning.