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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-18-2004-7aORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 18, 2004 Action Agend Item No. _ SUBJECT: Final Report on Human Services Issues Forum 2003: Fifty Years after Brown v. Board of Education DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Tuday & Rosetta Wash, Co- Final Report Chairs, Human Services Advisory Commission Gwen Harvey, Assistant County Manager, ext 2307 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough Chapel Hill Durham Mebane 732-8181 968-4501 688-7331 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To present the Final Report of Human Services Issues Forum 2003, Fifty Years after Brown v, Board of Education: How African Americans in Orange County are Faring in Education, Health, and Economic Opportunity, BACKGROUND: It has been ahalf-century since the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) took up the cause of a little black girl attending fifth grade at the public schools of Topeka, Kansas. On May 17, 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren read the decision of the unanimous U.S. Supreme Court striking down the "separate but equal" doctrine of Plessy v, Ferguson, ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, and required the desegregation of schools across the land, The decision was a turning paint in schools desegregation and the beginning of significant social change. In September 2003, the Human Services Advisory Commission (HSAC) of the Board of County Commissioners convened the fourteenth annual Human Services Issues Forum at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill. Its chosen theme was "Fifty Years after Brown v. Board of Education: How African-Americans in Orange County are Faring in Education, Health Care, and Economic Opportunity", It was designed as a day for looking back at the legacy, hope, and continued importance of this ground breaking legislation and its place in transforming the social and economic landscape of America, Approximately one hundred and fifty persons came together in the spirit of scholarly data sharing, thoughtful debate, and earnest discussion. The Human Services Advisory Commission reviewed the recorded proceedings of Forum 2003 and considered the written participant evaluations, It has prepared the attached Final Report as a reflection of both the progress made in Orange County, and the potential to be achieved, as articulated throughout the day, Actions proposed by the Human Services Advisory Commission for consideration by the BOCC as follow up to Forum 2003 are shown on page 13 of the Final Report, and summarized below: ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY Continue discussions towards the establishment of a "Social Justice Goal" for Orange County Government. HEALTH Jain together with the Board of Health, Healthy Carolinians, and other community partners to further address the minority health disparities documented in the Orange County Community Health Assessment (February 2003). EDUCATION Press forward in finding durable solutions to eliminate disparities in facilities and resources that may exist between the Orange County Schools and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, The Co-Chairs of the Human Services Advisory Commission have requested to present the Final Report to the Board of County Commissioners on this occasion, May 18, 2004, in recognition of the Court's decision handed dawn on May 17, 1954, and in appreciation of the Board's longstanding commitment to furthering equality of opportunity among all races within Orange County. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact in receiving the Final Report on the Human Services Issues Forum 2003 as information. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the Final Report as information and provide any feedback to the Human Services Advisory Commission, 3 Orange County Human Services Advisory Commission Forum "Fifty Years after Brown v. Board of Education: How African-Americans in Orange County are Faring in Education, Health Care and Economic Opportunity" Final Report 2003 Presented to the Orange County Board of Commissioners Barry.Jacobs, Chair Margaret W. Brown, Vice Chair Moses Carey, fir. Alice cordon Stephen Halkiotis May 18, 2004 4 2003-2004 Human Services Advisory Commission Linda Tuday, Co-Chair Rosetta Wash, Co-Chair Cheryl Atwater* Robin Barnhill Marvin Block* Tracy Cepeda Louise Echols Marla Fearrington Rita Gonzalez-.lackson Barry Jacobs, BOCC Liaison Stephen Haebig Christina Harden Patty Maynard Hill Phyllis Horton Lois Kinzie* Betty Matthews* Kenneth Touw Pat Vandiviere *HSAC Member 2003 Staff to the Commission Corintha Barber Gwen Harvey Sharron Hinton Orange County Employee Volunteers Jenny Love Melissa Sechrist James Spivey Special Thanks to HSAC Forum Contributors: Chapel Hill Museum Commission for Women Economic Development Commission Human Relations Commission Orange County Historical Museum Orange County Human Rights & Relations Department Orange County Manager's Office Orange County Public Library Triangle Urban League THE 14"' ANNUAL ORANGE COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION FORUM The Friday Center, Chapel Hzll, NC September 10, 2003 "Fifty Years after Brown v. Board of Education: How African Americans iz: Orange County are Faring in Education, Health Care and Economic Opportruzity" Welcome and Agenda Presentation Rosetta Wash, Human Services Advisory Commission (HSAC) Co-Chair, opened Forum 200.3 with welcome to a gathering crowd of over 150 registered participants, followed by a moment of silence in commemoration of the victims and survivors of 911, Ms. Wash reviewed the agenda for the day and highlighted materials found in the registration packet, Official Greetings from the Orange County Board of County Commissioners Barry .Jacobs, Orange County Commissioner and liaison to the HSAC, greeted the participants and recognized elected officials and long-time community leaders who were in attendance. He noted the importance of 911 in the nation's history and shared a memory.. I per°sonally wwz 't ever° forget the sight of the relatives and, fizends out in the streets of New York looking, for lost loved ones. One of the things that struck n:e abozst that, besides how sad it was, was the b•enrenrlorrs diversity of the people wlzo had worked in that building arzd the b°emendous diversity of the people who live in this coundy. Most of zcs m°e the children, descendants of immigrants, who came her°e seeking fi~eedonz and oppor°tunity. There is one group of which that is not true, mzd those are Africm:- Americmrs. " Commissioner .Jacobs said it was very appropriate to celebrate the 50`x' anniversary of Brown versus Board of Education even before May of 2004 arrives because the argument that started in 1952 was reheard in 1953, and that the legal challenge was actually comprised of five court cases, not one. He noted: "Here in Chapel Flill, there was a lawsuit. A Blaclc student wanted to go to a junior high school that was closer to his house than the Blaclc school. 77re school system went to court to bloc% that ,,,Chapel Hill residents went door- to- dow• cir°culating a petition that integration would adversely affect property values. Those of'us who ar°e getting e-mail about merger are Izearing the same thing nom. We are her°e to talk about lrow things have clrarrged, and clearly mach has changed fi onr those em lien times. " Commissioner 7acobs introduced a special video presentation of former Chapel Hill Mayor and State Senator, Howard Lee. Mr, Lee currently serves as Chair of the North Carolina Board of Education.. Video Presentation: Reflections of the Past ... A Vision for the Future" Howard Lee Mr. Lee reminisced about the early days back in 1964 when he first arrived in Chapel Hill as a graduate student and very few new people were moving in to the community. Schools were not integrated and health care facilities were limited. During his time as Mayor, Mr. Lee focused on increased opportunity by endeavoring to recruit private businesses and championing public education. He lauded the efforts of Orange County Commissioner Moses Carey who undertook the challenge of providing rural health care tluough the Piedmont Healthcare Corporation, On the jobs front, he conceded that serious questions remain, but pointed to the locating of a community college campus [Editor's note,° Satellite Campus of Durham Tech Community College] in Orange County as a great beginning. Mr, Lee closed with, °T7ier°e is an awficl lot to be proud of, but then°e is a question young chilcb•en always ask on a long journey: Are we there yet?' No, we m•e riot there,yet. We still have a ways to go. "But, he added, there was much to celebrate, namely because the participants gathered at Forum 200.3, were willing to come together and spend a day focusing on the problem and concentrating on coming forth with new solutions. Keynote Address - "The State of Orange County" Keith Sutton Ms. Wash introduced Keith Sutton, President and CEO, of the Triangle Urban League (TUL). It was the issuance of The State of the Black Triangle report from the TUL in the spring of 2003 that gave rise to the selection of a theme for Forum 2003. A copy of the TUL report was provided to all participants and panelists in advance, Mr. Sutton began with the most compelling issues confronting the Orange County community in regards to opportunities for African-Americans: the addition of a community college campus, efforts to close the achievement gap and address students who have been suspended or expelled from school, life style choices and behaviors that impact well being and mortality rates, and institutional paztnerships to leverage housing, ,jobs, and health care.. He saw a great need for the community to examine all these concerns in developing strategies and options for inclusiveness and progress, and recognized that the TUL report could provide a platform for that effort to begin, The TUL Report, according to Mr. Sutton, was a representation of the status, aspirations, and future of the Triangle as a whole, and he felt part of the solution lay in the pursuit of critical partnerships among Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Research Triangle Park, the University, and historically black colleges and universities.. In his mind, a course and vision for the future that improved the quality of life for all people in Orange County, not just African-Americans would be the most powerful outcome of that partnering and networking. Panel I -Economic Opportunity Linda Gunn, President, NC Institute for Minority Economic Development Scott Gardner, Local Government Relations Manager, Dulce Power Michelle Laws, NCCU Adjunct Professor and Director & Founder, Project Life Line Facilitator: Keith Cook, Member, Orange County Economic Development Commission and Chair of the Orange County Soard of Education Mr. Cook introduced the panelists assembled to discuss the challenges and opportunities before African-Americans who wish to participate more fully in the local economy and achieve greater social and economic well being. Ms. Laws called the Forum pazticipanis' attention to those at the lowest rung of the economic ladder.. "I don't want to sound pessimistic but I sort of feel like that we also nucst bring into the discussion those people who are on the outerfi•inges ofQrange Cota:ty who aren't reaping the prosperity, the economic prosperit7~, and the benefits that we so pro:edly have presented today ". Project Lifeline was created by Ms. Laws in recognition of the human potential in Black men she saw hanging out on the streets of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, those who were not part of any statistical report, but who needed alternatives to high unemployment, drug use and imprisonment. To Ms. Laws, the whole discussion about economics could not be dissected from a discussion about the prison industry, HN and AIDS in the Black community, affordable housing, and quality treatment for mental illness.. Mr. Gardner first spoke from the perspective of Duke Energy and Duke Power and their significant emplo}nnent presence in the Carolinas, He cited inclusiveness, stewardship and teamwork as being core business values at Duke Energy, He felt the corporation was making great strides through initiatives such as the Leadership Development Network for ethnic employees, its outreach to minority vendors and suppliers, and its workforce partnerships with Clemson and Duke aimed at attracting African-American students into engineering professions. Mr'. Gardner also stressed Duke Energy's corporate giving which also reflected its concerns and commitment to diverse communities. On the education front, Mr. Gardner offered his involvement on the Accountability Commission for the state and its push for baseline standards that should help North Carolina students raise their scores on national tests. He also felt that the No Child Leif Behind legislation -received nationally to mixed reviews -was "shuung a spotlight on subgroups that aren't doing well in school ". "Futures for Kids" is another program he felt held promise for helping youngsters succeed in school for the long term. Ms. Gunn explained the mission of the Institute of Minority Economic Development. They are asixteen-year-old non-profit agency focused on the underdeveloped and underutilized sectors of the state's economic sector. They operate a women's business center in Durham and they conduct research, provide technical assistance, and extend market and financing opportunities in the promotion of the promotion of underutilized businesses. She was especially concerned about the unemployment rates for African-Americans in North Carolina in general, recognizing that the loss of,jobs to foreign labor has played a large role, Nevertheless, she saw tremendous opportunities in Orange County for jobs in the construction trades, particularly with the University receiving large dollar amounts for improvements and additions an campus, Ms. Gunn also predicted that with overall population growth there would be expanded opportunities for those who provide basic goods and services, She felt that Black consumer spending would continue to rise. "I will give you the statistics for OI tinge County fw• 1990-1999 in the African-An:el•icml conunullity buying power, hl 1990, it was $1.6 million. hl 1999, it was over $3 million and that was 4 yews ago, There are opportunities here!" Panel II -Health Care Barbara Pullen-Smith, Director, NC Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities Dr. Rosemary Summers, Director, Orange County Public Health Department Walter Faribault, Retired Health Provider and Local Historian Dr. Anissa Vines, Associate Director, University of North Carolina, ECHO Program: Ethnicity, Culture & Health Outcomes Facilitator: Moses Carey, Member, Orange County Commissioner and Member, Orange County Board of Health Before introducing the panelists, Commissioner Carey underscored the importance of healthcare to the overall quality of one's life and achievement of personal goals,. "If you are sick, ,you're not going to be able to concentrate on your work a.r nlllch as you shozlld. You're not going to be as productive. Ifyou're sick, you're not going to be able to study in school to reach your fill! educational aclrievwnellt level. It is incumbent upon us to focus on this issue of7realthcare because it is the foundation of just about enelything else we do if we m°e going to be successful in improving tlae quality of osu• lives. " Dr. Vines provided a definition of inequality ftom the National Institutes of Health: "Disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality and burden of disease 9 and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States",. The ECHO (Ethnicity, Culture and Health Outcomes) program grew out of faculty discussions between the Schools of Medicine and Public Health at UNC starting in the fall of 2001. They identified the need for a central unit to better align their institutional resources to address health disparities through a variety of research and community outreach projects. The mission of ECHO is to eliminate health outcome disparities through transferable, evidence-based research, multidisciplinary training and education, and culturally sensitive service to North Carolina communities. An ECHO project of specific interest to Orange County is one called "MANN (Men as Health Navigators), being conducted by the University in conjunction with the United Voices of Efland Cheeks. This project will engage African-American and Latino men in Orange, Wake, and Chatham County in a peer network for improving systems of care around chronic disease, such as prostate cancer, Ms. Pullen-Smith offered a "reality check" for the overall discussion of minorities and healthcare. "That reality check is that one of the strongest risk factors for having poor health is having low wealth, no wealth, on the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder, living in poverty, orjust being 'po'." She said that African-Americans in North Carolina are nearly 3 times as likely as whites to live in poverty, have higher rates of no health insurance, and report being unable to see a doctor in the last twelve months. One other particularly chilling statistic she shared was that African-Americans are 1.3 times more likely to die from AIDS than whites. In .Tanuary 200.3 the North Carolina Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities published its "Report Card" on the state ofAfrican-American health. The Report Card, she said, served a number of goals. It provided baseline information on disparities between whites and minorities in the state; it translated health status data into useful ratios (2 times, 3 times, etc.); and it created a monitoring tool for the state in working to eliminate disparities. Ms. Pullen-Smith thought it important to focus on understanding the health experiences of those living in our communities by developing coalitions of agencies, administrators, and policy makers who could get at the heart and pulse of those community needs and interests.. "I hold the premise that minority health is everybody's business ... "It's going to take everybody working towm•ds a common vision, Doctors, lawyers, teachers, preachers, mental health workers, business and industry, everybody .. churches and state agencies working with you to address this issue, " "Statistically, the numbers are out of sync ", began Mr. Faribault in reference to African-Arnerieans. "We have more cardiovascular° conditions that include heart attaclrs, strokes, and complications thereof like kidney faihu°e. We have more diabetes, more cancer, and more prostate cancer than arty otlrer° minority. We have more eye disease mtd more obesity. " 10 Mr. Faribault provided an historical perspective. "L: 1975, I was employed as a physician's assistant by the late Robert J Murphy. He was a, family practitioner along with his partner; Dr. Black. He was the founder, Dr. Murphy, of the Orange Fanuly Medical Center in Hillsborough, Our patient poprdation reflected the connnuntty at Inge, However, I noticed for the most par°t that Afi•ican- Anrer°icans were sicker° upon seeking car°e tTrar: tJre majority race. Most sought episodic cm°e, for drew conditions. In many cases, tTre medicines prescribed, the patients could not afford. „ Mr. Faribault felt that over time, with increased education and job opportunities, access had improved somewhat, but access to healtlrcaze may remain emergent, episodic, and home remedy-based for far too many African-Americans. He saw a greater role for church and civic groups in being able to disseminate information, offer training, and counsel the community on health life styles. But he finished by posing a serious question for the participants to think about: "Hillsborough was, founded about 17.54, somewhere in that area. For• the past one and one half yem•s, we now have apar°t-time Black physician.. Wlry did it take, fi°om 17.54 until 1001 to have a Black physician? " Orange County was among ten North Cazolina counties to be over-sampled by the Center for Disease Control in their Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey process conducted on a national level. Dr. Summers presented highlights from a PowerPoint presentation available on the Orange County Health web site (www.co.oran eg ne.us.) Some of the findings that she stressed were: • Minorities in Orange County are less often covered by health insurance • The mortality rate for minorities with cancer is higher in Orange County • Orange County has a low prevalence of diabetes compared to the state • Smoking has more to do with the education or income gap in Orange County than race • More minorities in Orange County reported trying to lose weight to remedy the obesity problem than Whites Dr. Summers cited the actions her department is taking to further explore and address the CDC findings.. These included completion of the community health assessment process underway in cooperation with the Orange County Healthy Carolinians project, improving efforts to recruit and retain African-Americans professionals to the public health practice, and to develop a provider network in the community that could address those persons who don't have insurance, "The challenge 1 would issue to every healthcare provider in this connnunit7r is to jour us in that effort, especially our° colleagzres at the Univer°sity of North Car°olirra in their° physicians and associates group. Without the largest group of physicians in the count7r helping rrs with that process, we will not go far. I think that's the challenge that we have to er:gage with orn conrrrruniry par°brers to make healthcare what it needs to he for all of orn• African-Americm: citizens. " 11 Panel III -Education (Part A) Dr. Neil Pedersen, Superintendent, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Dr. Shirley Carraway, Superintendent, Orange County Schools John Boger, Professor, UNC School of Law Sherla Reid, Managing Attorney & Project Director, NC Justice & Community Development Center Facilitator: Sheila Sholes-Ross, Executive Director, Communities in Schools (CIS) of Orange County In opening the first panel, Ms. 5choles-Ross provided a footnote from North Carolina history: "br 1937, the North Carolina General Assembly, fozmd severe educational needs among Afi•icmr-Americans tlu•oughout the state, including tl:e county areas described in the Trimrgle Urbmr League report, Sixty-six,years later, gaps continue in tire, face of some progress ... We must all work together to continue the efforts whether we merge or not. We keep saying drat it talres mr entire village to raise a child; let's begin to demonstrate what that village will look like. " Dr. Pedersen offered a glimpse back in time as well. In 1954, the Chapel Hill-Canboro City Schools were clearly a segregated and dual system. Northside and Lincoln were the two high schools for African-American students and tremendous community support and alumni loyalty were attached to them. "I think that our challenge today," the Superintendent said, "is to build upon the pride and community involvement and commitment to children that existed then and turn it into a system that's more appropriate for today's society." He gave a slide show and made the following points: • In 1994, we had a 40-45 point gap between Whites and African-Americans in reading.. Today, about 80 percent ofAfrican-American students are proficient in reading. • The school district has implemented strategies in terms of SAT test preparation that show potential for improving the test scores for African-Americans • Progress was made in the numbers of African-Americans participating in honors and advanced placement classes • The large proportion ofAfrican-Americans identified for "exceptional education" services was disappointing - an issue the district was continuing to examine • Phoenix Academy was established to "catch kids before they drop out and to graduate them successfully" Dr. Carraway approached the topic from personal experience growing up after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling in Kinston, North Carolina. 12 "bztegration in most instances meant that African-American children had to attend what had been White schools. That's exactly what happened to nae, It meant that Afr•ican- Anaerican adn:inistr°ators and even some teachers wer°e displaced. It meant that many African-Amer°ican students were r°e-segregated once they moved into the integr°ated schools by being placed in lower-level classes. It meant that African-American teachers, parents, and administr•atw•s had less ir~trence in their newly integrated schools. It ntemrt that cor~ict and distrust characterized the relationship or lack of r°elationslrip and that marry people, nunry sttdents, many parents lost their sense of community, It meant that more minority students were labeled mrd held to lower standards and drat tlzeir° aspic°ations in many instances were not protected. It meant that rztagy African-American children were taught a cur ricatlunr that had little to do with their exper°iences and a curriculum that often suggested that then• reference group was invisible mrd had little sigrttficance. " Superintendent Carraway concluded with, "Today, perhaps the most important ftenction of any state and airy local gover•nmer:t is that of education. It is the very, foundation of good citizenship, It is doubtftd that any child cart r°easonably be expected to succeed if they me not educated appropriately. " Ms. Reid told the participants she had been at the Wake County Courthouse that morning listening to the parties argue the case of known as "Leandro", or Hoke County v. the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Education, before Superior Court Judge Howard Manning. The state's position, according to Ms, Reid, was essentially that it only had to provide a minimal level or minimal standard to be called a "sound basic education". "As I listened to this case this morning, where we have these people in nice suits argzring about the fate of children in North Carolina, I was appalled at how little progress we have really made ....I dat 't have the figures, for this,yem°, but I know the figures, for last yem°, for the state end of grade tests Of those, figtcres, 48 percent of Afi~camAnterican students did Trot rnalce level three. I don't call that a small group ofstudents. I don't call that a small minority. I call tTtat pretty darn significant. " Ms. Reid expressed how disturbed she was by the data and the state's legal position, especially as we neared the 50`h anniversary of the Brown decision. "If your child is in Hoke County or Robeson Comrty, you do not have the saute educational oppor°tunities as if you were in Wnke Cour:ty or Charlotte Mecklenburg. Tlris is not equal. This is unequal". In drawing parallels between 1954 and 200.3, Professor Bolger said he kept going back to the opening lines from the famous book by Charles Dickens, the Tale of Two Cities.. Dickens wrote: "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom; it was the age of foolishness", and so on. But eventually, the professor decided that 200.3 was neither the best nor worst of times for African-Americans., He agreed, as Dr, Carraway suggested, that there were many features of the segregated world of public 1.3 schooling that African-Americans managed to create for themselves and their children that were beneficial. "I found one accornrt in the library. It was very Inter°esting, A book, Orange County: 17.51-19.52, which was publi-shed in 19.5.3 by UNC Izistor°iarzs and they noted at the time that in Chapel Hill, the supervisor, 3 principals, and 4 teachers in the Wlrite schools had graduate certificates, 2 principals Jrad principal certificates, 67 White teachers had "A" certificates, .5 with "B ", and only 2 had "C". Wlren they turned to the Negro schools as they were known then, they cor fessed that not wrly did the supervisor, 2 principals, and I teacher have graduate cer°tifzcates, but all of tJre 40 Negro teachers held "A" certificates ", Professor Bolger commented that the one concrete thing he would suggest the community be mindful of is to fight against what he observed in the rest of North Carolina and other urban systems as the re-emergence of one race schools - 90 percent and above Black or White and high poverty. Panel III -Education (Part B) Njeri Wainaina, Sophomore, Cedar Ridge High School Danny Page, Eighth Grader, Smith Middle School Carla Gilchrist, Teacher of the Year, Glenwood Elementary, CHCCS Victoria Mattison, Teacher of the Year, Pathways Elementary, OCS Facilitator: Sheila Sholes-Ross, Executive Director, Communities in Schools (CIS) of Orange County Ms. Gilchrist acknowledged that she wasn't born until nearly 20 years after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision and she began her schooling in Durham City Schools and later attended historically black universities in the state, It was hard for her to imagine what it must have been like to be a student of color in an integrated system. She spoke of wanting to understand the wealth of resources to be found in the community and how connections could be better made to serve students of color today. '7 an: speaking as a teacher -the connections that we are making with our students. Do our• students belong to us throughout the errtir~e,year? If they do belong to us, then we nre going about tl:e business of making then: citizens of the world. If they're oral, then we are talking about college. We m°e helping them matt°iculate through and we are pr°eparing them about this bzesbress olschool " Ms. Mattison indicated she canvassed the community and asked people for their thoughts and impressions about African-Americans and education in Orange County.. 14 "Tlae most conunon statements that I r°eceived were: 7 wmzt to get n{y childr°en to go to college,. It is very hard to get them in the courses drat they zzeed'. 'When they get into the cozu°ses, there's only one or sonretinres no otlrer° mu:ority students. ' 'Wirer°e are the Blaclc teacher-s, honey?' That's a big one. 'Many of the teachers tlzink7don't care. I do care about my child I want to tur°n that question around and ask do the teachers or admir:isU°ator°s care about nr,y child. 'These are the issues we get confronted with all the time. " Ms. Mattison related how teachers and administrators ought be more sensitive to the needs of minority students and no be so quick to,judge. "We must meet all students at the door and take them and do the best that we can to teach tlrenz while they m•e in our care. " She underscored that every child is not a standardized test taker, and then went nn to relate a personal story about attempting to enter a very rigorous graduate program at the University of North Carolina, and how she was initially rejected because of a low MAT test score. She was contacted by the University and asked to take the test again. She and several other's who did not pass the test were later accepted into the program despite the test results Ms, Mattison was unashamed to say, "We got in there and we really showed them what we could do and they knew what we could do when we finished It war very power~zl ,.. mrd I did thank the University, for giving nre and other°s the opportznrity to get into that program which is going to make me a better teaclrer.for• your children. " The Students Take Their Turn 15 As a wrap up to the education panel, Ms. Schooes-Ross invited Mr. Sutton of the TUL back to present several strategies for consideration. Those were: Recognition and support for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in its hosting the upcoming Annual Minority Student Achievement Network, an opportunity to involve students, parents, and educators in assessing the achievement gap and ways to develop cooperative methods for change. Recommendation for the two school systems to convene a blue ribbon panel or task in honor of Brown v. Board of Education to study the overall health of education, pazticularly the status of African-Americans and the achievement gap. The panel would also look at No Child Left Behind legislation, recruitment and retention of minority teachers, and the suspension and drop out rates for minority students. 1C "A Summing Up" Guest Speaker: Dr. Trudier Harris-Lopez, J. Carlyle Sitterson Professor of English, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ms. Annette Moore, Director of the Orange County Human Rights and Relations Department, introduced Dr. Harris-Lopez. Dr. Flanis-Lopez challenged the Forum participants in a brief, but dramatic lecture, to study closely the topics and themes of the day's proceedings and to examine their hearts and minds for the unique and profound ways in which by exercising the rights and responsibilities of community leaders they could indeed overcome obstacles. Dr. Harris-Lopez is the author of Sumner Snow, a collection of autobiographical essays that describe with wit and poignancy her upbringing in the segregated city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama during the fifties and sixties, and the preparation that provided her for claiming later success in higher education and academic appointments, "Sreccess, however, also meara alienation. Hggher° education for° a person bw•n to cotton pickers, I discovered, is another kind of tightrope waling in which or:e Zearns to balance the unfamiliar, bare literacy and super literacy, working class and middle class. I did that in part by remembering one ofn:y mother 's. favor°ite verses; `Whosoever you ar•e, be noble. Whatsoever you do, do it x~ell. Wlreneveryou speak, speak kindly. And have joy wherever yo:r dwell. "' (Sunnner° Snow, pp.. 96-97) Closing Remarks Pat Vandiviere, HSAC Member, closed Forum 2003 with acknowledgements and appreciation for all the efforts, enthusiasm, and energy instilled into the day's events and activities.. l~ ACTIONS PROPOSED BY THE HUMAN SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION TO THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AS FOLLOW UP TO FORUM 2003 Despite the giant step forward with the landmark Brown decision, equality in the economic marketplace, health care arena, and classroom remains elusive for many African-Americans in our country, including those in Orange County. Forum 2003 may be remembered as a day with more questions raised than answers given. But it arguably provided valuable time from the norm to challenge and consider how far Orange Council as a local community has come in attitudes, beliefs, and aspirations. It gave a unique opportunity for teachers, students, public officials, business leaders and the non-profit community, and concerned citizens to listen, linger, and learn together. The Human Services Advisory Commission, with its own impressions and reflections on the day, thinks it important to offer some recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners and conununity at lazge as a result of the day's discoveries and developments. These recommendations are not meant to be all encompassing and neither do they possess any magic properties. They are; however, presented with the simple belief that the greatest strategies and solutions rest in looking ahead, in unison, with even greater resolve. Brown was,just the opening door to the great tasks that still lie ahead, In submitting this final report, the Human Services Advisory Commission wishes to thank the Orange County Boazd of Commissioners for their continued support and help in establishing the Forum as the signature event each fall for learning, networking, and deliberating on human services issues within the greater community. A copy of this report will be shared with all Forum participants, entities referenced in the recommendations, and other interested parties. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY Irr recognition that income levels influence health options and educational choices, call upon the BOCC to continue its discussion of adopting a "Social .lustice" goal for Orange County that would give special emphasis and encouragement to other county employers to emulate "model employer practices" such as, affirmative hiring policies, a living wage, health benefits for part-time employees, and continuous employee education and training,. 18 HEALTH Call upon the Board of Health, Healthy Carolinians of Orange County, the Economic Development Commission, the Orange County Transportation Services Board and the Chambers of Commerce (Hillsborough and Chapel Hill-Carrboro) to,join together and assist the BOCC to address disparities documented in the Orange County Community Heath Assessment (February 2003) such as, access to health care in northern Orange county, minority residents feeling unwelcome in the health care setting, and the inability to access consistent and convenient transportation to specialist providers. EDUCATION Call upon the BOCC to press forward in finding durable solutions -through focused collaboration and funding deliberations - to eliminate disparities in facilities and resources that may exist between the Orange County and the Chapel Hill-Cazrboro School Districts, and help accelerate improvements in the drop out and suspension rates and educational achievement indicators for African-American students in both districts.. 05-04-04