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Build Unity

Goal 1: Implement Strategies to Eliminate Racism and Other
Forms of Discrimination and to Advance Unity in Arlington
Objective 6: Build a Truly United Community
Project Performance Measure(s) Department(s)
BU Unity Council Recommendations City Manager’s Office
1.6.1 (2023) – General Recommendations
Summary: students for the upcoming school year. The camp will also
incorporate youth literacy programs for youth participants
The Unity Council’s 2023 Update Report examined the and their families in partnerships with SFC, Junior
progress made on the original 57 racial-equity focused Achievement and Frost Bank.
recommendations and considered three additional areas
of disparity and inclusion as directed by the City Council. The City is also currently involved in a “Youth Violence
Specially, the Unity Council has set forth recommendations Reduction” project that is focused on reducing the
addressing residents that are aged 65 and older; accessibility of firearms for youth between the ages of 12-
intellectually and physically disabled individuals; and 17. As a part of this project, team members have worked
members of the LGBTQ+ community. The General with community stakeholders to interview youth that have
recommendations for the 2023 Update Report are below. been impacted by gun crime. The initiative is now moving
from the prototyping and program piloting phase to final
Recommendation No.1 program portfolio development and implementation
Concern or Issue: planning. The implementation planning will be presented
rd
Younger residents are less engaged in cultural events or in an Executive Briefing to City leaders on July 23 , 2024.
programming than older residents.
Short-Term Recommendation: Recommendation No.2
The City must enhance its communication and engagement Concern or Issue:
strategy to reach a wider audience of younger residents. City of Arlington employees do not regularly attend
• Partner with various community organizations. diversity trainings across a wide-range of topical areas that
• Engage school-connected youth, via AISD and are relevant to residents.
MISD student leadership programs. Medium-Term Recommendation:
Update: City employees should be required to attend annual
The office of the Chief Equity Officer is continuing to diversity-related trainings that reflect the City Council’s
partner with stakeholder organizations, like UTA, to “Build Unity” priority.
support and engage more youth centered programming.
The office recently supported UTA’s Center for African Update:
American Studies in the delivery of its annual conference, The Chief Equity Officer has partnered with the Office of
which celebrated 50 Years of Hip Hop. The conference Human Resource to begin delivering diversity training at al
included education panels for UTA students and other New Employee Orientations. The first training was
youth. The Chief Equity Officer also served on the MLK delivered on February 2, 2024, and continues to be
Committee, which sponsored youth essay, poetry and art delivered. There have been discussions about piloting NEO
contests. The Committee is also sponsoring a Youth training that will connect equity and government
Extravaganza. innovation, so employees can be encouraged to be both
innovative and equity focused in pursuing their duties.
The Chief Equity Officer is now working with Carter Middle
School (a Title 1 School in East Arlington) to strengthen The Chief Equity Officer is also coordinating with HR an IT
youth engagement and support programs at the school. to identify a self-directed diversity training program that
The proposed activities include mentoring, sports program will integrate with the enterprise learning management
support, financial literacy education and a monthly system, providing all employees access to an array of
th
nd
career/speaker’s series. From July 22 through July 26 , diversity-focused training and development.
the City will partner with Carter Jr. HS, Metro Sports
Fieldhouse, and Hacking Innovation to deliver a Sports and
STEM Education summer camp that will prepare Carter

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