Redlining of neighborhoods explained

Redlining is the process of denying mortgage loans based on the racial makeup of a neighborhood.

Michael Nyerges, Cincinnati Enquirer

A recent legal complaint against Old National Bank that alleges the company discriminated against Black borrowers in mortgage lending has raised questions among redlining experts about whether there is a lack of access to financial services in red-lined neighborhoods and majority-Black neighborhoods in Indianapolis.

The complaint filed by the Fair Housing Center of Central Indianaalleges that just 3.86% of the bank's mortgage loans in Marion County went to Black borrowers in 2019 and 2020,even though Black residents comprise nearly 28% of the county'spopulation,according to census data.

Old National Bank is one of the largest mortgage lenders statewide and the largest bank headquartered in Indiana.Legal scholars saythat if the bank'spolicies disproportionately harmed Black residents,the bankcould be liable for illegal discrimination under the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

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Amy Nelson, the executive director of the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana, said the Old National Bank case may just be the tip of the iceberg.

In addition to this bank, she said her organization's investigations have found there are about a dozenlenders or mortgage brokers who originate a significant amount of loans in the Indianapolis metropolitan area and offer fewer mortgage loansto Black borrowers compared to others.

Old National Bank officials deny the company engaged in redlining.

"Old National strongly and categorically denies the claims made in this lawsuit. As a community bank, we are committed to fair, responsible and equitable lending practices," saidOld National Bank spokesperson Kathy Schoettlin in an email to IndyStar."That is simply who we are, and its one of the reasons we have been recognized for the past decade as one of the worlds most ethical companies."

The legal complaint accusesthe bank of deliberately closing bank branches in majority-Black neighborhoods, making it more difficult forBlackhome buyers to access mortgage loans.

The legal complaint alleges the bank is guilty of 'redlining,' a term which refers to mortgage loan discrimination perpetuated by the government-sponsored Home Owners' Loan Corporation in the 1930s.The corporation created mapsthat purported to show the level of risk for mortgage lending inneighborhoods all over the country.

Majority-Black or majority-non-whiteneighborhoods were labelledred.The Federal Housing Authoritywould not insure home mortgage loans in the red neighborhoods, effectively denying loan access to prospectiveBlack homeowners.

The term now more generally refers towhen "lenders intentionally avoid providing services to individuals living in predominantly minority neighborhoods because of the race of the residents in those neighborhoods," according to a definition offered by the Department of Justice in a 2019 press release on redlining.

"Over the last decade, Old National has disproportionately closed branches located in Black neighborhoods, while maintaining its presence in neighborhoods serving white residents," the legal complaint states.

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All of the closed branches were located either in or immediately adjacent to a census tract with a 25% or higher proportion of Black residents,according to the complaint.

Unai Miguel Andres, adata analyst at the The Polis Center at IUPUI who researches the effects of redlining, said the lack of financial services in some majority-Black neighborhoods, along with the general lack of services such as grocery stores and shopping malls, is a legacy of the 1930sredlining and the subsequent underinvestment in these communities.

Miguel Andresand two other colleagues found in a June 2021 paper that individuals living in redlined neighborhoods in Indianapolis continue to have worse health incomes, lower incomes and higher violent crime rates than non-redlined neighborhoods.

"Redlining and discriminatory lending practices led to segregation being perpetuated," said Miguel Andres."(Residents in redlined neighborhoods)were denied loans and that affected their capacity to accumulate equity."

Florence Roisman, a legal expert in housing segregation and discrimination at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law, said housing discrimination does not have to be intentional for it to be illegal, citing a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case.

As long as a practice has a discriminatory effect, which may include perpetuating segregation, and cannot be justified by a legitimate non-discriminatory purpose that could not be satisfied in another way, it is illegal under the Fair Housing Act, Roisman said.

This means the relevant legal question in a lawsuit against Old National Bank is not whether the company intended to discriminate against Black borrowers but whether its actions caused harms that disproportionately affected Black borrowers, Roisman said.

"Their intention isirrelevant," Roisman said.

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Incourt, it may be easier to prove that a company's policies had a disproportionate effect on Black borrowers than that that company intentionally discriminatedagainst Black borrowers.

"Its hard enough to prove what is the intent of a single human being, and when youre talking about multi-member entities, its even harder to prove intent," Roisman said."Courts dont like to say that a person or an entity committed an act of intentional discrimination; its like the reluctance to say somebody is a racist. Courts, like lots of people, are very reluctant to put that label on someone."

In the past five years, there have been two other major casesalleging banks were guilty of redlining inIndianapolis.

A 2017 case againstUnion Savings Bank and Guardian Savings Bankalleged the banksengaged in redlining majority-Black neighborhoods in Ohioas well as the Indianapolis metropolitan statistical area. Similar to the Old National Bank case, this bank was accused oflocatingbranches to avoid serving majority-Black neighborhoods.The case ended in a settlement when the court ordered the banks to invest at least $7 million in a loan subsidy fund and open two full-service branches and a loan production office in majority-Black census tracts.

Two years later,the Justice Department settled a suit against the Muncie-based First Merchant bank, which it and the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana accused ofredlining in Indianapolis by intentionally avoiding predominantly Black neighborhoods.

Contact IndyStar reporterKo Lyn Cheang atkcheang@indystar.com or 317-903-7071. Follow her on Twitter: @kolyn_cheang.

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Old National Bank redlining: discrimination may not be intentional - IndyStar

The first issue of Sojourners (originally called The Post-American) was published in the fall of 1971, which means that this progressive evangelical standard turns fifty this year. Happy birthday!

Though located in Washington, D.C., for the majority of its life, the magazine was actually launched in the Chicago suburbs by a group of Trinity Evangelical Divinity students, including provocateur Jim Wallis. A Michigan State University graduate with connections to Students for a Democratic Society, Wallis had started seminary the year before. He motored around the southern tip of Lake Michigan in his Ford Falcon, ready to combine his revived faith with a radical critique of American politics and international policy. Wallis intended to take on the evangelical world with Jesus and the Bible.

The young seminarian quickly incited the conservative campus into heated debate about the war in Vietnam. Every Wednesday at noon, students and faculty met for lunch and debate at The Pits, a small caf in the basement of the administration building where polite discussion often spiraled into heated arguments between just war advocates and pacifists. A noisy student with red hair and a bushy red beard, Wallis was the archetype of a prophet, a classmate remembered, who often served as the lightning rod in these debates. [Be sure to click here from some priceless photos of a young Jim Wallis and his longhaired seminary friends.] His fellow students would sit there with mouths agape getting really mad at him as he charged Trinity with having departed from biblical ideals.

With unrelenting appeals to Scripture, the young firebrand worked hard on his classmates. Wallis ripped out all the pages in the Bible that dealt with money and poverty, leaving only a tattered shell remaining, to make his point that social justice mattered. While others in the New Left made their case using sociological arguments, Wallis made it theological and insisted on scriptural justification for arguments. This was a tactic that convinced disenchanted divinity students to rally around his leadership.

The Bannockburn Seven, named for the wealthy section of Deerfield where Trinity was located, rallied first against stringent campus standards. When the faculty rejected a 93 percent student vote urging the loosening of parietals, Wallis and his friends released a manifesto charging that the school will become either a center of progressive evangelical thought, or a fundamentalist enclave of legalism, sell-out religion, and reactionary thought. The choice is yours. They invited the Chicago Tribune to observe a mock funeral held in front of the administration building, where they played Taps, built a makeshift graveyard, and buried student opinion. They particularly targeted eminent evangelical theologian and dean of the seminary Kenneth Kantzer, who told protesting students seeking reform outside the framework of legitimately elected student government to consider themselves not welcome. Faculty, he reasoned, had come from the greatest universities on earth, prepared to write volumes on the decisive theological issues of the day; instead, they were getting tied up for significant amounts of time debating whether visiting hours for girls should be from 3-12 or 4-11 on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Bannockburn Seven, however, quickly broadened their agenda beyond campus rules to critique the evangelical non-engagement with broader social issues. Bob Sabath felt deep alienation from the church, telling a Milwaukee newspaper reporter that I felt the evangelical church had betrayed me, betrayed itself. It was not dealing with those questions of racism, war, hunger. In a Deerfield Manifesto, written in late 1970, the seminarians stated that the Christian response to our revolutionary age must be to stand and identify with the exploited and oppressed, rather than with the oppressor.

By the summer of 1971, Wallis and his compatriots had formed the Peoples Christian Coalition (though they more often called themselves the Post-Americans, which was the name of the magazine they would soon edit) to address violence, race, poverty, pollution, and other macro-ethical subjects. They met regularly for prayer, Bible study, sociological study, celebrations called God parties (which always opened with a rendition of Three Dog Nights Joy to the World), and demonstrations against the war. Under threat of expulsion and as the Coalition rapidly grew and took up more of their time, they finally stopped taking classes at Trinity. But their common alienating seminary experience, as Sabath put it, continued to bind them together. In early 1972, twenty-five of their Trinity classmates joined their intentional community, located initially in an apartment building in Rogers Park on Chicagos north side and then in the impoverished Uptown area.

The seminarians most enduring legacy came from their tabloid, which featured a signature blend of evangelical piety and leftist politics. The first issue of The Post-American featured a cover of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns and cuffed with an American flag that covered his bruised body. America, the depiction implied, had re-crucified Christ. Inside, A Joint Treaty of Peace between the People of the United States, South Vietnam and North Vietnam declared that the American and Vietnamese people were not enemies and called for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. The American captivity of the church, Wallis continued, has resulted in the disastrous equation of the American way of life with the Christian way of life.

For Wallis the publication of the Post-Americans first issue was a deeply spiritual moment. Having stayed up all night editing, returning proofs to the printer, and hauling stacks of freshly printed issues back to his small apartment, he paused in the early morning hours. He placed a copy on his bed, dropped to his knees, and began to pray. Strong feelings of gratitude, expectation, and bold, confident faith rushed over him as he reflected over the long journey that had led him to this point. The gospel message that had nurtured us as children was now turning us against the injustice and violence of our nations leading institutions and were causing us to repudiate the churchs conformity to a system that we believed to be biblically wrong.

It was an audacious declaration. And the Post-Americans proclaimed it widely. They distributed 30,000 copies of the first edition, printed with $700 in pooled money. They blanketed fifteen colleges and seminaries in the Chicago area and sold copies for 25 cents throughout Chicago. Within several months, they had sold 225 full subscriptions. The real growth potential, however, lay in the thousands of other disillusioned evangelical students across the country. They borrowed mailing lists and took their searing critique on the road in an attempt to awaken sleepy evangelical campuses and to startle big state universities. Wallis and Clark Pinnock, his mentor and a professor at Trinity, traveled to the University of Texas at Austin under the auspices of InterVarsity to preach and condemn the war on the streets. Another sixteen-day trip in spring 1972 took the Post-Americans to evangelical campuses, major universities, intentional communities, and churches in northern Indiana, lower Michigan, northern Ohio, central and eastern Pennsylvania, and up the east coast from Washington, D.C. to Boston. They brought copies of their magazine, distributed reading lists full of New Left writers, and offered free university courses in Christian radicalism, the New Left, womens liberation, and racism.

They gained even more publicity when Mark Hatfield, a U.S. Senator from Oregon, and John Stott, Britains leading evangelical figure, endorsed them. Within two years, 1,200 people had subscribed to the Post-American; within five years, nearly 20,000. The Post-Americans had clearly tapped into a substantial market of angst-ridden evangelicals searching for authentic faith.

Through the 1970s, the magazine offered a steady diet of radical critiques of the American liberal establishment. Citing New Left voices Herbert Marcuse and Charles Reich, it offered economic critiques of unlimited growth. Keynesian economics, writers charged, merely justified corporate greed. The Post-Americans denounced Proctor and Gamble, Ford, AT&T, and Westinghouse for perpetuating the liberal-industrial scheme of unlimited economic growth. We protest, Jim Wallis declared in an exemplary critique of liberalism, the materialistic profit culture and technocratic society which threaten basic human values. Over one hundred articles on the poor and disenfranchised appeared in the Post-American from 1973 to 1978, many of them explicitly blaming consumer culture, big business, and the liberal scheme of consumption to stimulate the economy for creating economic stratification.

The magazine also objected to faith in science and to the spirit-deadening assembly-line routine of technology. Technology gave the powers and principalities, as Wallis called governments, corporations, and other brokers of power, an even more insidious means of wielding control over the people than traditional uses of power. One of their most compelling examples was infant formula. From all appearances it seemed like a technology that could help orphaned babies and mothers who didnt have a milk supply. Instead, it led to costly dependence on American companies, intent only on increasing their consumer base and the reach of their economic empires. Given the need for clean water, sterilization, and the formula itself, contended the Post-Americans, offering classes on techniques of breastfeeding would be simpler and less disruptive to cultural norms. The ties between technology and big business led many New Leftists to despair about the technocracy, a term used with regularity among radical evangelicals. The technocracy perpetuated a bureaucratic maze that threatened to extinguish human autonomy and creativity.

The rhetoric of the Post-American pointed not only to evangelical appropriation of New Left social critiques, but also to a radical political styleone that sharply contrasted with the mid-century neo-evangelical inclination to court establishment structures. The church forsakes the spirit of Christ, an editor of Christianity Today had argued in 1967, when it uses picketing, demonstration, and boycott. Evangelical radicals countered that dissent was necessary to correct the status quo. Spiritual resources should be used to judge, not merely legitimate current conditions. The Post-Americans dismissed decorous evangelicalism as pass, even immoral, in the face of social injustice. Their protests, reflecting the demonstrative methods of the Left, such as guerrilla theater, picketing, leafleting, and direct confrontation, marked a profound departure from evangelical quietism.

Renaming the magazine Sojournersa biblical allusion that more clearly transcended the American context of the groups founding name and captured a sense of communityand moving in 1975 into a dilapidated neighborhood in the northern section of the District of Columbia, the group and magazine continued their program of contentious dissent. They pledged to move more intentionally toward nonviolent direct action. Our resistance to evil, one statement read, must never be passive but active, even to the point of sacrifice and suffering. We therefore refuse military service, military-related jobs, war taxes, and will engage in nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience for the sake of peace and justice as conscience dictates and the Spirit leads us.

Despite these sensibilities, which contrasted sharply with the religious right emerging in the 1970s and 1980s, the magazines subscription base grew. By 1983, it reached 55,000 subscribers. But it paid its employees only subsistence level salaries, and its reach couldnt match the religious right, which was successfully attaching itself to the Republican Party. By 1990 the evangelical left as a coherent organizational movement had been left behind, exiled from American political structures and power, it had indeed been left behind.

Perhaps in response to its political homelessness, Sojourners evolved over the next decades. In the 1990s and 2000s, it became more centrist and establishment in ways that would have nauseated the twenty-somethings that launched it. Jim Wallis, softening from his fiery New Left suspicion of traditional political structures, began working comfortably with political moderates and the Democratic Party. A virulent critic of the technocratic Jimmy Carter in the 1970s, Wallis began to appear on event stages with the former president. By all accounts, the two had become good friends and found common political ground.

He worked with contemporary leaders too, some of the most powerful in the nation and world. On a single day, Wallis testified at a Senate hearing on the Employee Free Choice Act, participated in a conference call with President Obamas Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and then enjoyed dinner with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Catapulted to prominence by his relationship with Obamaand by his 2005 bestselling book Gods Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesnt Get ItWallis in the 2000s regularly appeared as a guest on CNN and on comic Jon Stewarts The Daily Show. He attended World Economic Forum meetings in Davos, Switzerland, each year, and sales from Gods Politics, which spent fifteen weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, infused Sojourners with cash. In 2007 Sojourners sponsored a CNN forum on faith and religious values in which three of the top Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama, participated. According to Time editor Amy Sullivan, several years earlier the same forum had attracted only a single congressperson.

This new centrist trajectory offered progressive evangelicalism more political space and more potential to build an organized movement. For a time, it seemed to be working. Ive been 40 years in the wilderness, and now its time to come out, he told a reporter as the magazine and a partner organization Call to Renewal surged. In 2006, longtime staffers, along with a new team of political organizers, fundraisers, and communications specialists, moved into gleaming new headquarters in Washington, D.C. Thirty-five years after the Post-American was founded, the magazine had arrived at the center of American politics.

Whatever one thinks about the political and ecclesiastical evolution of Sojourners, it has produced thousands of compelling articles. Some have been outrageous and provocative, others nurturing and deeply spiritual, still others smart and wise. The magazine has consistently encouraged its readers to think better, pray harder, and in the words of its mission statement, to live out a gospel life that integrates spiritual renewal and social justice. Sojourners has been a gift to American evangelicalism.

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A Tribute to Sojourners Magazine on Its Fiftieth Birthday - Patheos

BALTIMORE (WJZ) Mayor Brandon Scott along with the City Council announced Tuesday plans to reauthorize three tax credits set to expire.

The tax credits include the CHAP Tax Credit, the Newly Constructed Dwelling Tax Credit and the High-Performance Market Rate Tax Credit.

Officials said the reauthorization bills associated with the credits were introduced by the City Council Monday evening. They will now begin to move through the councils process for approval.

Mayor Scott is also set to establish a Tax Credit Review Committee that will evaluate the citys existing tax credits and ensure the incentive program sustainably and equitably grows the tax base.

I look forward to working closely with Council President Mosby, Councilman Costello, Shelonda Stokes, and the Tax Credit Review Committee to ensure our incentive structure is fit for todays Baltimore, while simultaneously benefiting our residents, homeowners, local business community, and overall strategy for growth, said Scott.

Growing Baltimore in a responsible and equitable way is paramount, and getting our tax code right plays an important role in achieving that goal and ultimately transforming our city, said City Council President Nick J. Mosby. As Baltimores leaders, we must always be intentional about developing sustainable solutions that bolster smart and equitable development. I am excited to help establish this review committee and will do all I can to support and extend tax credits that deliver results.

The reauthorization of these three tax credits would build predictability into the process and aid projects in moving forward.

The reauthorization of these credits is critically important to growing our City, creating new jobs, and ensuring opportunity across all neighborhoods, said Councilman Eric T. Costello, chairman of the Councils Ways and Means Committee. By establishing the Tax Credit Review Committee, the Mayors deliberate approach will make sure that we continue to offer credits that have demonstrated results in growing our city and that we act in a fiscally prudent manner to drive economic development in all communities.

These tax credits have fueled development across the city so its important to keep them going while we perform a comprehensive review of whats working, whats not, and where we have unmet needs, said Downtown Partnership President, Shelonda Stokes. The process matters moving forward, as we create new tools to stimulate investment, equity, and economic opportunity.

Officials said more information will be announced in the coming weeks.

Original post:

Mayor Brandon Scott Announces Plans To Reauthorize Three Tax Credits - CBS Baltimore

By Blaine Howerton, PublisherNorth Forty News

We often receive reader feedback, both positive and negative. I am grateful for that as it means that folks in communities throughout Northern Colorado are reading our newspaper!

With our focus on solution-driven journalism sometimes our content may seem mild by that I mean that some of our articles could have more personality, even written in the first person. You may have noticed a shift in a few of our recent articles and its intentional. But when it comes to politics, complex community issues, or anything where our readers need to make an informed decision, based on facts, we make every effort to center our reporting, providing both sides of the issue. And if one side of the issue isnt available, we publish only the facts.

This leads me to thePublishersLetters.

As with so many people, the pandemic led to a major change in my life circumstances where I needed to make some significant decisions going forward. My two young sons, (whom I have custody of every other week) and I talked about the fun times we spent up on our mountain sanctuary and whether we could make that arrangement a more permanent lifestyle. Living off-grid is challenging and always seems to be a work in progress there is so much to learn. But we agreed to take it on.

My sons and I couldnt be happier about the decision we made that made one of the most challenging times in our lives more bearable so many new adventures to focus on! And as we met each new challenge of living off-grid, I decided to share my journey with our readers and the feedback we have received is that many readers look forward each week to reading the next installment perhaps because it may encourage them that they too can face change and uncertainty and master it, no matter how challenging it may seem at first.

As the season transitions into winter, life at 6,300 feet always presents new challenges but living off-grid has reduced my living costs.

And like so many people in these times of Covid and uncertainty, I am struggling. This newspaper takes everything I have to keep it going. Well before the pandemic, 4 years ago before I took it on, the newspaper was about to close and that would have left many towns and rural areas throughout Northern Colorado news deserts.

I am grateful for the people in our community who have supported us with their readership, their subscriptions, and their advertising. They are THE reason that North Forty News still exists today. And that includes people who write to us your feedback helps shape this newspaper.

LOCAL NEWS IS A NECESSITY CRITICAL AT A TIME LIKE THIS!

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Support our work on your behalf:

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Show your support for Local Journalism by helping us do more of it. It's a kind and simple gesture that will help us continue to bring stories like this to you.

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Publisher's Letter: Our Newspaper and Reader Response - North Forty News

Views expressed in opinion columns are the authors own.

When I think of cities, I imagine a densely-packed, interconnected community full of public places that invite you to interact with new people and enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life. However, while visiting Washington, D.C., certain areas of the city dont fulfill this vision of a community-oriented space. As I walked the streets, benches and places to sit were few and far between and were often tilted or curved in an unwelcoming way. I quickly realized that this design wasnt a coincidence, but instead an intentional decision meant to discourage homeless people from using them.

What I encountered in Washington, D.C., is known as hostile architecture city amenities designed to limit the way the space can be used. This punitive approach doesnt solve homelessness, but instead deters homeless populations from occupying public spaces.

Hostile architecture weaponizes the built environment against certain users of public spaces deemed undesirable by businesses and governments. Hostile architecture can include sloped or curved benches, armrests in the middle of benches, and spikes covering areas protected from weather. It can also include ghost amenities, or a lack of amenities such as benches, fountains or buildings with protective overhangs.

Hostile architecture not only punishes the homeless, but other city residents as well, creating city spaces that are uncomfortable, unwelcoming and inconvenient for everyone. Instead of relying on reactive strategies that negatively affect everyone, cities should instead solve the problem at the source by housing the homeless and making cities more accessible and community-oriented.

While hostile architecture pushes away the homeless from wealthier and tourism-driven areas, governments and planners euphemistically justify the acts as protecting public safety and increasing tourism and consumerism. Those designated as non-consumers are alienated from free public spaces through an uncomfortable and hostile environment.

Put simply, these practices have no place in modern city planning. Hostile architecture is not only irrational, but also morally repugnant and detrimental to all of society.

Hostile architecture doesnt solve homelessness far from it. Instead of solving the socio-economic roots of the problem, it just moves homeless people out of sight. And, from a moral standpoint, it seems wrong that governments are more focused on harassing and punishing those who need help, rather than establishing the supportive programs needed to solve the problem. Through this mindset, homeless people are not treated as humans, but as public nuisances that must be removed from public spaces.

In addition to the ineffectiveness and moral repugnance of hostile architecture, it is also a net-negative policy for everyone who uses public spaces. It fundamentally transforms public spaces from places of community, where people can chat with neighbors and enjoy the scenery, to unwelcome environments intended to prevent people from using it for too long. This approach creates discomfort and inconvenience for everyone, but especially neglects the accessibility needs of many. Why do we as a society tolerate harming everyone for an immoral policy that doesnt solve the homelessness problem?

The ideology of punishing vulnerable populations for issues often out of their control shouldnt be the status quo.

Governments can and should invest in housing the homeless and providing the support they need to get on their feet. Studies have shown savings for local governments when the homeless receive housing instead of spending the money on the punitive approaches currently used across the country. In addition to solving homelessness at the source, cities should remove uncomfortable hostile architecture that divides us. They should instead focus on creating functional public spaces that connect people together and create a sense of community.

Hostile architecture does not make sense and has never made sense for solving societal problems. Its primary goal is not to solve the problem of homelessness, but to exclude and isolate people from public spaces. It is unethical, ineffective and has the simultaneous effect of ruining the community aspect of shared spaces. Public space is meant for everyone, and designating it for only socially desirable people who can spend money reflects poorly on our supposed morals. Our country must move past apocryphal anti-homeless policies and instead create thriving, sustainable and supportive communities that work for everyone.

Zach Wandalowski is a sophomore government and politics and economics major. He can be reached at zachwand@gmail.com.

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Hiding homelessness through hostile architecture only hurts the community - The Diamondback

Reflections from the Reading 360 Summit

By: Dr. Lisa Coons, Chief Academic Officer

The inaugural Reading 360 Summit resonates in my mind as one of the most powerful learning opportunities of my career. Listening to several Tennessee leaders in the sessions over the three day summit highlighted and reinforced the incredible literacy work that is occurring in across the state. I am incredibly humbled that almost 2,000 educators attended and shared the literacy focus on Tennessee that is occurring in schools and districts over the past 18 months. Social media has been filled with quotes, comments of appreciation, and the recognition that the Reading 360 work outlines the literacy accomplishments in Tennessee.

Launched in January 2020, the Reading 360 Initiative provides a comprehensive focus on literacy improvements for educators, universities, families, and communities. District-facing strategies include early reading trainings for Pre-K to grade 5 educators and focused implementation networks to support district literacy improvements. Supports to districts also include Communities of Practice, implementation grants, and video models. Families have had the opportunities to order decodables and receive weekly text messages supporting literacy. Community partnerships for literacy tutoring will occur in Tennessees urban settings as well. Finally, a Tennessee Reading Research Center is launching this fall to analyze the focused work of Tennessee and study each of these initiatives and their impact on student achievement. The Reading 360 Summit was designed to highlight these efforts and celebrate the work of districts within Reading 360.

The Reading 360 Summit was designed intentionally. The conference began by reflecting on the success of the summer early reading training and the commitment of 11,000 educators; the presenters focused on how to support educators to implement the practices, protocols, and research learned. The panel focused on the neuroscience of the training and the importance of intentional foundational skills instruction. The conference sessions then moved to set Tennessees focus on literacy opportunities for every child and discussed the importance of access points that high-quality instruction materials provide that allow all children to have grade-level literacy opportunities every day.

On the second day, the conference focused on district and school leaders. District leaders spoke to their own vision-setting, building a theory of action, and equipping leaders and teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to execute the plan of action. The district leaders described the importance of working shoulder-to-shoulder with school leaders to ensure a collaborative culture where leaders are chief learners to support growth in classrooms.

The final day defined the vital roles families and communities play in ensuring all children have strong daily literacy experiences. Community partners across Tennessee shared their focus on grassroots collaboration to connect with families and elevate the focus on literacy. The conference closed with discussions with education preparation leaders and their focus on growing our newest educators to use cognitive reading science when teaching children to read along with the importance of using high-quality materials as the foundation for instruction.

I am so thankful for the conversations, the chats, and the connections that were sparked in the Reading 360 community that were made over the three-day summit.

Our schools and our children are so lucky to have the educational leaders who have spoken, engaged, and shared their practice during the summit. It is clear that our district leaders are creating a vision for success, ensuring the why is clear in the work, and that they are working shoulder-to-shoulder with their school leaders and teachers.

Sumner Countys Chief Academic Officer, Scott Langford, explained principals need feedback just like teachers do to Norma Gerrell, Director of Schools from Paris Special Schools, who reminded us that you have to put faces with data and be transparent. Our leaders truly shared how important honest and focused leadership is to improving literacy experiences for children. Clint Satterfield from Trousdale County encouraged school leaders to own their instructional changes, not just create buy-in. Hamilton Countys Yvette Stewart noted that school principals are the drivers of the bus. These leaders also discussed the use of Tennessees Instructional Practice Guide to dive deeply into the content, student learning, and actionable feedback that fosters growth in practice.

Haywood Countys Director of Schools, Joey Hassell, discussed the focus on all learners and reminded us that just because a student is struggling to read doesnt mean that they are struggling to think and Rachael Cornett from Rutherford County asserted that high-quality instructional materials level the playing field because all students are given access to rich instruction. Jeta Donovan, the principle Early Reading Training course designer, explained to teach our youngest readers to how to read, we have to understand more than just what reading is. We have to understand the processes behind it. Instructional leaders, Carissa Comer from Putnam County and Shannon Tufts from Lenoir City Schools, shared the importance of key tools to support educators in implementing foundational skills including collaborative lesson preparation and focused clear walk through feedback and Penny Thompson from Lebanon Special Schools showed us that early literacy starts in Pre-K.

One of our community leaders, DeMarrus Miller from the Salvation Army advocated, If a parent cannot read well, it is likely that their child will struggle as well and StandardsWork CEO, Barbara Davidson, explained we have a great opportunity here in Tennessee; there is nowhere else in the country with such a comprehensive and coherent approach to literacy instruction. In the discussion around preparing tomorrows teachers to teach reading, Dr. Carolyn Strom from New York University explained everything we do should be aligned to science and what we know about teaching reading. Our teachers need knowledge, skills, and mindsets to be successful. And University of Tennessee Knoxvilles Dr. Zoi Philippakos stated if we teach students to break the code and understand the system of reading, we give them the opportunity to access a world full of knowledge.

Recordings from all sessions will soon be available on Best for All Central. You will be able find these discussions and many other experts with empowering quotes, discussion points and strategies. As a next step, I encourage you to watch these recordings again and share these with your colleagues and extend this weeks learning into your own districts journey. Download the reflection guide and start a discussion and think about what is next for your school or district.

My dear friend, Millicent Smith from Lenior City, reminded us that we have to get uncomfortable to change and improve our practice. So, I hope you get uncomfortable, see students in the data, own your change, and use neuroscience to ensure every child in Tennessee has high quality learning experiences every day, every week, every month, year over year!

Read more:

Tennessee Educators Lead the Nation in Literacy Focus - tn.gov

In a moving ceremony, the Illinois State campus community celebrated on October 15 the new Multicultural Center, a recently renovated space dedicated to providing support for students and strengthening the Universitys commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Center Director Dr. Christa Platt, M.S. 09, Ph.D. 17, began the event with an acknowledgment of the Indigenous Peoples whose homelands Illinois State now occupies, closed the ceremony with a ribbon cutting, and in between reflected on what the new center means to the campus.

Its a special day, and honestly, its an emotional day, Platt said. Its a special day for us, the collective, the campus community, not just for me and my colleague Kwame (Patterson), who worked for the last year and a half together to make this venture be what it is, but its for the campus community, a moment in history that is special for us.

About 100 students, faculty, staff, donors, and university and community leaders gathered at the Multicultural Center for the celebration, which was held during Homecoming Week. The event was moved inside due to the weather forecast and was livestreamed on the centers Facebook page and on a big screen in the Bone Student Center, where about another dozen people watched the hourlong event.

Watch the celebration and ribbon cutting for the new Multicultural Center on Facebook.

Students Caleb Mangruem and Daisy Rodriguez welcomed attendees with a statement read in English and Spanish: Welcome to the sacred moment for our community, a moment to reflect, a moment to remember, and a moment to honor, Mangruem said in part. Welcome to an opportunity to share in gratitude with our communities who have asked, advocated, protested, demanded, and planned for this center. We welcome you to honor the mission and the vision to the center that seeks to equip all Illinois State University students to be change agents and enact a culture of anti-racism, equity, and justice.

After the event, center staff offered attendees tours of the facility, which opened in August in the former Instructional Technology and Development Center at 301 South Main Street. The 16,200-square-foot building underwent a $4.4 million renovation and now includes spaces for events and culturally- and community-based student organizations, conference rooms, a social justice library, a media room, staff offices, a kitchen, all-gender restrooms, and a reflection room.

Illinois State administrators spoke about the crucial role students served in pushing for and developing the concept of the center.

While were excited to complete this construction project and the opening of the center, were even more proud of the commitment to the student experience throughout the entire planning process, said Dr. Levester Johnson, vice president for Student Affairs. Our students asked for the Multicultural Center, and we listened. We were intentional about listening to their feedback and making decisions that will ultimately make their experience at Illinois State even better.

Illinois State President Dr. Terri Goss Kinzy called the centers opening a momentous occasion.

For some, this center is a symbol of our dedication to equity, Kinzy said. For some, this center will be a refuge, a place to recharge, to have the energy to continue important work. But for me, the center is a promise to forge ahead for infusing equity into the infrastructure of the Universitys practices, policies, and initiatives. It is also a place where we must have constructive dialogue, including on difficult topics and between different views.

The event also featured an Interfaith Blessing, a thank-you to the alumni who have financially supported the center, a rendition of the song The Blessing by the Interdenominational Youth Choir, and readings by the student leaders of the Black Student Union, Asian Pacific American Coalition, Pride, and the Association of Latinx American Students.

As current student leaders on this campus, we commit to serving our student body by recognizing the humanity of the most marginalized students, we affirm their Blackness; their Asian identity, their Latin histories; and their gender, sexual, and romantic identities, said Ximena Sanchez-Ramirez, president of the Association of Latinx American Students. We welcome each intersecting identity of our peers and invite them into the Multicultural Center. We center the experiences of minoritized students. We envision the possibilities for them, and the possibilities of what this space can and will offer students. We envision what the center would have been for a Black man graduate student, like Jelani Day. We will continue to foster community that Jelani would have wanted to belong to.

Dr. Khalilah Shabazz (assistant vice chancellor for student diversity, equity, and inclusion at IUPUI) has served as a consultant to the Multicultural Center. During her keynote speech, she said cultural centers provide a safe haven for students who often find themselves existing along the margins on college campuses.

Look at these amazing students. These are your why. These are the faces of our future. These are your why. And for you all students, this is your place, this is your space, Shabazz said.

Learn more about the Multicultural Center.

Julie Mana-ay Perez contributed to this story.

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ISU community celebrates the opening of the Multicultural Center - Illinois State University News

Peter Tonguette| Special to The Columbus Dispatch

Filmmakers Melissa Gira Grant and Ingrid Raphael knew there was a story behind the wave of killings of young people, most of them Black, by police officers in Columbus.

I would be at the protests, and the families would be telling their stories, but when you would read and try to find more information, the media outlets that were covering the stories would only be giving the stories from the perspective of the police reports, said Raphael, a 28-year-old artist then living in Columbus.

Then Raphael, now living in Philadelphia, was introduced to Grant, a 43-year-old journalist based in Brooklyn, New York, who had been traveling to Columbus to write about police violence in the city.

I had started covering the story of Donna Dalton, who was shot and killed by (former police officer) Andrew Mitchell and then some months later, he was charged with murder in her death, said Grant, a staff writer at The New Republic magazine.

More: Columbus intends to pay family of Donna Castleberry $1 million in wrongful death case

That story really stuck out, because, at that time, before Mitchell was indicted, no Columbus police officer for the entire tenure of former prosecutor Ron OBrien had been charged with murder, Grant said.

More: Everyday Heroes: Adrienne Hood turns pain into purpose as a social justice leader

The two colleagues joined forces to co-direct a new 20-minute documentary being shown at Mershon Auditorium on the campus of Ohio State University at 7 p.m. Oct. 22. They Wont Call It Murder examines the topic through the perspective of surviving female family members of victims of police shootings namely, Adrienne Hood, the mother of Henry Green; Bobbi McCalla, the older sister of Dalton; Malika King and Derrea King, the mother and grandmother of Tyre King; and Jamita Malone and Maryam Malone, the mother and younger sister of Julius Tate Jr.

More: 5 juveniles have been fatally shot by police in Columbus since 2016. Here's a look at their cases

More: Opinion: "We cannot achieve social justice without environmental and climate justice."

The screening to be followed by a discussion with guests Grant, Raphael, Hood, Derrea and Malika King, and Jamita Malone is part of the Unorthodocs documentary film festival presented by the Wexner Center for the Arts (where the other screenings will take place).

(The film) really spends time with especially the women in the families of victims of police shootings mothers, grandmothers, sisters and how they build communities of support and try to figure out how to get justice, said Chris Stults, Wexner Center associate curator of film/video.

The goal is to give voice to figures whose perspectives might be omitted from official accounts of their loved ones deaths.

We knew that we had the ability, because of the relationships and the trust that we had, to tell the story in a really different way and in a way that gave these women and their families the power back, Grant said.

The film began production in December 2019 and wrapped toward the end of February 2020, but Grant and Raphael revisited the project following the death of George Floydin May 2020 while in police custody in Minneapolis.

We had yet again another unfortunate event in American history where a Black man was killed by police and we had these national uprisings, said Raphael, who decided that Columbus protests needed to be documented, too.

They Wont Call It Murder is the centerpiece of the fifth installment of Unorthodocs, which was originally intended to have a larger scope.

The pandemic curtailed those comeback plans just a bit: Instead of taking place over as many as five days, as in years past, the in-person component of this years festival is set for two days, Oct. 22 and 23.

But, as if by design, this leaner version of the festival has a focus it might not have otherwise had.

I didnt even realize this until after we finished the lineup, but at least in terms of the feature (documentaries), theyre all made by women and primarily women of color which wasnt intentional at all, but just seems like the most exciting work that we had planned to show, Stults said.

And, while last years Unorthodocs festival was entirely virtual, this years in-person screenings boast five programs that will make full use of the big screen; just one film, the documentary Prism, featuring contributions by three separate filmmakers, will be shown online this year (starting Oct. 24 and continuing through Oct. 30 on http://www.wexarts.org).

They are just overwhelming cinematic experiences that really needed to be seen on a screen, Stults said of the films selected to be screened in-person.

The festival opens at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 22 with Unorthodocs Shorts, a 75-minute program of short documentaries. Two filmmakers featured in the lineup Rasel Ahmed and Lydia Cornett will speak afterward.

After the screening of, and discussion related to, They Wont Call It Murder later that evening, the festival will resume on Oct. 23.

At 2 p.m. Oct. 23, Jessica Beshirs Faya Dayi will be screened. The documentary offers a look at the Ethiopian crop khat, which, when chewed, can lead to a feeling of euphoria.

Its the most lucrative crop in Ethiopia, Stults said. The film enters an appropriately meditative dream state. Its not one of those issue films, where you learn facts and figures like you would in a magazine article.

Also on Oct. 23, showing at 4:30 p.m. is Rosine Mbakams Delphines Prayers, which draws on the filmmakers interviews with a woman who had been a sex worker in Cameroon before relocating to Belgium; and at 7 p.m., Natalia Almadas Users, which utilizes sweeping cinematography to capture the role of technology in the natural world.

Despite being shorter than usual, the festival promises a thorough look at some of the most exciting voices in documentary filmmaking.

You can see a lot of the most striking documentaries all in one sitting, Stults said.

tonguetteauthor2@aol.com

The Wexner Center for the Arts Unorthodocs documentary film festival will feature in-person screenings Oct. 22-23 at the arts center, 1871 N. High St.

They Wont Call It Murder will be shown at no charge at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 inMershon Auditorium. A discussion with the filmmakers and those featured in the documentary will follow.

Other in-person screenings cost $9, or $7 for Wexner Center members, $5 for students.

Visit http://www.wexarts.org for more information.

Masks are required.

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Work of female filmmakers, primarily women of color, to be featured in Unorthodocs festival - The Columbus Dispatch

By Kenita Barrow, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.

When different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds come together, it sparks innovation that can drive significant technological advancement. The most diverse companies are now more likely to outperform their less diverse peers.1Beyond company performance, ensuring adequate representation throughout the product development pipeline leads to better-tailored treatment outcomes and care for patients in underserved and underrepresented communities. The criticality of improving treatment outcomes for these populations has led to a need to bring together relevant stakeholders (e.g., payors, academia, government, healthcare professionals, patient advocacy groups, and patients) using platforms such as the MedTech Color Collaborative to develop best practices, education, and awareness aimed at increasing diversity and inclusion within product development and clinical research. This will proactively further advancements for racial and ethnic minority populations and address health inequities.

One of the main areas where change is greatly needed is the recruitment and retention of diverse individuals within medtech organizations. Diverse individuals are often not provided exposure or information about the various roles that exist in medtech during their collegiate experiences. Colleges and universities have made great strides in creating programs focused on advancing individuals of color in the life sciences.

I myself benefited from such a program as a member of one of the cohorts of the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program. The program, founded by the Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Foundation, focuses on increasing diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. A key component of the program that prepares students to pursue advanced degrees and obtain successful careers in STEM involves participation throughout their academic tenure in internships and externships. There remain opportunities for medtech companies to address recruitment by creating impactful collaborative experiences with academic institutions, further exposing the offerings of the industry to undergraduate students participating in these programs.

The creation of programs such as the one described above that partner with the medtech industry would allow students to gain exposure to premarket development plans, including principal investigator interactions and early-stage advisory boards, and post-market strategies such as the development of marketing materials and engagement with key opinion leaders.

Participation in these activities allows diverse students to gain an understanding of the impact their voice and perspective can have when they are in the room. Providing emerging graduates with this experience increases the likelihood that these students will pursue careers in medtech. Additionally, even for those who may not choose to have a career in medtech directly, it highlights the areas and spaces where they can engage with the industry as an external party and still make a difference. As an added step, organizations can further demonstrate their commitment to diversity by providing career opportunities for individuals in these programs who excel in the work performed during their internships and externships.

Such collaboration can continue beyond the undergraduate space. An example currently underway at Otsuka involves the Legal Affairs team. Our legal group is facilitating a diversity accelerator secondee program for firm counsel. The program began through negotiations with three outside counsel firms to bring secondees in-house at Otsuka for a period of up to six months. The secondees have the opportunity to work in several different legal practice groups, network with attorneys throughout the organization, and interact directly with business teams and executive leaders. Upon their return to their firms, the secondees are given significant career advancement opportunities such as origination credit or participation in mentorship and leadership programs. The secondee program brings additional perspectives to legal decision-making across the organization and demonstrates Otsukas commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion both internally and externally.

I have seen first-hand how having diverse perspectives in the room positively impacts all stages of the processes involved in the product development life cycle.

For example, it is essential to understand that African Americans are generally represented as a subset of Blacks when presenting statistics related to race and ethnicity. The definition of Blacks can have a global connotation encompassing, but not limited to, individuals such as South Americans, West Indians, Latin Americans, and Africans. However, the definition of African Americans is often defined as Americans with African ancestry. Definitions for these groups are often misunderstood or misrepresented, yet these definitions are vital when examining how a product will or will not impact a sub-population. Highlighting this distinction is crucial for representing the facts from a scientific perspective and demonstrating that an organization accurately understands the communities of the patients it serves.

Another example that often arises in the product development life cycle involves access-related issues. Considerations such as the location of clinical trials, provisions for trial participants to travel, and how best to advertise for study recruitment all need to be determined as part of the strategy for product development. When diverse voices are missing from the strategic planning table, the industry can overlook critical conversations examining the impact these determinations can have and, as a result, representation from underserved and underrepresented communities can be lacking.

Other issues around access revolve around what is needed to utilize a product successfully. An increasingly relevant example presents itself with the evolution of product development involving software applications. One simple question that should be asked is whether all participants will have access to smartphones or any other technology, if required, to utilize the software application as intended. Such components are often taken for granted but can become a barrier to product use, further demonstrating health inequities for underrepresented populations.

Recognizing these critical nuances and taking steps to increase diversity at all levels of medtech organizations will help tremendously in bridging the gaps and lack of trust that we see between industry and underserved communities.

Medtech companies must also participate in activities that reflect the diverse communities of both their employees and the patients they serve. Companies can achieve this by being intentional in their external activities.

Prioritizing participation in patient advocacy or other volunteer opportunities that include organizations representing underserved and underrepresented communities is essential. Ensuring these communities are represented when providing sponsorships and donations is equally important. Taking these additional steps will further highlight the renewed commitment that the medtech industry has to diversity, forging a defined pathway toward increased inclusion.

About The Author:

Kenita Barrow is executive director, deputy general counsel for Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. Outside of her legal role, Kenita donates time to STEM programs for young women and to initiatives working to increase diversity in all areas of clinical research. She is a member of the executive planning committee for the MedTech Color Collaborative and also serves as a member and past chair of the Montgomery County Ethics Commission in Maryland. Kenita has a J.D. from Vanderbilt University and a B.S. in biomedical ethics (biology/sociology/philosophy) from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Kenita has also completed graduate work in the Pharmacology and Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at Georgetown University.

Originally posted here:

How To Create A Pathway For Diversity In Medtech - Med Device Online

Construction has a long way to go to move the needle on diversity and inclusion in its ranks. While the industrys numbers, compared to the nations overall workforce, skew heavily white and male, companies are making efforts to change that.

Currently, over 1,100 firms are taking part in Construction Inclusion Week, which kicked off October 18. The initiative, founded by six major construction firms, looks at leadership accountability, unconscious bias, supplier diversity, jobsite culture and community engagement in the industry.

CIW, which is modeled on the industrys highly successful Safety Week, is aimed at bringing diversity, equity and inclusion to the forefront of constructions workforce. In addition, the initiative is designed to make diversity and inclusion a focus in construction 365 days a year, CEOs of the founding companies told Construction Dive.

One firm thats been doing that is Burns & McDonnell, an employee-owned, full-service construction and engineering firm based in Kansas City, Missouri, with a legacy in construction dating back to 1898.Here, Construction Dive talks with Leon Harden, Burns & McDonnells diversity and inclusion strategy manager,about what the company is doing to change the face of its workforce.

Leon Harden

Courtesy of Burns & McDonnell

CONSTRUCTION DIVE: What inclusion and diversity goals have you had on projects?

Leon Harden: Across all our projects, we work proactively to team with small and large businesses owned by women, veterans and minorities to help prepare us to meet and exceed our clients expectations and strengthening the communities where we work. One recent project example is Burns & McDonnell World Headquarters Expansion, which we designed and built ourselves.

In 2020, we completed the final phase of the Burns & McDonnell expansion, a new 142,000-square-foot building on our campus in Kansas City, Missouri. Since breaking ground in 2018, crews worked more than 134,000 hours on the project without any safety incidents.

Nearly 30 minority and women-owned businesses worked on the campus expansion, surpassing the goals of having 24% of the team providing construction services minority and women-owned businesses.

What are the results of working toward those D&I goals as a company?

In the last 5 years, more than $2.4 billion or 27% of Burns & McDonnell invoiced expenditures was paid to small and diverse businesses.

Our business diversity efforts seek to address any inequities in access to opportunities by establishing business relationships with all communities. In 2004, Burns & McDonnell began an intentional focus on supplier inclusion. Since then, we have been recognized with more than 56 industry-related awards for our demonstrated commitment to the utilization and growth of diverse projects for corporate operations. As a federal contractor, we are audited by the federal government and the most recent audit of our Small & Diverse Business program was rated Highly Successful.

We also seek to create alliances with organizations and businesses in our community. To help address racial inequities, Burns & McDonnell deposited $1 million in Douglass National Bank a Black-owned bank. We are active in, and in many cases board members of, more than 16 organizations that promote diverse business inclusion. We have hosted 17 Community of Inclusion events to recognize the mutually beneficial alliances experienced by our diverse partners and our employee-owners.

We have awarded minority business owners with scholarships to attend the Executive Education Program at Dartmouth College. We also organized the nations first corporate collaboration with Dartmouths Tuck School of Business and hosted programs at our firm. Each session was attended by more than 30 diverse business owners.

How do you recruit diverse workers?

Harden: For more than a decade, Burns & McDonnell has had a targeted diversity recruitment strategy, focusing on intentionally reaching and hiring diverse candidates. Our female hires have grown from 25% of total hires to 31% during that time, and our minority hires have increased from 14% to 25%. We are incredibly proud of this progress, but we know there's work still to be done.

Our growth across regional markets exploded during that same timeframe, allowing us to tap into new talent pools.

We participated in more than 75 diversity job boards, attended over 120 diversity recruitment events each year, leveraged partnerships with professional organizations like the Society of Women Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, National Society of Engineers and more to cast a wider talent net, and started earning recognition as a best workplace to strengthen our employment brand and earn a reputation as an employer of choice.

We also welcome opportunity to work alongside students attending historically black universities or diverse institutions. We have worked with Tennessee State University, Alabama A&M University, Clark Atlanta University, Lincoln University and Donnelly College, among others, where we have provided support with project submittals, sponsored a conference on women's issues and assisted in relaunching a pre-engineering program.

By working with universities and campus organizations, we've seen a deliberate increase in our female and minority new grad hiring. In the past five years, we saw a 3% increase in minorities and a 6% increase in females.

Why did you do this?

Creating an equitable and inclusive workplace for all is our top priority. Our goal is to be the best place to work for all people, and we work hard to achieve that. We recognize that we have room for growth in this area, and every day we strive to push ourselves toward becoming an even better company. A company with an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued, respected and engaged, where our collective diversity is a catalyst for innovation and our varied perspectives lead to better solutions for our clients, our communities and our people.

What advice would you give to other contractors who want to improve diversity and inclusion in their workforce?

Our firm has been in business for more than 120 years. A key driver of our success has been diversity diverse business lines, diverse workforce, diverse partnerships. Weve seen firsthand how diversity leads to better, more creative solutions for our clients. Here are some of the steps we take to maintain this level of diversity:

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Why one third of new hires are women at this 120-year-old construction firm - Construction Dive

Hamilton, New JerseyGrounds For Sculpture is following a path of health and wellness that is both unique and beneficial for residents of the mid New Jersey region. As part of an extended initiative to make Grounds For Sculpture more accessible and inviting to a wider array of visitors, guests, and museum members, the sculpture park is working hand-in-hand with local leaders and artists to further develop its wellness programming, and is doing so through a thoughtful process incorporating ideas from the public and from groups who may have been excluded in the past.

Grounds For Sculpture welcomes, surprises, and engages visitors in its 42-acre sculpture park, museum, and arboretum founded on the site of the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Opened to the public in 1992, it is one of the premier cultural destinations in New Jersey, and has embraced and enchanted over three million visitors. Traditionally, tourists travel from places like New York City, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia to see and experience the immense collection of larger-than-life outdoor sculptures and indoor beguiling art installations and exhibits. However, after a deep review of who is benefitting from the museum's offerings, the administration and the board felt they could do more to reach out and work with residents throughout New Jersey.

During a recent strategic planning process, the organization developed a long-term vision that set its aspirations "to be a leader, magnet and vibrant forum that invites a diverse public to create, learn, and discover personal meaning in their interactions with art, nature and one another." Their new strategic plan identifies impact, relevance, and capacity as their key strategic priorities.

Over the summer, part of this vision was actualized when Gary Schneider, Grounds For Sculpture's Executive Director announced his hiring committee's choice to invite Kathleen Ogilvie Greene to become the organization's first Chief Audience Officer. As an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of creating sustainable institutional impact through program creation, community engagement, and audience development, Kathleen was the perfect match for the work ahead. She will play a critical role in prioritizing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and wellness, initiatives across Grounds For Sculpture and the broader arts community.

Kathleen describes herself as an advocate for cultural workers and living artists and is skilled in inclusive programming, intentional partnerships, and nonprofit management. She arrived at Grounds For Sculpture from The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia where Kathleen excelled as a team and systems builder, created and managed a wide range of programs in response to the collection while established fruitful and long-standing partnerships within the greater region of southeast Pennsylvania.

The function of museums is evolving, with many now playing a significant role in the well-being of their community. Grounds For Sculpture engages the premise that the arts, resonating deeply with the human experience, are saturated with the potential to promote healing and wellness, not only in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, but also within the fabric of the region. Wellness-focused programming began at Grounds For Sculpture nearly ten years ago and the museum recognizes that the two elements, art and nature, united on its premises are healing. The sculpture park is in an ideal position to become a cornerstone for wellness in the community. While Grounds For Sculpture has made strides in achieving this goal, the staff and board members alike are in agreement that there is still much work to be done.

Late this summer, during a sunny Saturday afternoon, a convening of invited stakeholders, medical professionals, leaders, artists, staff members, and volunteers, congregated under an outdoor tent to brainstorm wellness programs, each participant sharing ideas from their own perspective and areas of interest. Kathleen stated, "The hope was to end the day with ideas that considered audience, partners, and purpose. We were fortunate to have the Michael Graves Architecture & Design firm lead the process and the group created an amazing range of possibilities! The convening has the potential to expand and deepen our participation in, and creation, of wellness programs throughout the region. It also provides the opportunity to expand our audiences across ability, zip code, economic and racial classification. Broadening our audience, and ensuring our work are beneficial to them is center to this work, as we want to increase our benefit to the community. One of the many goals to deepen our relationship and accountability to the convening attendees. They made an investment in us, by sharing their expertise, and we need to ensure that gift grows. So, another beneficial outcome is this suite of stakeholders who are already looking to us asking 'what are you going to do now?' Moving forward, the goal is to shift all these wonderful possibilities into actionable next steps, ensuring our strategic plan stays central in our decision making."

The recent wellness convening at Grounds For Sculpture generated ideas which ranged in scope from developing an accessible greenhouse to be utilized by communities who have mobility and/or visual impairments as well as the broader community, to providing opportunities for visitors and local residents to enter the grounds for free and participate in Tai Chi, meditation, and/or "Wellness Walks" while enjoying soothing live music provided by local musicians.

Focusing on community engagement and the expansion of wellness initiatives was on the docket for Grounds For Sculpture well before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the experience of enduring and then surviving a lockdown further solidified the need to initiate activities, events and programming that pushed the envelope on what is typically offered by similar cultural destinations. According to the United Nations' Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), "Museums preserve heritage for future generations, promote lifelong learning, provide equal access to culture and spread the values on which humanity is based." Their purpose in terms of inclusion is also critical to help bridge communities and cultures, and museums play a significant role in both the creative and tourism industries. The entire cultural sector was severely affected by the pandemic, and is still experiencing losses, with museums hit particularly hard." On UNESCO's website, it is reported that "90 percent of museums had been closed for an average of 155 days, and since the beginning of 2021, many have had to shut their doors again, due to surging infection rates. This has resulted in a 70 percent drop in attendance on average, and a 40 to 60 percent decline in revenue compared to 2019."

Rising from the COVID pandemic lockdown ashes, Grounds For Sculpture survived being closed for several months and is continuing the process of looking into diversified revenue models as the typical membership and visitor ticket sales paradigm was severely challenged in 2020. In a recent survey of 1,004 museums, "15 percent of museum directors said that there was a 'significant risk' of closing permanently in the next six months or that they were unsure whether they would survive through that period." Fortunately, Grounds For Sculpture's outdoor oasis has visitors, volunteers and staff bouncing backslowly and steadily with increasing attendance. Their goal of intentionally activating the outdoor space to support mental and physical well-being will help the guests to stay connected with each other and with the healing energy of art within nature.

Lucky for all of us living in the mid New Jersey area, residing within easy driving distance of Grounds For Sculpture, we can continue to cherish our hometown cultural jewel and support future programming. To sign up for and receive the organization's newsletter and get up-to-date announcements on events, exhibits, wellness programs, and educational offerings, go to: Grounds For Sculpture Newsletter Link Sign Up. To see a calendar of events, including wellness activities, go to: Grounds For Sculpture Calendar.

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Sculpting Wellness and Well-Being for the Community - Patch.com

Published 12 hours ago

Submitted by Fifth Third Bancorp

COLUMBUS, October 19, 2021/CSRwire/- Fifth Third and Enterprise Community Partners today announced the establishment of a neighborhood program to support and continue revitalization efforts on the Near East Side of Columbus. The Neighborhood Investment Program will focus over three years on the PACT geography and cross-sector collaborations. PACT, which stands for Partners Achieving Community Transformation, is a partnership initiated in 2010 by the City of Columbus, The Ohio State University, the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and Near East Side stakeholders. The Near East Side PACT Neighborhood, which is bounded by Woodland Ave to the east; Broad St to the South; I-71 to the west; and I-670 to the north, was one of the locations selected.

Fifth Third is eager to continue our existing collaboration with one of the citys most historic neighborhoods, the Near East Side, and to invest in a unique way by taking a thoughtfully structured approach to solve real-world systemic issues, said Regional Fifth Third Bank president, Francie Henry. We have partnered with this neighborhood since 2015 and during the past six years, have made investments in several efforts including the United Way of Central Ohio Neighborhood Leadership Academy, Columbus Urban League, Minority Business Assistance Center, and PACT Exterior Home Repair Program. Now, we are excited to continue our efforts in an even bigger and magnified way. PACTs mission is Honoring our Heritage and Building our Future and we are pleased to continue long-term support.

Fifth Third is collaborating on the initiative with Enterprise Community Partners, a national nonprofit that exists to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one. Together, they managed a criteria-based, invitation-only application process to select nine majority Black neighborhoods that have seen a sustained period of disinvestment. The Near East Side PACT Neighborhood was one of the locations selected. Enterprise will provide technical assistance to support each neighborhood in developing and implementing a plan tailored to the unique challenges it faces. Enterprise will then assist with assessing the plans effectiveness at improving the economic well-being of residents and small locally owned businesses. Successful outcomes will include investments in small businesses, homeownership and workforce development to create successful outcomes such as increased employment, economic stability and growth.

The Fifth Third Neighborhood Investment Program shows what is possible when we make intentional investments that center on Black life and legacy," said Priscilla Almodovar, president and chief executive officer of Enterprise Community Partners. "Enterprise is so excited to join Fifth Third and this group of committed neighborhood partners on an initiative that powerfully aligns with our goals as an organization: increase the housing supply, advance racial equity and build resilience and upward mobility."

This investment represents our commitment to holistic community development, said Fifth Third Central Ohio Community & Economic Development Manager, Sheldon K. Johnson. Through the Neighborhood Investment Program we are focused on contributing to sustainable solutions that address racial disparities in health and wealth. By collaborating with PACT and Enterprise and other community stakeholders we can build upon the foundation of work thats already been done and have some transformative impact in this historic community.

Fifth Third intends to commit up to $20 million in lending, investments and philanthropic support, including grants from the Fifth Third Foundation to the Near East Side PACT Neighborhood. A combination of capital, products and services will be invested into small businesses, mortgages, philanthropic efforts, and neighborhood revitalization loans and investments.

The Near East Side PACT Neighborhood was invited to apply for the program based on its ability to meet specific criteria, including collaborating with the neighborhoods Black residents, existing civic infrastructure in the neighborhood and its capability to manage equitable investment and wealth-building opportunities. The programs funds will cultivate investments and resources from additional stakeholders to support the economic mobility of low- to moderate-income residents in the identified neighborhoods.

Elizabeth Seely, founding board member and current chair of the PACT Board of Directors, said PACT will use the funds to further advance initiatives from PACTs Blueprint for Community Investment including safe and affordable housing, health, education, and employment opportunities. Potential investments in the program include funding the development of new black-owned businesses, supporting public art creation, providing down payment support for residents middle-income and ladder-up housing opportunities to build generational wealth, expanding access to health services, and creating financial education, literacy, and savings programs for the areas young peoples future dreams. Infusing good development practices and principles interwoven with community engagement, culture, and legacy has been our vision and our dream. The expertise and investment of Fifth Third combined with the knowledge base of Enterprise make this an exceptionally critical moment for our community. And were ready- were just poised to leverage it, said Seely.

The Neighborhood Investment Program is part of Fifth Thirds $2.8 billion commitment that will provide $2.2 billion in lending, $500 million in investments, $60 million in financial accessibility and $40 million in philanthropy from the Fifth Third Foundation as part of Fifth Thirds Accelerating Racial Equality, Equity and Inclusion initiative. The commitment is focused on four strategic pillars that directly impact customers and communities with targeted outcomes enabling the Bank to track progress and measure success in the areas of strategic investments, access to capital, financial inclusion and education, and social justice and advocacy. This program also aligns with Enterprises new strategic plan and three central goals: to increase housing supply, advance racial equity and build resilience and upward mobility.

The additional recipient neighborhoods and lead organizations that will be driving the communitys efforts as part of the neighborhood program are:

To learn more about the Neighborhood Investment Program, please visit 53NeighborhoodInvest.org.

About Enterprise Community Partners

Enterprise is a national nonprofit that exists to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one. We support community development organizations on the ground, aggregate and invest capital for impact, advance housing policy at every level of government, and build and manage communities ourselves. Since 1982, we have invested $44 billion and created 781,000 homes across all 50 states all to make home and community places of pride, power and belonging. Join us at EnterpriseCommunity.org.

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered institution. As of June 30, 2021, the Company had $205 billion in assets and operates 1,096 full-service Banking Centers, and 2,369 Fifth Third branded ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to approximately 53,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of June 30, 2021, had $483 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $61 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at http://www.53.com. Fifth Thirds common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol FITB.

About the Fifth Third FoundationEstablished in 1948, the Fifth Third Foundation was one of the first charitable foundations created by a financial institution. The Fifth Third Foundation supports worthy causes in the areas of health and human services, education, community development and the arts in the states where Fifth Third Bank operates.

CONTACTS

Elizabeth BoyukRegional Marketing Manager (Media Relations)Elizabeth.Boyuk@53.com | 614-586-6223

Gayle Saundersgayle@thesaunderscompany.com

Jordan Miller (Media Relations, Enterprise Community Partners)JMiller@GroupGordon.com | 212-784-5703

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CSRWire - Fifth Third Neighborhood Investment Program to Support Transformation of the Near East Side of Columbus - CSRwire.com