14-05-2025
Tampa Racial Reconciliation Committee seeks more support from city to help Black community
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The City of Tampa's Racial Reconciliation Committee (RRC) is working to address disparities in Tampa's Black community. The committee sent an editorial out on April 30 accusing the city of wasting time and a lack of engagement, responsiveness, and commitment to their work.
'That betterment and progress cannot happen without collaboration and that collaboration involves the city leaders who appointed, supported, and endorsed this committee's work. It's time to get to work… Anything else is simply… a waste of time,' said members of the RRC in the editorial.
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During a meeting Tuesday, they reviewed their recommendations for the policy areas, which sparked heated comments about what's been done so far.
'We need to come up with something beyond policies. Black communities need reassurance. It's not up there. I don't feel it,' said one committee member. 'The city has (a) $1.9 billion budget — I'd like to recommend the Black community get 25% so we can start taking care of some of our issues.'
They are focusing on five areas: economic development, opportunities for youth, ignored history, returning citizens, and affordable housing.
Allison Hewitt is a third generation Tampa resident and economic development specialist who spoke at the meeting.
'Right now, I am firmly convinced that between the city council and the mayor, we are going to gentrify the core of African American history in east Tampa,' Hewitt said. 'How do we put services there to negate those hotspots, to negate those youth opportunities rather than be arrested and they can't have a job because they've become returning citizens.'
She gave the committee questions she felt they should ask the city to get the appropriate data in order to develop and strengthen their recommendations.
The committee said they've already sent in questions, and in return, they claim the city isn't giving them the support or resources they need to do the job.
The city had staff at the meeting Tuesday night.
'The mayor did approve to supply logistics and has opened her arms to any data. We expected to see motions towards that data,' said Mayor Jane Castor's Chief of Staff John Bennett.
But the committee argued some of the data they received was uninterpreted, leaving them making recommendations in the dark.
'If your staff had a hard time with data, imagine how it was for us,' said a committee member.
'Let's see what we can do to get it done. We need to find a way to close the gap. We don't want this to be a missed opportunity. We do need measurable outcomes. But it begins with making sure we have alignment,' Bennett said.
Shortly after speaking, some of the city staff left the meeting, which did not sit well with some of the RRC members.
'It seems disingenuous, and it feels insulting,' said Christopher Harris, a committee member.
The RRC said they need clarity on the data to support and develop their recommendations. They motioned to have more meetings to get the data and hopefully finalize their plan.
The city sent this statement before the meeting:
'The administration was clear from the start that we would provide any resources, records, staff, and information that the council requested, and we have. We have provided funding for a facilitator, we have offered subject matter experts, and so on. The committee recently asked the administration to complete a service gap analysis that seemed to be the very purpose and reason for the creation of the committee. Completing a gap analysis and making policy recommendations to the administration is more appropriate for the community and committee to do than the administration, but we are very happy to assist.'
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