Latest news with #RacialReconciliationCommittee
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tampa's Racial Reconciliation Committee looking for more support from city officials
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa's Racial Reconciliation Committee has been making strides over the last six months, but they say a holdup in effective progress is due to a lack of responsiveness from city officials. Tampa's Racial Reconciliation Committee was formed after a commitment from Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera on WFLA's Rooted in Progress Black History Month Special. Ultimately, 13 community members were recommended and all city council members supported the RRC's efforts. The RCC is an effort to confront the history and legacy of racial injustice and inequality. The committee is tasked with reviewing Tampa's past, studying injustices and making recommendations to Tampa's Mayor and City Council. They are focusing on the five designated areas: Affordable and accessible housing Economic development, empowerment, and entrepreneurship, including training/apprenticeships, capital access, and municipal contracting Opportunity for youth Ignored history and efforts to create a public discussion on the same Citizens returning to society after completing sentences and restoration of rights Committee meetings began in December. Upon meeting, committee members began requesting missing data, subject matter experts, content experts and more. The committee said they have not heard back from the Mayor or her administration. 'In the age that we are in now, where you can clearly see when someone is passionate and committed, you know what it feels like when they're all in,' said Pastor Christopher Harris, Vice Chairman of the RCC. 'A part of what the committee has said is that we have not gotten the sense that the executive branch of our city government has been all in on what we have been working toward. All we are asking is for the mayor and the administration to be all in. This wasn't an aim. This was us waving the flag, saying we're over here. You all put resources, money, statements together to advocate for these issues. Let us do our jobs, but we need your help to do our job.' Tuesday night, the committee held what was supposed to be their second-to-last meeting before preparing a report to give to the Mayor and City Council. City staff, the Mayor's Chief of Staff and community members attended. John Bennett, Tampa's Chief of Staff, said the Mayor did follow up, but there may have been some miscommunication. 'The Mayor did approve the Ad-Hoc committee, which is her executive power to do so, and she did,' Bennett explained. 'The Mayor supplied to logistics and the facility and opened her arms to any of the data you needed. Our expectations were to see motions come from that data, but that may have been a misunderstanding. I would have been happy to be here every single meeting and help shape some of those testimonials to actionable analysis data and we are still willing to do that, whether it's housing, or economic opportunity, workforce, etc.' Tuesday's meeting analyzed the city's past. They discussed ways the city can learn from its historical mistakes, but also educate future generations. There was also a recommendation for the city to allocate 25% of its $1.9 billion budget to the Black community. The RCC is still gathering data and filling in gaps, they say they are missing in order to create a complete and effective report. With the delay in receiving information, the RCC may request an extension. Their next meeting is on June 17 at the City Center on Hanna Avenue. The public is welcome to attend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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. After 8-month ordeal with FEMA, Ruskin couple receives flood insurance payout 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.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
