14-05-2025
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.
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