TONY EVERS SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE
ORDER RELATING TO DIVERSITY,
EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN STATE
GOVERNMENT.
AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE ORDER
CREATES A GOVERNOR'S ADVISORY
COUNCIL AND REQUIRES STATE
EMPLOYEES TO ATTEND EQUITY AND
INCLUSION TRAINING.
JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT
THIS EFFORT IS DEMOCRATIC
REPRESENTATIVE SHEILA STUBBS.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> WHAT DO YOU WANT THESE
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION
EFFORTS TO FOCUS ON AT THE STATE
LEVEL?
>> TO FOCUS ON SYSTEMIC RACISM
THAT EXISTS.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE
PRACTICES, THERE ARE TRAININGS
THAT MUST TAKE PLACE, AND WE
KNOW THAT WHEN WE BEGIN TO
REALLY TAKE A DEEP DIVE AND
ANALYZE OURS PRACTICES AND
ANALYZE OUR POLICIES, WE WILL
BEGIN TO ADDRESS RACISM THE WAY
THAT IT SHOULD AND IT'S GOING TO
FOCUS ON ROOT CAUSES.
UNEMPLOYMENT, HOUSING,
EDUCATION, CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REFORM WORK.
WE'LL BEGIN TO REALLY START
ADDRESSING THE SYSTEMATIC RACISM
THAT EXISTS IN OUR STATE.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
SYSTEMATIC RACISM YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION OF STATE
GOVERNMENT AS RELATES TO THE
PUBLIC OR ARE YOU ALSO TALKING
ABOUT WORKPLACE CULTURE WITHIN
STATE GOVERNMENT?
>> I'M TALKING ABOUT WORKPLACE
CULTURE IS CRITICAL.
WE NEED TO DIVERSIFY OUR
EMPLOYMENT.
WE NEED TO BE INTENTIONAL WITH
OUR ERK WITH.
WE NEED TO SET GOALS.
WE NEED TO SET A PLAN THAT GIVES
US A CHANCE TO LOOK AT EVERY
AGENCY, THE WORK AT THAT TER -- WORK THAT
THEY'RE DOING.
HERE'S THE TRAINING THAT'S
NECESSARY TO MOVE US TO THE NEXT
PLACE.
WE NEED TO BE REALISTIC WITHIN
OUR GOAL-SETTING.
ARE WE GOING TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE
SET OUT TO DO, WHICH IS A NEW
PRACTICE, WHICH IS A NEW POLICY,
WHICH IS A NEW EFFORT.
>> SO WHAT KIND OF TRAINING DO
YOU ENVISION FOR STATE
EMPLOYEES?
>> IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT BIAS
TRAINING.
WHEN YOU BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT
YOU, IT STARTS WITHIN YOU.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO
TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY AS
SOMETHING THAT WE WANT IN THIS
STATE.
THE GOVERNOR HAS MADE THAT VERY
CLEAR.
OUR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR HAS MADE
IT CLEAR.
I MADE IT CLEAR.
OTHER POLICYMAKERS ARE SAYING WE
WANT PEOPLE OF COLOR TO NOT JUST
LIVE HERE, NOT TO JUST LIVE, BUT
WE WANT THEM TO THRIVE IN ALL
ASPECTS OF THEIR LIFE.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS
THAT'S REALLY KEY FOR THIS WORK.
>> FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T DEALT
WITH THESE TOPICS BEFORE,
TALKING ABOUT SYSTEMATIC RACISM
AND INSTITUTIONAL PRIVILEGE CAN
BE REALLY TOUGH FOR A LOT OF
OVERWHELMINGLY WHITE WORKFORCE
TO ADDRESS AT FIRST.
HOW DO YOU KEEP THEM OPEN TO UK
AT THATTING ABOUT THIS?
>> FIRST AND FOREMOST I THINK
THE TRAINING IS THE VERY FIRST
STEP, TO MANDATE THAT WE HAVE
OUR STAFF PARTICIPATE IN THESE
TRAININGS.
IT'S A FIRST STEP.
AS WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT WE
HAVE TO SAY THERE ARE JUST SOME
PEOPLE IN THIS STATE THAT ARE
NOT BEING TREATED FAIR.
AND WHEN HE YOU TALK ABOUT
EQUITY, IT'S ON EVERYONE TO BE
ABLE TO SEE THE SAME
OPPORTUNITIES.
WE OFTEN SAY EVERYTHING IS FAIR.
BUT IS IT REALLY FAIR?
IS THAT REALLY WHAT IT'S ABOUT?
I'LL GIVE YOU A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
IN A BASEBALL GAME THREE
INDIVIDUALS ARE WATCHING.
THERE IS A FENCE.
EACH PERSON IS AT A DIFFERENT
HEIGHT LEVEL.
THAT FENCE PREVENTS US FROM SEE
SEEING THE GAME FROM THE SAME
PERSPECTIVE.
BUT IF WE'RE ALLOWED TO SEE THE
SAME VIEWPOINT, THAT'S WHAT AN
EQUITY DOES.
IT'S LOOKING AT WORK WITH AN
ANALYTICAL ASPECT.
IT'S ACTUALLY DOING A DEEP DIVE
AND SAYING IT EXISTS.
I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS TO SAY
DOES IT EXIST.
YES.
IT EXISTS.
WHEN WE BEGIN TO MEET PEOPLE
THERE, THEY'LL BEGIN TO SAY YOU
KNOW WHAT?
WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM.
WHAT IS THE REASON, WHAT ARE THE
BARRIERS, WHAT ARE THE
OBSTACLES?
WHY DO WE HAVE OPPRESSION?
HOW DO WE MOVE PEOPLE FROM
OPPRESSION TO A PLACE OF
OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL IN THIS
STATE?
>> SO PART OF THE GOVERNOR'S
EXECUTIVE ORDER TALKS ABOUT
COLLECTING DATA AND THEN USING
THAT DATA.
WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION DO YOU
WANT TO GATHER AND HOW WOULD YOU
USE IT?
>> LET'S LOOK AT UNEMPLOYMENT.
WHY ARE SO MANY
AFRICAN-AMERICANS UNEMPLOYED IN
THIS STATE?
HOW DO WE SAY WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT MORE THAN
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE GETTING AN
OPPORTUNITY?
WHAT ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE OF
COLOR?
AND I THINK TAKING THE DATA AND
BEGINNING TO SAY WE NOTICE
WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENTS WE DON'T
HAVE A LOT OF DIVERSITY FOR
PEOPLE HIRED.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO REACH A POOL
THAT WE HAVE NEVER REALLY TRULY
ENGAGED?
WHAT PREVENTS US FROM REALLY
REACHING OUT FOR EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES?
LET'S LOOK AT OUR INCARCERATION.
WHY DO WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE OF
COLOR, AFRICAN-AMERICANS,
INCARCERATED IN THIS STATE THAN
THE POPULATION?
WHY IS THAT?
WHAT ARE OUR POLICIES?
THIS REALLY DRIVES AT POLICY.
AND ONCE WE BEGIN TO WRITE A
POLICY THAT IS FAIR FOR
EVERYONE, WE'LL BEGIN TO CHANGE
THOSE NUMBERS.
I CAN SAY FIRSTHAND I'VE BEEN A
CHAMPION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
AND SO HAPPENED TO CREATE AN
OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION
AND SAYING IT IS INTENTIONAL.
THAT'S WHAT WE HE EXPECT TO GET
WITH THAT DATA AND BEGIN TO SAY
WHAT ARE WE MISSING?
WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER?
LET'S MAKE SURE WE DO THESE
EQUITY PLANS EVERY YEAR.
>> ALL RIGHT.
REPRESENTATIVE STU