Unity Chair Statement
Dr. Jason E. Shelton
Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for African American Studies University of Texas at Arlington
Over the past three years, the City of Arlington has made significant progress in addressing racial and ethnic disparities. In 2020, our leaders responded to the post-George Floyd challenges facing our nation and local community by establishing the Unity Council, a task force charged with examining various aspects of race and ethnic relations, as well as advancing recommendations for closing racial and ethnic gaps. I had the honor of chairing the Unity Council, which was comprised of 28 residents and stakeholders of diverse backgrounds varying by race, ethnicity, social class, gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation and political ideology. Despite our differences, we worked together to develop 57 recommendations that directly addressed five aspects of racial inequality in Arlington:( a) Economic Disparities,( b) Education and Workforce Training,( c) Housing,( d) Health & Wellness and( e) Policing and Criminal Justice. Some of our suggestions could be implemented quickly while others required long-term planning. Regardless, all of the recommendations were intended to help Arlington live up to its brand: The American Dream City.
This report provides an update on the status of those recommendations. It also includes data and new sets of recommendations regarding the Unity Council’ s most recent charge to address challenges facing local residents with disabilities; residents aged 65 and up; and to assess conditions within our city’ s LGBTQ + community. Race and ethnic relations remain a key area of study for the Unity Council since Arlington continues to be one of the most racially and ethnically diverse cities in the United States.
The City Council has also adopted the Unity Council’ s prior recommendation to establish a permanent task force“ charged with directly engaging residents, organizations and institutions on matters regarding race, ethnicity and other forms of diversity in Arlington.”
Unity Council Report 2023 8