03/28/2024
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The Bladen County Board of Commissioners developed three working groups this month to combat judicial, educational, and economic racial equity and diversity. Friday, July 17, was the first meeting for the education working group to meet. Dr. Amanda Lee, President of Bladen Community College, and Dr. Robert P. Taylor, Superintendent of Bladen County Schools, are the facilitators for the working group involving education and guided the conversations during the meeting.

Dr. Robert Taylor, Bladen County Schools Superintendent

Bladen County Manager, Greg Martin, welcomed those in attendance. Commissioners Arthur Bullock, Michael Cogdell, Dr. Ophelia Munn-Goins, and Charles Ray Peterson were in attendance. Bladen County Health & Human Services Director, Dr. Terri Duncan, and Bladen County Substance Abuse Task Force Director, Dr. Cathy Gantz were present. Local business leader Minnie Price and other community members were in attendance as well.

Bladen County Board of Education members and local charter school leaders were noted as not being in attendance. Members of the group would like to see more representation from the educational leaders.

Dr. Amanda Lee, Bladen Community College President

Many suggestions were made. Dr. Lee made mention of law enforcement training and looking at community equalities.

Dr. Taylor suggested an anti-bias curriculum and evaluating all material in the schools.

Black history and more churches being more involved was also an item of discussion. Other minority backgrounds with history in America and Bladen County may also need to be emphasized in the curriculum for equity and anti-bias curriculum. Equity and cultural proficiency, coupled with school climate, could be taught to include more cultures than what is currently provided to guard against bias in Bladen County.

Dr. Duncan mentioned the stress students are under, and in a recent study admitted 50 percent of Bladen County Students thought of suicide.

Dr. Gantz and Duncan mentioned the importance of students needing a safe environment. Substance abuse is an issue in the county, and more involvement is needed on the task force to combat the substance abuse issues the students are facing.

The agenda of the meeting included the following topics for discussion:

The goals for the community as it relates to education’s role in racial equity and diversity.

There should be specific roles for K-14 education in racial equity, diversity, and identifying specific curriculum for various levels.

Leaders are developing a strategic plan with a set of goals and objectives regarding racial equity and diversity.

The group discussed the University of Washington’s Equity Blueprint components. Diversity Blueprint goals are as follows:

  • Cultivate an inclusive campus climate.
  • Attract, retain, and graduate a diverse and excellent student body.
  • Attract and retain a diverse faculty.
  • Attract and retain a diverse staff.
  • Assess tri-campus diversity needs
  • Improve accountability and transparency.
  • The plan included the University of Southern California at Rossier view on race and equity in education.

The seven points on “Race Equity in Education” from the university are:

  • Equity is intertwined with race.
  • Inequity is institutional.
  • Teachers help and hurt equity.
  • Graduate programs can train equity-minded leaders.
  • Equity is not the same as diversity.
  • Persuade leadership with data.
  • Academia has room for improvement.

According to the facilitators’ outline “Bladenizing,” these seven points would be as follows:

  • Equity is intertwined with race.
  • Inequity is institutional.
  • How does our community help and hurt equity?
  • How do we train leaders to be equity-minded leaders?
  • Equity is not the same as diversity.
  • Persuade leadership and the community with data.
  • Bladen County has room for improvement.

The meeting ended with members discussing the need for a strategic plan and requesting the Bladen County Board of Education and the charter schools’ leadership being involved in the sessions.

The meeting was adjourned with no future meeting date scheduled. Commissioner Cogdell told the group he would announce the next meeting.

A meeting is planned for this evening, Tuesday, July 21, 2020, at the Bladen County Courthouse. The session will begin at 4:15 p.m. to discuss the judicial course of action for racial equity.

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