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Doing the work Program educates Columbia about range of disparities BY ELENA K. CRUZ Columbia Daily Tribune
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ince March, we have heard it in email openings, phone greetings and casual conversations: a shared expression of care, hoping people stay well during “these unprecedented times.” Since 2017, three years before the coronavirus pandemic began, Journey Toward Inclusive Excellence has been in place to care for community members facing inequalities that are, however, formed by historical and systemic precedents. These precedents have also led to inequalities involving comfort and safety within the pre-COVID-19 world. As summer hit, the local program kept working to mend the gaps and improve Columbia’s future through education about disparities in race, gender, class, ability, ethnicity, sexuality and more. “We wanted to provide opportunities to address our biases, which is a difficult topic for any human being, but recognize that we all have privilege, there's oppression, and those things impact our community,” Inclusive Impact Institute Director Nikki McGruder said. “So, if we truly want to create a community where everyone feels like they still have value and they can thrive, then this work is necessary.” Organized by the Inclusive Impact Institute, the program focuses on having difficult conversations about people’s positions among social power structures. The institute collaborates with community organizations to set up meetings, conferences, conversations and events that immerse locals in activities that educate them about others’ experiences. Its next big summer event, the State of Inclusivity Conference, was set for Aug. 6. The Journey Toward Inclusive
The planning team for 2019’s State of Inclusivity Conference poses for a photo. [COURTESY INCLUSIVE IMPACT INSTITUTE]
Excellence also shares public discussions on Facebook, which have been viewed by hundreds of viewers. “Equity can't just be a checkbox, and it's not like you just attend an event and magically you have mitigated all your biases, and you are crowned as equitable,” said Kari Utterback, Inclusive Excellence committee member and senior administrative supervisor of the City of Columbia. “It has to be uncomfortable, and it has to be an ongoing process.” However, the process has been stalled due to stay-at-home orders and safety precautions. To replace in-person events, McGruder has held virtual conversations with community leaders and an American Sign Language
interpreter every other Wednesday. In past years, the institute has worked with Columbia Public Schools to set up a black history mobile museum and with Public Health and Human Services to discuss health disparities, Utterback said. It has also partnered with Daniel Boone Regional Library to offer workshops about religion, and with other groups ranging from the Central Bank of Boone County to the City of Columbia. Participants are asked to attend many events to better learn about the community, Utterback said. “It’s important to understand that there are systems that have been put in place and have been operational for centuries, and they're working as
