City of Hickory, NAACP task force work together to improve racial equity
City of Hickory management met with members of the Hickory Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Equity and Inclusion Task Force on July 14 to collaborate and further discuss strategies to address racial disparities in upward economic mobility.
City Manager Warren Wood presented the City’s ten initial strategies, which focus on workforce development, during the Hickory City Council meeting on June 15. These include (1) job creation, (2) connecting people to local job opportunities, (3) supporting efforts to create a regional vocational training facility, (4) supporting The Chamber of Catawba County's employment diversity efforts, (5) forming a workforce development working group, (6) promoting small business development assistance, (7) supporting the community's efforts to address the needs of the underserved, (8) continuing to offer a pre-summer event for the community, (9) promoting workforce diversity within the City of Hickory, and (10) continuing to measure data consistently and transparently and report on progress.
At the request of the Hickory NAACP, the City of Hickory commissioned the Western Piedmont Council of Governments (WPCOG) in August 2020 to conduct a study of equity, economic, and demographic data for Hickory. A report of the study’s findings was later presented at a special called meeting of the Hickory City Council on January 19. The study revealed distinct disparities among different racial/ethnic groups in the areas of income, education, healthcare, housing, and employment.
The City of Hickory held a special workshop on February 23 to further discuss the findings of the Racial Disparities Report and local resources. Presentations covered the role of K-64, available community resources at Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) and the Workforce Solutions Complex, and services provided by the WPCOG Workforce Development Board and NCWorks Career Centers.
Concentrating its efforts on education, the Hickory NAACP convened stakeholder meetings throughout March and April with Hickory Public Schools administrators, teachers, and parents to discuss the WPCOG findings and possible solutions. Based on the report data and stakeholder feedback, Hickory NAACP launched five committees to address educational disparities and improve educational equity and outcomes. The committees will focus on (1) tutoring, (2) mentoring, (3) Pre-K and early childhood development, (4) establishing a family resource center, and (5) grant writing and fundraising. A sixth committee was added to focus on economic development.
The Hickory NAACP encourages those interested in joining or supporting any of its established equity and inclusion committees to call 828-322-6663 or email hickorynaacp@gmail.com.