Covenant of Racial Reconciliation for the Communications Domain

Whereas racial tension is complex, and we lament the damage it has caused. Arguments about the past, utilizing lightning rod words and divisive labels are not productive.

Whereas healing Kansas City and improving opportunities can only happen when people of all colors come together, with transformed hearts and serve each other as one community.

Whereas the business community has a unique responsibility as leaders, to boldly chart a new course, exemplifying the best of humanity and treating each other fairly.

Whereas we come from different experiences with different viewpoints and yet we are bound by our humanity. When we work together for the common good, it will transcend differences.

Now, therefore, my company commits to:

• Awareness

• Be concerned for the dignity and intrinsic value of others
• Listen to and learn from the experiences of others from backgrounds different than our own

• Education

• Support the development of a world-class workforce, beginning early with children and continuing through employment
• Support mentorship and developing talent

• Recruitment & Development

• Cultivate the unique and meaningful calling of each person through diversity in recruitment at all levels of the organization from leadership through entry-level positions
• Create opportunities for advancement for people that demonstrate potential, especially those from underserved communities

• External Opportunities

• Use our platform to point out inequalities wherever they exist
• Seek opportunities to create access to funding, employment, or training for people from underserved communities

I commit to this covenant for my sake and for my organization, fellow employees, and the Greater Kansas City community. I commit to take a practical step from the Suggested Actions to make it real.

Pick One Good Thing & Get Started!

Stimulating outlets for healthy dialogue, interaction and relationships

• Engage in substantive conversations: Ask questions, listen and learn without making assumptions or superimposing your own experiences. Also be willing to share your own experiences with vulnerability.
• Cover, promote or facilitate collaborative events and initiatives in Kansas City or elsewhere nationally.
• Create opportunities for safe sharing of experience among blacks and whites at your office, church or home. The Go Underground Discussion Guide is a great resource to start with.
• Establish a lunch hour panel discussion at your workplace featuring black employees or community representatives sharing their experiences.
• Consciously establish relationships with neighbors and work colleagues of a different ethnicity; Get to know one another; share your experiences.
• Start a book club made up of White and Black members and read books to stimulate discussion about racial relations in America.
• Attend a Unite KC event and share your experience and perspective.

Serving as a conduit of reliable information for the Black experience and perspective

• Read The Kansas City Star series “The truth in Black and white: An apology from The Kansas City Star” (Dec. 20, 2020) https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article247928045.html
• If you find journalism coverage that is inaccurate or unfair, provide the correct information or share the untold side of the story.
• Communicate with consumers how past media coverage has negatively impacted perspectives of the Black experience.
• Create opportunities for coverage of positive, honest relationships/dialogue between Blacks and Whites.
• Co-write a blog or co-create a video with a person of another ethnicity, describing your experiences.

Creating more opportunities for Black students and communications/media professionals

• Provide summer internships for Black communications students at your place of business.
• Lead or facilitate an INROADS or INROADS College Links training session.
• Create a formal mentorship program where you work to pair communications leaders with new, young communication hires.
• Participate in recruiting programs for Black communications students.
• Offer to speak about your communications profession to black high school students.
• Work with media consultants and senior management to answer the question, “How can we work to create upper management career paths for non-white media personnel?

Offering my communications talents and experience

• Attend a Communications Domain Meeting.
• Write a blog article or create a video for Unite KC.
• Share your story with the Communications Domain.
• Help promote and market Unite KC events.
• Donate advertising/marketing vehicles to Unite KC projects.
• Create a bibliography of materials and resources for Unite KC’s website.

Meet the Voices behind this Domain

Al Wallace

Reporter, Fox 4 Sports

Anne Peterson

Founder, Anne Peterson Productions; Former News Anchor/Reporter, KCTV5

Jeannette Duwe

Design + Communication Westside Family Church

Kerri Voyles

Founder and Chief Brand Cultivator, Flourish

Mark Honer

Executive Producer DHTV Digital

Maureen Rank

Writer

Meg Townsend

Former Communications Strategist and Executive Speechwriter

Mike Farag

President Fervor Marketing

Paul Scianna

Chair, Greater Kansas City Mayors' Prayer Breakfast