Black lives matter. Black voices matter. This painful moment in time is a turning point in the history of our city and nation. It is a time to step back, reflect and define the role we want to play in the future of Our Tulsa.
At Leadership Tulsa our mission is to identify, develop and connect diverse leaders who impact the community through service. Since our founding, Leadership Tulsa program participants have been encouraged to look unflinchingly at the places we need improvement and to discuss difficult issues including how racism, equity, oppression, trauma, and poverty have directly affected our community both in the past and the present. We haven’t always gotten it right, but we have always had a willing heart to be part of the solution.
Today, we are committing to more actively move our community leadership programs forward in the areas of race, equity, and justice.
We commit to:
CONTINUE OUR WORK WITHIN
The Leadership Tulsa board approved a Strategic Plan in 2019 that included a diversity, equity and inclusion assessment of our organization. We will complete that assessment this year and host DEI training for our board members in September 2020. We will continue to feature speakers from diverse viewpoints as well as highlight people of color leading in our community. We will not shy away from the hard discussions.
SET A TRANSPARENT AND ASPIRATIONAL GOAL
Recognizing our need to repair historic lack of representation in many of our programs, Leadership Tulsa commits that by our 50th anniversary in 2023 we will have people of color represented as 50% of our board and program participants. We will make changes to our organization from top to bottom to enable us to reach this goal and will measure and report on our progress.
ACCEPT ACCOUNTABILITY
If you see ways that we are coming up short, we welcome the opportunity to do better. Please share your ideas and most of all hold us accountable. Our board members, executive director and staff are ready, willing and able to accept your feedback. Should you not feel heard, please reach out to our board president Omare Jimmerson directly at oo.okhei@gmail.com.
Collectively, we must each play a role in moving our communities ahead thoughtfully and intentionally. Thank you for the ways that you lead, serve, and strengthen our community. Thank you for helping us do our part.