Equity
Lansing is a diverse, dense, livable, responsible and welcoming community. Our sense of pride is strongly linked to our diversity, and we need to be intentional about supporting all citizens as we grow our city. We will act deliberately to ensure racial justice and equity.
Equity for Neighborhoods of Focus
Equity has also been a priority in Lansing since I took office. Our Neighborhoods of Focus program seeks to invest in historically under-resourced communities in Lansing, involving community leaders, nonprofits, business leaders, and the city. This program ensures that all areas of the city are uplifted as we continue to develop. We created a new neighborhood of focus in NW Lansing by examining data which show that this formerly redlined area was not able to access important city services. Lansing Neighborhood staff are working with community partners to identify resources that can be used specifically in the Willow, Walnut, and Comstock Park neighborhoods. Organizations like Fearless Faith Church, the Capital Area Housing Partnership, Advent House, and others have already stepped up to assist this area where they are located. Though slowed due to COVID, we will continue to ensure that necessary resources are provided to these neighborhoods of focus.
The Baker neighborhood and the Southwest Lansing neighborhood, lacking adequate investment in the past, have also received significant resources both from the city and in partnership with non-profits and other businesses. My administration has connected the Baker neighborhood with several partners such as Habitat for Humanity, the Potter Park Zoo, local churches in the neighborhood, the Lansing Art Collective, and many others. We have held cleanups, helped create a pocket park with resources for the neighborhood, and continue to work with our neighbors and non-profits. Bethlehem Lutheran Church partnered with Lansing SAVE to support 156 students, raising thousands of dollars for these students. Southwest Lansing, in the area of Pleasant Grove and Holmes, saw the City work with the Southwest Action Group (neighbors and businesses) to create a town square area for residents. My administration also contributed tens of thousands of dollars to this area to assist with facade for local business, and also saw the opening of the new community-build Beacon Park along with the crowdfunded Beacon SW soccer field. My administration also partnered with CATA to create a new community-focused bus shelter with art and reflects the culture of the neighborhood. We have worked with partners like the Southside Community Coalition, Southwest Action Group, and other partners to provide vibrancy and beautification efforts for this neighborhood.
Equity Through Funding
My administration has assisted communities of color by providing funding through the My Brothers Keeper initiative. These dollars assist those who work, especially with youth, to make our city better. We have funded food initiatives, sporting initiatives, and those engaged in racial justice work. Additionally, we have provided significant funding through the City resources and the Lansing Basic Human Needs fund for assistance to at-risk youth, Boys and Girls Club activities, community programs through community centers, computing assistance for youth, and many other programs who have not had the resources to succeed in the past. This year, after working with Council President Spadafore, an additional pot of dollars (approximately $130,000) will be set aside specifically from the budget for equity measures through our Basic Human Needs Fund. And this will continue every year after an increase in the ordinance to guarantee this funding.
Equity in Assisting Small Businesses
We know that Minority Owned Businesses (MBEs) and Women Owned Businesses (WBEs) need more resources and investment. Lansing included equity components in review and scoring for its Lansing CARES assistance program for small businesses, giving increased access to dollars for minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owed businesses. And I will be working with the County Commission as they issue millions of dollars to small businesses for assistance. I also worked with LEAP as part of their One and All program which assists with inclusion entrepreneurship for the Lansing region. Further, I am committed to helping those who don’t have the traditional capacity to apply for grants, or lack access to other helpful resources, stay in business. These dollars will also be issued to expand existing businesses and create new ones.
Social Workers and Alternatives to Policing and Emergency Response
In addition to the changes already made to the police department, it is important to ensure that calls go to the proper place. The Police Department gets between 85,000-100.000 calls per year. Lansing residents, businesses, and visitors expect a police officer when they call 911 for emergencies. I will not jeopardize that safety and security.
But many subjects of calls actually need to be provided a social service, which is why I was the first Mayor, and Lansing was the first City in Michigan, to hire a social worker into our police department two years ago. This social worker gets referrals from LPD officers, citizens, police reports, the detention center, and as part of dispatch. She speaks with citizens in crisis, then refers providers such as Lansing’s Human Relations and Community Services, Community Mental Health, Children and Family Charities, Rehabilitation Services, Lansing Institute of Behavioural Medicine, Holy Cross, City Rescue Mission, Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Hope Not Handcuffs, Families Against Narcotics, Lifeboat Recovery Servis, Teen Court, Ele’s Place, CARE, EVE, Haven House, hospitals, and other. I am proposing adding another social worker to our department for the 2021-22 budget. I have also proposed adding two County Health Department workers to assist with Lansing Emergency Response. This will ensure that calls can be moved to the appropriate agency. Lansing will also work with Community Mental Health in the future for necessary resourcing of staff.
I will also be proposing Crisis Assessment Teams made up of a police officer, a social worker, and a paramedic. These teams would conduct rapid mobile response with face-to-face criminal assessments and wellness checks, and referrals as needed. This will maintain community stability and safety while averting future crises. The team would be branded as an assistance agency in plain-clothes and trained in de-escalation and crisis intervention. This resembles the CAHOOTS model successfully used in Eugene, Oregon.
Racial Justice Changes Enacted
Since the murder of George Floyd, there has been a heightened awareness of racial justice. Lansing, like other cities throughout the country, took this on directly. While we’ve funded and partnered with the My Brothers Keeper, MY Lansing, the Lansing MLK Commission and others, we recently stepped up our efforts. Upon hearing concerns from Lansing residents, I created an action plan with goals for the immediate and long term for our city. Most of the short term goals have been accomplished. The Lansing Police Department did a review of many of their policies and some were changed. Lansing police will no longer pull folks over for minor “pretextual” offenses like a broken tail light. These pullovers have been used in the past to find other crimes, and have caused higher rates of criminality in minority communities. Similarly, “no knock” arrests will not be carried out by Lansing Police. Lansing Police have taken an oath that if they see any other members of the police force conducting police brutality, they will take action against their own. My Administration has also built a Lansing Police Department transparency section on our website and implemented implicit bias training in my office. The people of Lansing expect to have police provide public safety for all, and we will hold them to a high standard. Misconduct will be investigated internally and/or sent out to the County Prosecutor or Attorney General for investigation when appropriate.
Mayor’s Racial Justice and Equity Alliance
The Mayor’s Racial Justice and Equity Alliance was created to promote racial justice and equity within city government and staff, and throughout the city as a whole. In response to concerns raised within the Lansing community that are consistent with concerns echoed throughout the nation, I created the Mayor’s Racial Justice and Equity Alliance along with a process and strategy to help the city gain a better understanding of the disparities that exist in the city. I brought on an expert in racial justice and equity who, along with an executive team and our DEI Officer, recruited community experts to launch initiatives in a variety of areas. This Alliance is doing an in-depth internal scan of city policies, as well as an external review of the atmosphere of our city and recommendations for actionable items that the city can take towards racial justice and equity. Expert members of the Alliance are taking testimony from the public and working with the Michigan Public Health Initiative and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights to accomplish this task. There are also several workgroups working towards equity through jobs and economic development, training, criminal justice and public safety, education and youth, arts and culture, communities and neighborhoods, health and environmental justice, and housing and development. We started our work by obtaining input from both the public and city employees. We have also enlisted local, state and national partners to guide and inform our work toward formulating recommendations to achieve sustainable change. The report will be compiled and released to the public for review and comment in June. We will then act on the final report generated from this work to the best of our ability. I have included funding on the 2021-22 budget recommendation to enact proposals. I also plan to propose to the Lansing City Council an ordinance creating a City of Lansing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board. It is time for us to make this a permanent part of the efforts of the City of Lansing!
We created a Diversity and Inclusion Officer position in the city. Moving forward, I’d like to share the results of the Police Use of Force Community Conversations and identity needed reforms, continue to address gun violence in our city, conduct police reconciliation training, and work with our alliance and citizens at large to continue our work towards making Lansing a place all are proud to call home.
Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Commission and Officer
Following up on the Lansing City Council’s Diversity and Inclusion ad hoc committee, I created the first Mayor’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. Recommendations from this council lead to the hiring of the first City of Lansing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. This position has already accomplished much, addressing implicit and explicit racial bias and the importance of using proper pronouns when speaking to others, providing trainings for departments and cabinet, assisting with the creation of a Mayor’s Executive Directive on training and working with outside groups, working with the Michigan Public Health Institute, and working with the Mayor’s Racial Justice and Equity Alliance. This position will continue to ensure that the City of Lansing is a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion. I also will propose creating a permanent Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Commission for the City of Lansing after I release the Racial Justice and Equity plan. This commission will be tasked with enacting that plan, as well as reviewing the needs of our community in areas of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and any other protected class in our city.
City Leaders
Lansing is a diverse city, and that diversity should be reflected in the leadership of the city. I am proud to have an incredibly diverse cabinet of leaders; a group of leaders that look like our city. It is important to hear from all opinions, representing many different backgrounds and experiences. Leadership will continue to change as people have new and exciting opportunities for personal growth. But the diversity of thoughts and opinions and backgrounds will continue to be present in the leadership team in a Schor Administration. I am proud of the leadership team in place in Lansing, and my administration will continue to reflect the various differences of all people of Lansing through the next four years.
Fostering a Respectful, Welcoming Community to Refugees
Lansing has a firm commitment to assistance for those not from our city, our state, or our country. We are a city who welcomes all, regardless of race, religion, language, sexual orientation and gender identity, or any other distinguishing difference. Our diversity adds tremendous value to our city, and we must continuously emphasize that value. We will continue to be a leader in welcoming immigrants and refugees. I am proud to be a supporter of Lansing’s Refugee Development Center, which cultivates a welcoming, thriving community that collaborates with refugees and newcomers through education, engagement, and support.
Pave the Way
It is also important to recognize and discuss the historical racial injustices in Lansing. My office, led by Marilyn Rogers led the Pave the Way effort to highlight past injustices to the Black community in the 1950s when traditionally Black neighborhoods were torn down for I-496’s construction. Through testimonials and reviewing documentation, my administration worked with many local experts and community leaders to remind the community about the forced displacement that happened decades ago in Lansing. This in turn invigorates the need for equity and racial justice within our city.
Economic Mobility and Resident Financial Resources
I placed the Lansing Office of Financial Empowerment into the new Department of Neighborhoods, elevating and boosting this important resource for the community. Lansing residents now have more options for financial empowerment strategies, professional financial education, and one-on-one financial counseling. OFE has also connected with the Lansing School District to partner on the Lansing SAVE program, which is a long-term savings account that helps children and their families save for the future, especially for post-secondary education.
Under my leadership, OFE expanded prisoner reentry efforts, working with the State of Michigan, labor, and the business community to train and help re-integrate returning citizens through our offender reintegration program. Many who have served their time will now have the skills and job opportunities to integrate back into the community, lowering recidivism. I will continue to strengthen the OFE office to ensure Lansing residents have this necessary tool available, promoting economic mobility options in Lansing.
Lansing also worked with national organizations to pilot a review of fines and fees through the Cities Addressing Fines and Fees Equitably initiative. This work by the Lansing Administration and 54-A District Court reviewed fines and fees to reduce inequitable impacts. I am committed to looking at other fines and fees to make sure Lansing is not part of a spiral of debt for those who can afford it least. I also worked with other cities to combat economic inequality and drive economic growth by pushing our federal government to reduce student debt. Debt owed for higher education has disproportionately affected minority and underrepresented communities who are less likely and able to draw upon familial wealth to pay for college. This causes higher amounts of loans, which take longer to pay off and perpetuates the cycle of increased debt.
The Lansing Financial Empowerment Center, from July 2019 to July 2020, served 624 community members, reduced household non-mortgage debt by $760,347, and increased household savings by $97,330. The Lansing SAVE program included 5,160 SAVE students, and had one of the highest rates of students saving in the country. Total program assets for Lansing SAVE was $111,948.52 during this time!