We recently sat down with DeVon Douglass, Chief Resilience Officer of Tulsa, Oklahoma, to learn more about the city’s Racial Equity Advisory Group. Tasked with integrating racial equity into Tulsa’s Resilience Strategy, the committee is comprised of community leaders as diverse as LGBT youth, Tulsans with Native American heritage, immigrants and refugees from around the globe, North Tulsa’s African American community, and other important voices that have been historically marginalized. Below are some anecdotes taken from the interview:

The disparity that exists between different communities in Tulsa is appalling — a 2006 study known as the Lewin report found a 14-year life expectancy gap between the poorest zip code in North Tulsa and the wealthiest zip code in South Tulsa. That gap currently stands at 10.7 years, with a median household income differential of over $17,700. On top of that, 34.4% of African American, 26% of Hispanic, and 18.6% of Native American Tulsans live below the federal poverty line. Unless these challenges are addressed, we cannot achieve the other goals we have set for Tulsa’s resilience.

The main objective of the Advisory Group is to provide guidance on proposals for concrete actions and initiatives for building Tulsa’s resilience. We want to make sure we are being inclusive and engaging a wide variety of stakeholders in our decision-making and designing a Strategy that is responsive to the nuanced needs of the different communities in Tulsa.

The Advisory Group has so far been quite helpful in emphasizing youth as an area to focus our research, especially in terms of transforming Tulsa’s education system into a catalyst for social mobility and of enhancing the economic opportunities of marginalized populations.

Read the full article about tackling racial equity in Tulsa by 100 Resilient Cities at Medium.