A DAO in the Life November 2020
By John Hughes
John Hughes, Assistant City Manager, City of Lynchburg
October 2020 has come and gone! When I drafted October’s DAO in the Life article, little did I know there would be an opportunity to communicate so soon! As many of you are aware, the City of Lynchburg hosted the first Virtual DAO meeting on October 9, 2020. From feedback, participants were engaged and appreciative of the format, facilitation, and topics presented in that abbreviated session. Dr. Ron Carlee provided excellent discussion and lecture regarding the theme of “Leading with Values, Not Bias” in which implicit bias, microagressions, systemic discrimination and the promotion of equity were included. At one point, there were nearly 60 participants in the Zoom meeting that allowed for breakout rooms and pointed reflection. A note of gratitude to Dr. Carlee, the assigned volunteer breakout room facilitators, and to Old Dominion University for sponsoring this Fall 2020 DAO meeting.
One key tenet received in Dr. Carlee’s presentation was the factor of listening. I touched on that coincidentally in my October 2020 article and it remains pertinent. As we create identities for people we have never met, our opinions (biases) cloud reasonable judgement. This is when listening to understand becomes a crucial tool for effective communication. During the DAO meeting, several exercises were given to address affirming language (use of “Yes, and” vs. “Yes, but” for example), which permitted registrants the chance to recognize how words matter. Conversations on the “Dominant Culture” as a source of implicit associations served as the basis for a deeper dive into the evolution of oppressive history that is our political, social and economic reality.
I’ve received calls, emails and texts requesting coordination of a Part 2 session from Dr. Carlee. I’ve fielded communication from City of Lynchburg colleagues asking if we could do an employee-only version of this training. While these are positive statements, I think about the opposite side of the coin.
Through personal interactions, I’ve observed the denial and misuse of implicit bias, the minimization of historical oppression and faux liberalism in the world of local government. The people we need to reach with the message of microagressions are committing them daily without pause. It is imperative that privileged local government leaders stop those culprits in their tracks and/or self-reflect on their own actions.
In Jim Wallis’ book America’s Original Sin; Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America, the author posits that “repentance is more than just saying you’re sorry,” rather it involves a turnaround (Pg. 57). My experience has been that some leaders are not willing or able to make the shift to a more inclusive norm. Stating “I hired a black person and it just didn’t work out” or “the women we hired simply were not able to do the job” are not acceptable mantras in the long-term. How are those with the power to make change happen, actively working to turn the regressive culture around?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates increase as you compare various ethnicities to white, non-Hispanic persons.1 Our culture allows for disparate epidemiological impacts that are copied in poverty rates, income inequality, the education gap, and other social ills. Denial of these facts cripples the benefit of embracing diversity, equity and inclusion while ensuring systemic oppression. This is not the longitudinal observation of our society, however. Citizens are rising up nationwide to demand, at the very least, an honest dialogue concerning what ails our great experiment.
Tough conversations are necessary in the age of the turnaround. Be sensitive to the bias inside you and the external influences that govern your daily existence. I again thank everyone who participated in the Fall 2020 DAO meeting and look forward to greater things from my VLGMA counterparts past and present. Once the threat of COVID is behind us, the City of Lynchburg will be happy to welcome you all to an in-person experience of the Hill City!
Peace