together lexington: courageous conversations topical...

Together Lexington: Courageous Conversations

Topical Summary

PURPOSETogether Lexington hosted 12 community conversations to encourage courageous, meaningful discussion and awarenessamong all members of the Lexington community surrounding six topics: affordable housing and homelessness; drugs andheroin; gentrification; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and other sexualities (LGBTQ+) inclusion;police and community relations; and race relations.

The Facilitation Center at Eastern Kentucky University professionally facilitated these conversations, asking each group toidentify and prioritize their concerns and issues related to the conversation topic, brainstorm potential solutions, and identifykey next steps.

PARTICIPANTSNearly 450 participants took part in the 12 conversations held in nine locations throughout Lexington. (The total number ofindividuals who participated is lower, as some attendees participated in two or more sessions, while others only came toone.) Members of the Together Lexington Workgroup also participated as observers to carefully listen to the conversationor engaged in the conversations as participants.

Overall, participants most commonly cited the reason for participating was a general professional and/or personal interestin the topic (27 percent). This was followed by a desire to learn more about the topic (15 percent) and for the open discus-sion/to hear what others had to say (15 percent). It is interesting to note that participants in the race relations conversationdid differ slightly from the other groups in their primary reason for attending was to be a part of the solution, which tied withattending for the open discussion/to hear what others had to say.

New InsightsAt the conclusion of the conversations, participants were asked to share new, personal insights that emerged from the con-versation. Common new insights were:

• Attendees gleaned more knowledge and understanding of affordable housing, homelessness and gentrificationand a greater appreciation for the complexities involved.

• Greater education, awareness, and involvement are needed regarding drugs and heroin in Lexington. • Specific LGBTQ+ inclusion issues emerged, such as the aging LGBTQ+ community and increased concern for

safety and proper healthcare for this part of the population.• A deeper understanding of the relationship between the police and community emerged, some of which included

changes in perspectives. • Lexington needs less conversation and more united action to improve race relations.

Together Lexington: Courageous Conversations Topical Summary (2017) Page ❘ 1

CRITICAL ISSUES & POTENTIAL SOLUTIONSIn each set of conversations, participants generated numerous ideas and were asked to prioritize them by identifying themost critical issues. Two discussions were held per topic, and critical issues from both sessions were combined and thencategorized into themes by the facilitator. Themes are listed below in order of the total number of related comments.Detailed comments and solutions can be found in the full reports.

Affordable Housing and HomelessnessAlthough the lack of affordable housing and lack of (or strained) resources for the homeless were frequently mentioned ascritical issues, the underlying factors were also identified as critical. Unaddressed, underlying causes to homelessness,such as mental health issues, drug abuse, domestic violence, lack of employment opportunities and education were alsoviewed as critical. Some participants shared there may even be “compassion fatigue” by the community, contributing tothe strained resources.

Critical IssuesTHEMES IDENTIFIED BY MORE THAN ONE GROUP

• Lack of resources (mental health, drug abuse, domestic violence)• Unaddressed, underlying causes• Compassion fatigue• Lack of incentives for people to offer affordable housing • Determine what is affordable, as well as, livable and safe• Lack of information about affordable housing

ADDITIONAL UNIQUE CRITICAL ISSUES• Collaboration with diverse agencies• Gentrification • Is housing a right or a privilege?• Medical care• Needs to be livable and safe• Small concentration of affordable housing


Potential SolutionsPotential solutions were similar to those generated for gentrification, such as incentivizing affordable housing, but also in-cluded:

• Conduct a cost-benefit analysis, including direct and indirect costs of homelessness; Cost of housing is less ex-pensive than homelessness

• Diversification of affordable housing assets; Current focus is on maintaining and focus needs to be on the future• The key starting point is having an in-depth, honest conversation about:

o Is it a government or private sector issue?o What is substandard?o What is the true cost to a community of people not having a home?o Whether or not housing is a “right or privilege”o Would a person have to work for that right/privilege?

Key Next Steps• Build a case for support in Lexington – include data that shows cost of homelessness is more expensive than

affordable housing• Generate more awareness that homelessness and affordable housing are community issues• Get political leaders to buy-in and know they would be supported• Get private sector involved because the government has limited resources

o Public/Private partnerships• Hold regular meetings between housing groups and key government bodies



Drugs and HeroinThe two most commonly mentioned critical issues were a lack of resources for education, recovery and addiction and thecriminalization and stigma associated with addiction. One participant shared, “We can’t arrest our way out of addiction.”


• Lack of resources for education, recovery and addiction• Criminalization and stigma associated with addiction

ADDITIONAL UNIQUE CRITICAL ISSUES• Escalation/Increase in related crimes• Prevention of future addiction• System of accountability – hold people accountable during treatment and keep them accountable• Unnecessary deaths

Potential Solutions• Collaborative efforts to prevent future addiction and more expansive education• Expand sources of funding and manpower, including public and private possibilities• Inventory current resources to identify gaps and possible consolidation opportunities, as well as, the ratio of re-

covery professionals to addicts

Key Next StepsMENTIONED MOST FREQUENTLY

• Provide more community education, including defining what addiction education looks like, prevention education,and a community roadmap for individuals and families to get help

ADDITIONAL IDEAS• Are we, as a society, currently moving more toward treatment?• Criminalize dealers• Continue community conversations

o Can we have something at Rupp Arena that displays ‘good examples’ of recovery and educators?• Don’t wait for the crisis to get involved, get the message out to everyone

o Public service announcements, recovery stories through art and billboards• Look at the corrections system in Kentucky – increasing the number of people in jail hasn’t reduced drug use


GentrificationLexington needs more housing options, specifically affordable housing or better mechanisms for affordable housing. Anequally concerning issue is displacement of those impacted by gentrification. In the words of one group, “Options [for thosebeing displaced] are taken away, not created.”


• Need more housing options, specifically affordable housing• Displacement• Race and class related issues

ADDITIONAL UNIQUE CRITICAL ISSUES• Code enforcement weaponization• Community involvement – meet your neighbors and get to know them• Lack of diversity (of all kinds) = Missed opportunities• Lack of financial safety net for those being displaced• Use of existing (or new) laws to protect vulnerable properties

Potential Solutions• A developer/landlord tax with funds dedicated to affordable housing or helping homeowners update/repair their

properties• Expand urban service boundary• Incentivize affordable housing development or renting to low-income tenants• Open and clear conversations and communication with impacted neighborhoods, including renters, neighborhood

associations and other organizations• Protections for those impacted through tax freezes or rent control



• Broader involvement, including renters, elderly and others impacted• Collaborate with like groups and take conversations to the community, broadening the audience• Find ways to educate, such as a common space to look for information

ADDITIONAL IDEAS• Bring reports to key city leaders to act on ideas and issues• Gathering at the end to develop guiding principles for inclusion• Individually become aware of the history; listen to the narrative of those impacted; and ask what is needed• Keep those involved in the Courageous Conversations aware of what’s happening


LGBTQ+ InclusionA stigma exists in Lexington for the LGBTQ+ community and many members of this population remain hidden. Althoughother general issues were frequently mentioned, such as fairness and equality concerns, specific issues were also identified,such as “lack of elderly and assisted living homes specific to the LGBTQ+ population, programs for foster parents, andlack of safety, support and affirmation of the transgender population.” They also expressed a need to improve the experi-ences between LGBTQ+ staff, teachers, students and the Fayette County Public Schools.


• Fairness and equality issues• Lack of visibility • More education

ADDITIONAL UNIQUE CRITICAL ISSUES• Need programs for foster parents• Need safety, support and affirmation for the transgender population• Need to improve the experience between LGBTQ+ staff, teachers, students, etc. and the Fayette County Public

Schools• Workplace attitudes affecting employment decisions

Potential Solutions• Creating a safer environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community to become more visible, such as more

inter-faith dialogue to unite churches, allies being more public with their support, and being intentional in rec-ognizing the transgender population is the most vulnerable

• Fair representation, such as on boards and commissions and holding non-profit and corporate committees moreaccountable for checking on and supporting vulnerable individuals and communities

• Greater engagement by the LGBTQ+ population in community events, allowing others to see individuals, withoutjudgment, to help remove the stigma

• Provide more education, especially for health practitioners and Fayette County Public Schools, including teachingthe worth of all people and cultural competency


• Continued visibility awareness, including looking for com-passionate actions to help the community, City Councilrepresentation at the LGBTQ+ Consortium meeting, Pub-lic Service Announcements and similar conversations atthe Pride Festival

• Move the recommendations forward with funding helpfrom Together Lexington


Police and Community RelationsThe primary concern in Lexington is a mutual lack of trust between the police and community. Several issues are contributingto this lack of trust, including the lack of understanding regarding the role of law enforcement and citizens’ rights, not iden-tifying and addressing fears, police and community only interacting when there is a crime and poor two-way communication.


• Lack of cultural awareness• Lack of trust• Lack of knowledge/education• Poor communication from both police and community, compounded by negative national media• More diverse officers

Potential Solutions• Educate the public on the role of law enforcement and the rights of citizens• Mutual effort to create opportunities for positive interactions and “engage outside the police car” • Ongoing diversity training and recruiting a diverse police force that is representative of the community• Police officers immerse themselves into all sectors of the community (faith communities, schools, neighborhoods,

community-based organizations)


• Continue conversation, including specific focus groups for youth, with increased efforts to spread the word andrecruit attendees who don’t usually attend those types of meetings

• Public show appreciation for law enforcement• Disseminate report to local leaders – they set the tone

ADDITIONAL IDEAS• Actions that will make changes• Evaluation of the police department’s budget – is it meeting their needs?• Take it upon yourself to talk to officers


Race RelationsThe issue most frequently mentioned by participants was a lack education, understanding, and awareness regarding otherraces. Comments included, “lack of understanding, misperceptions, fear of discomfort keeps people out of conversations,self-segregation due to ignorance of each other’s cultures, and stereotypes.”


• Lack of education, understanding, and awareness around race relations• Geographical and cultural segregation• Lack of representation in employment and leadership• Lack of equal opportunity, education, and resources• Bias, prejudice, racism• Lack of sustained authentic efforts

Potential Solutions• Broader and deeper community engagement, specifically including the youth, which build connections• Create opportunities for more respectful and courageous interaction among different races that genuinely foster

relationships• Greater exposure to other cultures, educational opportunities and exploring personal bias• Start with yourself and at home by listening more, being more caring, making friends that look different or come

from different backgrounds, and talking openly about racism at the dinner table


• Collaborate with like groups, continued participation in conversations, and share contact information of the at-tendees to continue the dialogue

• Broader involvement, including youth and decision-makers• Greater city-wide awareness:

o All-in rallyo Consider change management processo Develop community-wide guiding principleso Participate in implicit-bias testing

ADDITIONAL IDEAS• Create a specific action plan based on the

conversations

TOGETHER LEXINGTONTogether Lexington, an initiative to energize the community by creating a positive marketing campaign and funding projects that will improve quality of life, has been made possible by our partners:


Working together to make Lexington a better place to live, work and play

togetherlexington.com

Rufus M. FridayPresident & Publisher

Lexington Herald-Leaderand Kentucky.com

Ann BakhausPresident

Kentucky Eagle, Inc.

Brian McCartyPartner

Bluegrass HospitalityGroup

Bret MelroseOwner

Fayette Heating and Air

Barry BishopRegional Vice President/

OperationsWindstream Communications

Larry JonesCentral Region President Community Trust Bank

Sheri Evans DeppDirector of HR and Global

Talent ManagementLexmark International

Bill FarmerPresident & CEO

United Way of the Bluegrass

Rhonda PetrDirector of MarketingAnthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield Medicaid

Larry HallPresident Hall Media

Mary Quinn RamerPresidentVisitLex

Jeff MurphyVice President of Marketing

and CommunicationsKentucky One Health

Lisa BallVice President

Ball Homes

Andy SheaPresident & CEO

Lexington LegendsBaseball

Sam MitchellChief Executive Officer

Valvoline

Bill ThomasonPresident & CEO

Keeneland

Bruce DrakePartner

Bluegrass HospitalityGroup

Dr. Augusta JulianPresident

Bluegrass Community &Technical College

Lee GreerPresident

Greer Companies

Carla BlantonOwner

Carla Blanton Consulting


DATA SOURCES

FULL REPORTSIdeas generated from each conversation were recorded and reports published online after each session. These reports arethe primary data source for this summary. Open responses have been categorized by the facilitator into general themes.

EVALUATIONSThe second data source is written evaluations conducted during 11 of the conversations. Nearly half of the participants (43percent) completed these evaluations, which included a pre- and post-assessment and was a mixture of closed and openquestions.

At the beginning of each conversation, attendees were asked to share why they decided to attend the conversation andtheir level of concern regarding the topic of conversation before the session began. At the conclusion of the conversation,they were asked to rate their level of concern after the conversation, as well as, identify new insights and evaluate the ef-fectiveness of various session components.

Each report specifically states participant comments regarding what worked about the conversations and what would havemade them better. Overall, the resounding theme for what worked was the open conversation, specifically the opportunitiesfor small group conversation. Better promotion of the events and greater diversity were the most common suggestions forimproving the conversations.


LEVEL OF CONCERN

For almost all of the participants, there was relatively no change between their level of concern regarding the topic beforeand after the conversation. For those few whose level of concern did change, it was almost always to be more concernedafter hearing the conversation.

LEVEL OF CONCERN

Pre Post

Race Relations Race Relations 1 -- -

Race Relations 2 4.25 4.44

Gentrification 3.83 4.07 Gentrification 1 4.07 4.10 Gentrification 2 3.58 4.05

Police & Crime 3.39 3.39 Police & Crime 1 3.21 3.44 Police & Crime 2 3.56 3.34

Drugs & Heroin 4.52 4.71 Drugs & Heroin 1 4.70 4.89 Drugs & Heroin 2 4.33 4.53

Housing & Homelessness 4.05 4.23 Housing & Homelessness 1 3.87 4.00 Housing & Homelessness 2 4.24 4.47

LGBTQ+ 3.70 3.89 LGBTQ 1 3.57 3.29 LGBTQ 2 3.83 4.50

Totals 3.93 4.09

(1=Unconcerned; 2=Slightly Concerned; 3=Concerned; 4=Very Concerned; 5=Extremely Concerned)


EFFECTIVENESSOverall, participants were pleased with the effectiveness of the sessions and Together Lexington succeeded in their purposeto “encourage meaningful discussion and awareness” as the overall majority ranked this component as very effective.

EFFECTIVENESS

Safe environment

to share ideas

Opportunity to share

ideas

Meeting facilitation

Diversity of

attendees

Encouraging meaningful

discussion and awareness of

the topic

Race Relations Race Relations 1 - - - - -

Race Relations 2 3.75 4.08 4.00 2.23 3.65

Gentrification 4.04 3.98 4.22 3.02 3.91 Gentrification 1 4.30 4.10 4.60 3.70 4.22 Gentrification 2 3.78 3.86 3.84 2.33 3.60

Police & Crime 4.28 4.25 4.36 3.71 4.05 Police & Crime 1 4.19 4.06 4.25 3.56 4.00 Police & Crime 2 4.38 4.43 4.48 3.86 4.10

Drugs & Heroin 4.60 4.63 4.57 3.10 4.25 Drugs & Heroin 1 4.60 4.60 4.40 2.60 4.00 Drugs & Heroin 2 4.60 4.67 4.73 3.60 4.50

Housing & Homelessness 4.63 4.63 4.40 3.70 4.37 Housing & Homelessness 1 4.47 4.60 4.47 2.80 4.33 Housing & Homelessness 2 4.80 4.67 4.33 4.60 4.40

LGBTQ+ 4.70 4.62 4.70 3.64 4.79 LGBTQ 1 4.57 4.57 4.57 3.29 4.57 LGBTQ 2 4.83 4.67 4.83 4.00 5.00

Totals 4.39 4.39 4.41 3.32 4.22

(1=Not Effective at All; 2=Slightly Effective; 3= Effective; 4=Very Effective; 5=Extremely Effective)

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