Plan, end of backlog are welcome changes

After years in transition, the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission has developed a focused work plan to guide its efforts and measurable goals to show whether those efforts are making a difference.

We like the new approach, especially performance goals that encourage timely investigation and resolution of complaints of housing and employment discrimination.

During the past year, civil rights officials worked with the state to resolve the backlog of such cases - resolving a total of 89 cases from August 2014 to 2015.

Commission members also aim to increase outreach efforts by 15 percent while keeping customer satisfaction high.

The city's first State of Equity Report, released in April 2014, languished as the commission necessarily focused on other priorities. More recently, the commission, and Executive Director LaSheila Yates have sifted through that broad overview of inequities in local, state and national institutions and focused on three priorities of special local importance: education, public employment and housing.

The commission has targeted six specific points of disparity within these three areas for closer inspection and ongoing focus.

For example, the commission hopes to target disproportionate participation of racial/ethnic minorities and low-income students in Advanced Placement and other academic success programs. It also will work to end disparity in school disciplinary actions.

Yates, who also has been named the city of Cedar Rapids' first Diversity Director, told us she's developing partnerships to tackle disparities in public sector employment and leadership.

Yates plans to work closely with the police department, for instance, to encourage a more diverse pool of candidates.

Housing inequity has long been an issue in Cedar Rapids, where black homeownership rates have lagged behind other demographic groups. Armed with data from the State of Equity report, commission members will conduct community and business outreach in an attempt shift the statistics.

Already, the commission has developed a four-page list of actions it has taken to address inequities and accomplish these targeted goals. It's a good start, and a welcome change.

We look forward to their report about how effective these actions have been in moving the needle on disparity.

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