• What has been learned?
   
  • Economics is said to be the other 50% of integration. From income, to employment, to homeownership, Sarasota County’s two largest minority populations (Hispanic and African American) face the same inequities seen nation wide. (see attached “Some numbers behind race and ethnicity in Sarasota County”)
     
  • Sarasota’s population and development boom threatens to gentrify existing minority neighborhoods and displace those living there now.
     
  • Institutional and structural practices interact to maintain racial hierarchies and inequitable racial group outcomes (even when not overtly discriminatory).
     
  • A diverse workforce presents special challenges and opportunities for community economic growth. Challenges include language issues and skills that match up to the available jobs. Opportunities include diversity as an engine of growth as articulated by Richard Florida.
     
• What community activity has been initiated?
   
  • SCOPE staff is playing a very active role with the Economic Development Corporation as they explore the challenges and opportunities of a diverse workforce. A series of focus groups, surveys and conversations is hoped to identify information that can help the business community.
     
  • CDFI – Volunteers working with SCOPE are investigating the feasibility of a community development financial institution. Such an entity could open up access to credit in minority neighborhoods for home and business loans.
     
  • Youth Build – SCOPE has collaborated with this youth leadership and job skills program sponsoring events and transferring useful skills.
   

DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS

• What has been learned?
   
  • The most significant trend in Sarasota County is the growth of the Hispanic /Latino population which has increased almost 50% from 2000-2004 (from 14,000 to 21,000).
     
• What community activity has been initiated?
   
  • SCOPE has published various data reports that show demographic, social, economic and housing characteristics for the different races and ethnicities of Sarasota County and its sub-regions.

RELATIONS AMONG DIVERSE CITIZENS

• What has been learned?
   
  • Whether race relations is perceived as an important issue depends whom you ask. A survey conducted by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice indicates that interracial trust is much lower among minority respondents than it is among white respondents. 
     
  • It is important to deepen the relationship among citizens of different races and ethnicities but this doesn’t happen often enough and an intentional effort is necessary.
     
• What community activity has been initiated?
   
  • Dr. Deborah Plummer, author of Racing Across the Lines: Improving Race Relations Through Friendship was invited to Sarasota where she passed on her tools to a crowd of nearly 200.
     
  • Rev. Dr. Michael Battle, author of The Church Enslaved: A spirituality of racial reconciliation was invited to Sarasota . SCOPE continues to work with faith communities to develop their role in addressing the issue.
     
  • SCOPE has participated in the creation of the recently formed Coalition Against Hate which sprung up in response to a white supremacist functioning in a local private day care.
     
  • SCOPE is sponsoring a film series on race related films and is a partner in a 2006 diversity themed film festival in planning.
     
  • Over 50 members of the arts community have been engaged in creating art projects that help the community address race and cultural relations.
     
  • SCOPE is a partner in Embracing Our Differences, an outdoor art exhibit.
     
  • SCOPE is working with community members to form a coalition of organizations, business, and individuals that focus on diversity and inclusion.

EDUCATION

• What has been learned?
    
  • Sarasota faces a similar “achievement gap” (disparities in educational outcomes among minority students) as does the rest of the nation. The superintendent has made addressing this gap a center piece of his policy.
     
• What community activity has been initiated?
    
  • SCOPE hosted a panel of local school board officials at the 2005 SOAR (Sarasota Openly Addresses Racism) symposium where community members could learn facts and action steps for reducing the achievement gap.
     
  • SCOPE hosted an afternoon work session with local and national education experts exploring how the community can support young men in educational excellence (West Coast International Men’s Leadership Conference)