| |
About The
Task Force
Our
Vision Statement:
"We know Harrison , Arkansas as a community where people of all
races can live, work and worship together in peace and harmony and we
envision a time when our community is similarly perceived by all."
Our
Mission Statement: "Our
purpose is to respond to an inaccurate, negative image, namely that
Harrison is a racist community. We want to foster and promote the image
and reality of Harrison as a cohesive, warm community to all people of
peace and goodwill, regardless of race."
Our Core
Values: Equality,
opportunity, economy, prosperity, justice, security, dignity,
fellowship, community, inclusiveness.
What We
Believe:
- We believe that
all people are created equal and are precious in God's sight.
- We believe that
all visitors to our community should be treated with warmth, dignity
and respect.
- We believe in
opening the doors of opportunity to all people who choose to reside
in our community.
- We believe
reconciliation will be accompanied by actions that reflect a changed
heart.
- We believe that
"Now is the time to rise...to the sunlit path of racial
justice." (I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr.) and that
in doing so our souls will be lifted.
- We believe that
now is the time to "humbly seek the blessings of Providence for
forgiveness, reconciliation, unity and charity for all people of the
United States, thereby assisting the Nation to realize its potential
as a champion of Hope, the vindicator of the defenseless and
guardian of freedom."
Risks If We Do
Not Act:
- Those who hope
for a more benevolent and tolerant image of our community may be
silenced.
- Harrison may be
perceived as a haven for white racists.
- Our economy may
suffer because of the image.
- We may pay the
price in lost tourism.
- Opportunities
to host sporting events and tournaments may be lost.
- Industries may
choose to leave, or refuse to consider locating here because of past
actions and current attitudes toward people of color.
Rewards If We
Act:
- Our economy
will diversify and flourish.
- Our vision will
be realized, our mission fulfilled, and freedom will reign in our
community.
Organizational
Structure: We
propose to approach the attainment of our vision and mission through
goals, objectives, strategies and tactics. We will create five
committees which will function as "spokes", radiating out from
the hub (the total Task Force) to the rim (the community at large). The
five "spokes" will address the business, educational,
governmental, religious and cultural aspects of our work within our
community. Each committee will develop its own set of strategic goals,
objectives, strategies and tactics through which to attain and realize
our vision as it applies to each committee's are of concentration.
Goal #1
- To respond creatively to inaccurate, negative images of Harrison , so
that through our response, these images are negated.
Objective
#1: To develop
resources for interpreting the Harrison community, both within and
beyond our community.
Strategy
#1: Each
"spoke" committee will develop resources for its own
work, and will pass those resources on to the total Task Force.
Strategy #2:
The total Task Force will work to coordinate and network the work
of the "spoke" committees into a cohesive, comprehensive
plan of action.
Objective
#2: To develop
and nurture sources of advocacy within the formal and informal
structures of influence within the community.
Strategy
#1: Each
"spoke" committee will develop and nurture sources of
advocacy for its own work, and will pass those resources on to the
total task force.
Strategy #2:
The total Task Force will work to coordinate and network the work
of the "spoke" committees into a cohesive, comprehensive
plan of action.
Objective
#3: To tell our
story, rather than allowing other to tell it for us.
Strategy
#1: Each
"spoke" committee will develop ways to tell our story
from the perspective of its own area of concentration, and will
work to merge its story with the story told by the total Task
Force.
Strategy #2: The
total Task Force will work to coordinate and network the work of
the "spoke" committees into a cohesive, comprehensive
plan of action.
Goal #2
- To develop and promote a positive image of Harrison as a cohesive,
warm community open to all people of peace and good will.
Objective
#1: Drawing from
the resources developed in Goal #1, Objective #1, and the advocacy
developed in Goal #1, Objective #2, create concrete, tangible and
interactive ways to involve the maximum number of Harrison citizens in
recognizing, accepting and sharing the positive image within our own
community.
Objective
#2: Drawing from
the resources developed in Goal #1, Objective #1, and the advocacy
developed in Goal #1, Objective #2, create concrete, tangible and
interactive ways to invite and involve visitors, tourists, new
residents and guests of Harrison , including media representatives, in
recognizing, and sharing the positive image beyond our own community.
|
|
