Diversity Archives - Purpose Built Communities

S2 BONUS October 14, 2019

S2 BONUS: The Myth of De Facto Segregation

It’s been a convenient diversion from the truth that’s been told since Reconstruction - that the segregation we’ve seen and continue to see in America is just the effects of private individual biases and incidents of discrimination, rather than codified in law. But, when we look at the facts, that myth breaks down pretty quickly with the abundant examples of policies in local, state, and federal government across the country that explicitly discriminated against African Americans.

In this bonus episode, Richard Rothstein and Shirley Franklin, former Executive Board Chair of Purpose Built Communities discuss the history and myth of de facto segregation in America - and what it will take to reverse the toxic effects of that history. Listen

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SEASON 2, EPISODE 5 July 9, 2019

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Strength Through Diversity

There's an opportunity cost to separating and segregating people: we're not getting the best ideas, the creativity, the innovation out of discriminated communities that can lift up those neighborhoods and our country. Diversity brings out the best in people.

Dr. Katherine Phillips, professor of organizational behavior at Columbia Business School, told Purpose Built Communities' annual conference in Omaha in 2017 that, to understand the value of diversity and use it to learn and innovate more effectively, we need to start by making small changes in ourselves. Listen

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SEASON 2, EPISODE 3 June 25, 2019

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Personal Relationship with Race

Institutional racism does not just impact people who are old enough to vote and have a job. It's a lifelong reality from birth to death, and it's taught, reinforced and perpetuated when our students are in America's classrooms.

Dr. Beverly Tatum, president emerita of Spelman College and bestselling author, talked with the Purpose Built Communities' Michelle Matthews in Omaha in 2017 about how people of different ages discuss race - starting as students in the classroom - and how a deeper understanding and a servant approach to the discussion can help break down the barriers of segregation. Listen

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SEASON 2, EPISODE 2 June 18, 2019

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Racism Exacts a Cost

Two weeks before the 2016 election, there was an immediacy and urgency when Dr. David Williams, professor of public health, African and African American studies, and sociology at Harvard University, shared his research on the clear connection between race, socioeconomic status and health at the Purpose Built Communities annual conference in Birmingham, Alabama. His work is even more relevant now in the face of public attacks from our leaders and those emboldened by racist rhetoric on communities of color and immigrants in our country. Listen

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Season 2 Trailer June 4, 2019

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Season 2 Trailer

Too many communities are failing in America. Millions of people are trapped in poverty, fighting for their American Dream. And racism is at the core of why poverty is concentrated in some neighborhoods and not others, why the American Dream can be out of reach for so many of us. We must attack the underlying discrimination baked into our system throughout America's history to help communities become places where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Listen

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Houston / Connect Community

Space for Everyone: How a Diverse Community is Coming Together

Despite their differences, residents here have similar needs and are facing similar struggles. Unemployment rates in the community are some of the lowest in the city, yet median income is also one of the lowest, meaning residents are stuck working jobs that do not offer an upwardly mobile pathway. Forty-six percent of residents do not … Continue Reading →

Season 1, Episode 8 December 5, 2018

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Houston / Connect Community

Walking with a Purpose

America’s demographics will become majority-minority in the coming decades. One neighborhood in Houston shows how to successfully build vibrant communities of diversity - and how to bring all of those different groups together in the wake of a natural disaster. Listen

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From My Perspective: Friendship, Privilege and Progress

Catching up with a long-time friend usually means reminiscing and chatting about family and mutual acquaintances. And sometimes, it means building from a shared history and trust to challenge each other. I recently talked to a friend who moved to a different state years ago. After exchanging updates about our personal lives, I began to … Continue Reading →

Season 1, Episode 7 November 27, 2018

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A Community of Choice

Gentrification is nothing new in America. Many who stand in its path feel helpless to fight back against it. But some communities are striking the balance of revitalizing the neighborhood without pushing out its residents, bringing in new investment while preserving the history and culture of the place.

Audio Credit: Newscast audio from NJTV News. Listen

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SEASON 1, EPISODE 6 November 20, 2018

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People. Place. Equity.

Equity has become a buzzword in America. Yet we’re collectively falling short of the American ideal of how we should be revitalizing communities - where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their own American Dream.

So, what does it look like to really lead with equity in a community? Listen

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