Community Forum Attracts Nationally Known Diversity and Inclusion Expert

By Tricia Hall
Sojourner’s Truth Reporter

Over 500 people filled the Bowsher High School auditorium on Thursday, January 21, 2016 for a community forum sponsored by the Toledo Community Coalition, Lucas County Commissioners and The Blade.

The primary focus of the forum was on how to combat racism, interactive community conversations about how to improve police-community relations, and guest speaker Eric Ellis, an author and president of Integrity Development Corporation.

“My expertise is about bringing people together,” said Ellis. “The work is long but obtainable. Someday we’ll understand that we all need to make a commitment to change. Respect, diversity and inclusion will improve within the city. We can’t demonize actions of police on actions of the few. We still have work to do and can’t paint all police with a broad statement.”

Ellis specializes in developing long-term diversity, inclusion and respect solutions for various companies including: Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing, Honda, Lexmark, CIA, Plante Moran and United States Air Force. Ellis also addressed the issue of youth and adult relations. “We can’t keep coming to our young people with old people solutions. I work to inspire them. Young people need us and want us. They want relationships across generations, across racial lines, and across gender,” said Ellis.

In addition to Ellis, the forum continued with audience questions that were answered by three panelists: Toledo citizen Willis Knighten Jr, TPS Chief George Kral, and Lucas County Sheriff Department Captain Thomas Walker.
 

​Forum questions covered youth and adult relations, and also police and community relations. Panelist Knighten is a Toledo resident, former gang leader who was wrongfully convicted in 1997. His life sentence was later commuted in 2009.

Panelist Kral was hired by TPD in 1990, and promoted to chief in 2015. “Community engagement is important. I can’t, we can’t do this alone. I meet with community leaders regularly. We, the police, are fighting against a mindset. This process won’t be done this week, this month, or by December 31. It takes time,” said Kral.

Panelist Walker of Lucas County Sheriff’s Department was hired by the department in 1977 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1993. “In order to improve police and community relations we need for residents to come to activities like this,” said Walker. “Our profession demands professionalism and caring attitudes. It doesn’t matter how many officers are hired if problems in communities aren’t stopped. We are working on increasing diversity within the force. We have a full-time background recruitment to target demographics that we need. TPD is 17 percent African-American and that’s not good enough. I’ve event spoken with Dr. Durant about recruiting in Toledo Public Schools to focus on the pool of seniors that are here in the city. It’s our mission to change that.

Volunteers from Toledo Public Schools young men of excellence collected audience questions and dialogue sign up forms.

Copyright © 2015 by [The Sojourner's Truth]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 08/16/18 14:12:41 -0700.

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