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I quoted Pastor Betty Clarke in last week’s article, America is All of Us. She said at The Arc US Convention workshop on racial disparity that “We might have come over on different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now.” But still an inequity remains that some minority families receive as much as 52% less services than Caucasian families for their sons or daughters with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Pastor Betty also attended the Diversity Breakfast sponsored during the national meeting, as the board chairperson for The Arc of Alameda County. So she is now taking action in Northern California to host a first meeting for families and individuals from different ethnic groups to discuss these inequities and forming a NorCal Disparity Coalition.
A group in Southern California is led by organizations representing the Latino, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Pacific Islander, and Black communities. The group met and decided to take action and to organize. The SoCal coalition plans to be 1,000 strong by next year to obtain knowledge, power, and will to end racial disparity in services!
A meeting for families and organizations in Northern California will be meeting to discuss the forming of a similar coalition. Please help spread our advocacy by attending or inviting families and representatives to join with Pastor Betty, Mary Gonzales and myself to attend this important organizing meeting on Thursday, November 30th, 5:30 PM in Oakland, CA.
Please RSVP to me if you or your group is interested in attending, or also hosting an organizing meeting in your area.
Tim Hornbecker, Director of Advocacy and Community Organizing