Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Civility Localized
At Civility Localized, our mission is to help communities grow with dignity.
We like to say that we “Engage Different”. And it’s more than just a tagline.
We aim to help our clients and partners approach Community Engagement with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in mind. To do this, we embody the tenets of a fundamental DEI&B Strategy that is essential to our company.
We utilize approachable language and tactics combined with innovative ideas to push the boundaries of trust. All this to create stronger bonds between governments and residents.
Our core company values are also key components of our DEI&B strategy. They keep us grounded. They also shape how we take up space in the community. As a refresher, our seven core company values are:
Trust: When trust is earned, it removes barriers and allows for truth-telling
Togetherness: We aim to serve the best interests of the people most impacted
Inclusion: We prioritize equitable distributions of power and inclusion at every step
Community: We desire to remain consistently in sync with the people we serve
Ease: Community engagement can become complex, we value ease and simplicity
Autonomy: We value empowering people to influence policy and government
Fun: Community engagement should inspire authentic expressions of joy and freedom
Adhering to these values in our daily work naturally advances diversity, equity, and inclusion in the community engagement and public affairs sector. We cultivate a sense of belonging for communities that have been historically divested of resources over time due to systemic racism and discrimination. In our worldview, these communities represent Black Americans (American people of African descent), Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders.
Civility Localized Founder and Principal Consultant, Christine Edwards, MPA presents Survey Results to a group of community members during our 2023 Education Roundtable at the CRTV Lab in West Charlotte.
We speak clearly about the communities we wish to engage when referring to non-white people. We utilize terms such as BIPOC to reference Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and we utilize the term Communities of Color to represent spaces where non-white people make up the majority.
Under-resourced and historically divested communities may also look like immigrant families, the unhoused, seniors, people under 18, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, people with lower incomes and educational attainment, and those who use English as a second language.
Our values inform our day-to-day operations, including demographic, language, and business policies. As a woman-owned and Black-owned firm, we take pride in hiring and patronizing
MBE, WBE, and DBE Businesses and hiring diverse staff.
Participants engage in group discussion at a Mecklenburg County Listening Session facilitated by Civility Localized in Spring 2023
We hope our commitment to diversity is evident in every aspect of our business.
Our DEI&B strategy is vital to our mission to facilitate honest conversations in safe spaces. We equip communities with the tools to guide governing bodies toward more inclusive processes, programs, and resources. We endeavor to ensure every community is heard and has every resource needed to foster true belonging.
If you are looking to enhance DEI&B capacity at your organization or in your community, reach out to us for a consultation.
