150 groups join effort to improve inclusion
ASHLEY SLOBODA | The Journal Gazette
As plans for a citywide effort to address race, equity and inclusion began to take shape last year, Iric Headley thought about the participation he wanted to see.
He hoped at least 20 organizations and 500 people would get involved – goals his mother and wife told him were too low, Headley said.
They were right, he told Fort Wayne s downtown Rotary Club during a virtual meeting Monday.
United Front, an initiative of Fort Wayne United, has attracted more than 150 organizations and more than 7,200 people, Headley said, noting participation continues to grow.
ideastream
Mt. Pleasant NOW, the area s community development corporation located off Kinsman Road in Cleveland, has been the site of violent crimes in the past. Mt. Pleasant NOW and other organizers in the city say they haven t given up on launching the Ten Point Coalition crime reduction program.
Back in 2018, former Cleveland mayoral candidate Robert Kilo and pastors from the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood were joined by Indiana-based representatives of a violence reduction initiative to announce its launch in Cleveland.
The program never took hold in Cleveland, beyond some initial media exposure.
“I think anytime something new is introduced to a city like Cleveland that s been doing things a certain way, it can create potential challenges,” Kilo said. “But I would suggest it just hasn t been the right timing previously.”