History

In 1988, the Farmington Hills/Farmington community began working on diversity concerns arising from conflict between Chaldean and Jewish teens.  Initially, Farmington Public Schools, both city administrations - including police representatives, and parents were initially involved in discussions to remedy these issues.  Soon after, faith leaders, business representatives, residents, and other community organizations joined this effort and organized as the Multicultural Multiracial Community Council of Farmington/Farmington Hills.  MCMR currently consists of 26 members representing these community groups.    

Funding for annual programming and MCMR Council administration is approximately $3,500 and is provided by the Cities of Farmington Hills and Farmington and the Farmington Public Schools.  Funds are administered through the City of Farmington Hills; however, we have a 501c3 account through the Farmington Hills/Farmington Community Foundation for additional program contributions from the community.

Monthly informational forums began in the community and initiated community members with early thoughts of inclusivity.  Since the MCMR Council's inception in 1990, the mission has been revised twice - once in 1995 when Guiding Principles were also adopted by both Farmington and Farmington Hills' City Councils and the Farmington Public Schools' Board of Education.  The second mission and guiding principles revision arose as the result of a two-year strategic planning process.

During the years of 1995 - 2002, the MCMR Council implemented many new programs, including:

  1. Annual Rainbow Recognition Breakfast:  400+ attendees to award community members who have worked toward our mission that year with keynote speaker to impact community attendees, (please see Appendix D for list of speakers)
  1. Annual Heritage Week:
    1. Swearing-in Ceremony:  250 new citizens sworn in, voter registration and training in collaboration with International Institute, Homeland Security, City Clerk's Office, League of Women Voters
    2. Mini-Conference: regarding cultural or religious education
    3. Heritage Festival: with multicultural food, juried art exhibit, entertainment, cultural and community organization displays, children's activities and games
    4. Leadership Luncheon, new this year to encourage more involvement of local businesses and community organizations
  1. Annual Rev. Dr. King Candlelight Walk:  to honor Dr. King and all those who have worked on civil rights issues and remind the community of The Dream
  1. Annual Luncheon:  to explore cultural background of one of community's racial or ethnic groups, (please see Appendix E).
  1. Annual Student Diversity Conference:  200 high school students from all five high schools, (four public and Mercy High School).
  1. Four community forums to address issues of concern in the community or educate the community about ethnic or racial topics
  1. Annual year-in-review: to gain input from community regarding the year's progress and goals for the next year, (please see Appendix F).

While MCMR was making an impact with significant attendance and local press coverage of these events, we also knew there were many community members who were still unfamiliar with the work of the Council and, most definitely, many honest conversations about race and additional diversity issues that needed to occur.

Together, with the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), MCMR embarked on a two-year strategic planning process that began with considerable effort to brainstorm with MCMR Council members and other formal and informal community leaders who would help us reach broader in participation and deeper in our conversations.

The first of the two-year initiative was scheduled as an educational sharing and information gathering process to determine the future needs and goals of MCMR in the community.  We began with a weekend retreat of 100 community members deepening their understanding and adding input to the goal of inclusivity in Farmington Hills and Farmington.  For the remainder of the year, this community group met to determine goals and objectives for the subjects this group identified and developed into four subject areas requiring significant focus, listed as follows:

  1. Programs and Services
  2. Community Education
  3. Neighborhoods and Housing
  4. Business and Employment

Upon conclusion of the initial strategic planning year, three new subcommittees were developed and the existing Community Education Subcommittee was expanded; all four began reporting to the larger MCMR Council regarding these subject areas meeting independently to develop their own action plans.  As numerous action plans and enthusiasm developed, it became apparent that many of these additional initiatives required leadership and oversight that a solely volunteer and already extremely busy organization was unable to provide.

MCMR believes we have laid significant groundwork with a clear vision in sight to build on and accomplish these new action plans.  However, we require funding assistance to enable us to support these new initiatives with appropriate resources, including a half-time Executive Director to implement new initiatives while sustaining existing programming.  With sufficient support, we believe we can continue to set an example that is quite different from the resegregation many communities in the metro Detroit area have experienced. 

While great strides have been made in the United States with civil rights issues in the last 60 years, we also know that ethnic and racial issues are still keeping us from sharing the benefits of successful integration.  In Farmington and Farmington Hills, we know there are still significant challenges ahead to maintain and celebrate our integrated community, but we also know we have already gained extensive experience in understanding and facilitating the joys and challenges of integration that many communities across America are avoiding or trying to grapple with, as we once did.  Our experience could be a role model for the Detroit region, often considered the most segregated metropolitan area in America, as well as for other communities across America

 

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