The Farmington/Farmington Hills Multicultural Multiracial Community Council recognizes that all people are integral to the community’s health, harmony, and successful future. We explore and celebrate our differences and embrace our commonalities.
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:
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:
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.
Membership Application
The Farmington/Farmington Hills Multicultural Multiracial (MCMR) Community
Council recognizes that all people are integral to the community’s health,
harmony, and successful future. We
explore and celebrate our differences and embrace our commonalities.
This vision of
inclusiveness has been the goal of the MCMR Council since 1990. MCMR is comprised of a diverse group of
individuals representing both
We have a community that respects
and values our diverse population.
Eighty-five languages are spoken in the homes of Farmington Public
Schools’ students. We are home to every
race and all major religious institutions.
Our current success is due in large part to the proactive efforts in
years past from the leadership of the MCMR Council and the participation of
many community members. Together,
we have
worked to
address our differences and commonalities in a public way and discuss
tough issues when they arise.
During a yearlong strategic
planning process, the community determined that we were already accomplishing
many educational initiatives which needed to continue, such as Heritage Week,
the Rainbow Breakfast, our Dr. King Candlelight Walk, an annual cultural
luncheon, and speaker forums. However, it
was determined work still needing implementation needed to be addressed through
the establishment of the following sub- committees: Neighborhoods and Housing, Programs and
Services, Business and Employment, Education, and Publicity. It was also determined that a part-time
Executive Director was required to guide these new initiatives.
Initial funding was developed
from contributions generated by the Robert Bosch Corporation, the Cities of
Farmington Hills and
Future success in maintaining a harmonious
and healthy diverse community will only be achieved through additional proactive
work accomplished today. To continue
this progress, additional funding is required.
We are counting on you as valued community members to help make possible
this critical work and lend your financial support to these efforts.
Please reference our guiding
principles in the enclosed brochure along with the strategic plan and upcoming
event information at www.mcmr.org. We
hope to have your continued support for implementation of the
goals of the
Multicultural Multiracial Community Council.
Membership Benefits:
All
-All members will be publicized
on
our web-site, in print media, and on cable t.v. for their level of
sponsorship.
-All members will receive
notification of dialogue/training opportunities & programming notices
-Member and sponsor contributors
will receive a certificate stating their level of support.
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Individual Members: $ 25.00 Individual Member ______
100.00 Program Sponsor ______
500.00+ Visionary Donor ______
Organization/Business $ 250.00 Faith Institution Members ______
Members:
500.00 Org./Bus. Member ______
1,000.00 Program Sponsor ______
2,500.00 Visionary Donor ______
5,000.00 Charter Members ______
The Multicultural Multiracial Community Council has a 501C3 designated fund with the Farmington Hills Farmington Community Foundation. Contributions are tax deductible, to the extent of the law.
Please make your checks payable to the Multicultural Multiracial Community Council or MCMR and send to:
MCMR Questions, please call:
Longacre House
Member’s Name:
______________________________________________
Organization: ______________________________________________
Street Address: ______________________________________________
Email Address: ______________________________________________
Phone: ______________________________________________
MCMRCC Forum