A group of Black women City of Asheville employees were lauded during the Sept. 10 Council meeting, after they raised concerns over hiring and compensation practices. The City of Asheville says it’s taking steps to address the concerns.

A group of Black women City of Asheville employees were lauded during the Sept. 10 Council meeting, after they raised concerns over hiring and compensation practices. The City of Asheville says it’s taking steps to address the concerns.
“I’m inspired to do this work by my own experience. I do what I do to help people get the access to services that I didn’t have as an immigrant child with an undocumented family.”
“This raises the question of what funds are being used for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion and how they can be better allocated all around to create a positive cycle of change.”
From breweries to clothing lines, businesses are clamoring to address internal biases and racism in the workplace. As inquiries pour in, local equity consultants Marisol Jiménez and Tamiko Ambrose Murray are busier than ever.
Another aim for adé PROJECT is to work with as many artists of color as possible, using a cooperative model. “We often are left out of decision-making processes or not invited to the table where decisions are being made,” Cortina Caldwell explains.
“I see in her a devotion to compassionate community leadership. Asheville touts itself as bastion of progressivism, but for that to be true, we need politics that match our people.”
The third annual conference, “Bringing it Home: Building a Local Economy for Everyone,” will take place on Oct. 7 at the YMI Cultural Center in downtown Asheville.
The capacity crowd joined staff members of the CoC, event sponsors and colleagues to share breakfast and network with fellow women professionals from a diverse array of local industries. After the breakfast, an awards ceremony recognized three local female leaders in business, executive leadership and the nonprofit world.
As more women work toward leadership roles in the local workforce, female business leaders and local organizations are working to provide the encouragement and resources necessary to help them attain equity and advancement in the workplace. Sharing their wealth of experiences, these community leaders are hoping they can lay the groundwork for the next generation of successful women professionals.
The meeting this week at Hillcrest Community Center, presented by the school’s parent teacher organization (PTO), mirrored a Jan. 20 session that focused on what can be done to include every student, faculty member, staff and parent at Hall Fletcher Elementary School.
Dierdre Gilmer, Hall Fletcher Elementary PTO president, said her organization initially looked for a grant in 2014 from the Asheville City Schools Foundation for racial equity training because they noticed parents weren’t being represented properly at PTO meetings. A new initiative could change that.