Raleigh wants to hear from you about how it can fix racial and social justice issues

Shaw University and the City of Raleigh have launched a community survey to address local racial and social justice issues.

The survey asks residents to answer seven questions about discrimination, race relations and equitable access to goods and services such as transportation, housing, education and employment. Participants can also post public comments with the questions.

“With recent local and national events, we have reached yet another critical moment in the history of race and community relations in our country,” Assistant City Manager Evan Raleigh said at a news conference Monday on Shaw’s campus. “It is the City of Raleigh’s intention to address these challenges head-on.”

He said the survey provides a safe and constructive outlet for residents to share their thoughts on the barriers they see to a just and equitable community in Raleigh.

The results of the survey will inform a series of listening sessions on race, racism and social equity. Public forums will begin later this year.

The series, called Courageous Community Conversations, is a collaboration between the Shaw University Center for Racial and Social Justice and the City of Raleigh.

Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said in a statement that their goal is to develop a plan to build a more equitable community through new policies and procedures.

“This is not a project for one segment of our community, or people who have experienced inequity,” Baldwin said. “We all have to work together to make our community better.”

At the news conference Monday, Shaw University President Paulette Dillard noted the historically Black university’s legacy of social justice change as the founding location for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. She said change begins with hearing from all constituents.

This project is the first step to “begin to work on those things in our world that are broken that we believe sincerely can be mended,” Dillard said.

Johnny Hill, co-director of the Center for Racial and Social Justice at Shaw University, said in a statement that this is “an intentional effort to tackle the tough issue of race, systemic racism, white supremacy and all of the other challenges” that have impacted Raleigh for a long time.

Residents can take the survey online at crsj.org/conversations/ or call 919-582-3745 to complete it over the phone.