Dallas officials plan to hold five community meetings starting next week, including one at City Hall, to allow residents to weigh in on the city’s plans to end programs and policies that explicitly promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
The series of events will begin at the Latino Cultural Center near Deep Ellum on Aug. 26 and conclude on Sept. 9 at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center. Additional events are scheduled for late August and early September in downtown and South Dallas.
Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert announced earlier this month that she ordered all city departments in June to stop using policies and programs that consider race, gender, ethnicity, religion or national origin when deciding how to allocate money or benefits.
“We’re looking at barriers, and we’re continuing to find ways to create pathways for people to thrive across our city, no matter where they live, no matter what ZIP code they’re in,” Tolbert said. “We know that that work and that body of work has to continue.”
Political Points
The city is pausing these programs to comply with new anti-DEI directives from President Donald Trump’s administration. Dallas officials hope this decision will help the city keep millions in federal grant money. The move prompted a group of community leaders last Monday to urge city officials to reaffirm their commitment to improving racial equity for residents despite the president’s directives.
“We value the voices of community members whose partnership has shaped the city’s equity and inclusion work over the years,” reads a city flyer promoting the events. “Our realigned efforts will continue to invest in neighborhoods and expand opportunities so all Dallas residents can thrive.”
Over the past three years, Dallas has received an average of $305 million annually. These funds support various programs, including housing and economic development projects, transportation, justice assistance, and nutrition programs for women, infants and children.
All city DEI programs and policies are under legal review. Some could be revamped. For example, a program could focus on aid to small, Dallas-based businesses rather than enterprises owned by women and people of color.
The city has stopped its racial equity plan, a strategy approved by the City Council in 2022 to address racial and ethnic disparities impacting Dallas residents. The city also ended a business inclusion and development policy aimed at helping businesses owned by women and people of color land city contracts. The city’s office of equity and inclusion will no longer be a standalone department and will be combined with three others into a new office of housing and community empowerment.
The City Council is scheduled on Sept. 24 to hear other proposed recommendations to ensure the city remains in federal compliance.
Trump’s executive orders don’t force cities to stop equity-focused programs, but they do prohibit federal contract or grant recipients from supporting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, city officials say.
Here are more details on the community events:
Latino Cultural Center
2600 Live Oak St.
J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1st Floor
1515 Young St.
Dallas City Hall, L1FN Auditorium
1500 Marilla St.
Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center
2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
West Dallas Multipurpose Center
2828 Fish Trap Road