A consultant’s report on racial equity in Oak Park was set to go before the village board July 1 presenting suggestions on how the village can better address residents’ experiences of racism and inequality.
The Racial Equity Assessment Report was prepared by the University of Illinois Chicago’s Great Cities Institute, a university agency that’s worked on a number of high-profile consulting projects with governments around the state. With help developing the report from village staff, UIC was expected to present a variety of suggestions for village policy, including updates to its messaging around racial justice, internal policies and data transparency.
The equity report was a major item on the board’s July 1agenda. Wednesday Journal will report on that discussion later this week.
“Even with that awareness of the need for equity and inclusion, Oak Park today is still not a welcoming place for all, and not all residents feel a sense of belonging in the community,” UIC staff wrote in their report. “There are significant economic divides, including by household income, between homeowners and renters, and in quality of life or social vulnerability. These can have cascading impacts on which resources and opportunities are available to Oak Parkers, and which residents feel a deep sense of belonging in the community.”
UIC received a contract worth $150,000 from the village in May 2023 to produce the report. Work developing the report over the last two years included community surveys, interviews with village staff and stakeholders and research to create a “snapshot” of equity issues in Oak Park, according to UIC.
The report is one element of a broader village plan to ensure equitable access to government services, address historical equity failures in Oak Park, support integration and diverse community entry points in the village and enhance cultural competency among village staff, according to the village.
UIC’s report will support the village as it works to develop and implement a “Racial Equity Action Plan,” according to village staff.
The consultant’s report said that Oak Park must “acknowledge harms” and “change the narrative” surrounding racial issues in the village.
“Village officers and leaders, as well as the village trustees—perhaps together with co-governments and community anchors — can begin to foster more trust and goodwill among nonprofit partners, volunteer commissioners, and, not least, community residents, explicitly by publicly acknowledging two things,” UIC staff wrote in their report. “One, racism exists and manifests in Oak Park. Two, while no one individual either inside or outside government is responsible for perpetuating racism, individuals in Oak Park regularly experience racism and discrimination.”
Within its report, UIC staff encouraged the village to address two persistent “narratives” the consultants came upon during their community surveying — first the perceived divide between North and South Oak Park and second the idea that while Oak Park is broadly perceived as a diverse, welcoming community, it does not acknowledge the reality of community divisions and disparities, according to the report.
“Talking openly about these narratives can also contribute to all Oak Parkers’ feeling a sense of inclusion in the community because it makes them feel visible and validates their being part of the community,” UIC staff wrote in their report. “Internally, current village leaders can open dialogue with volunteer commissioners and nonprofit partners about harms caused during previous administrations or by previous village employees in order to gain goodwill and focus on the future.”
The most common response to the UIC survey’s question asking residents to describe Oak Park based on their personal experiences was “divided by class,” according to the consultant report.
“The data show that any ‘geographical’ divisions are more likely based in household income and homeownership status,” the report said.
The report also called on the village to use data transparency to help it work better with its community partners on racial equity issues.
“Reciprocity in data sharing with external partners can improve decision making, and a shared repository can inform decisions across the village,” the report said. With good data, the village and others can establish feedback loops to continuously update and adapt policy and decision making. Data-driven decision making can drive goodwill when it leads to adaptations and pivots in existing policy, especially when residents and others who are asked to share their opinions are able to see those opinions reflected in outcomes.”
The village is developing a “racial equity dashboard” tool to support that goal, according to village staff.
The report also sets village staff goals for improving the cultural competency of both its internal and external communications.
In its presentation submitted to the board alongside the report, village staff also relayed its opinion on the viability of a municipal reparations program in Oak Park, saying that it does not see a traditional reparations program making sense for the village at this point.
“To date, staff’s analysis is that Oak Park does not meet the strict scrutiny standard that would serve as the basis for a municipal reparations program,” staff wrote in its board presentation. “While the village may not meet the standard for a traditional reparations program, that does not mean that the village cannot acknowledge harm and offer reparative justice-based programs in line with Oak Park’s vision for racial equity. Staff hope to begin facilitating community engagement and education sessions in fall of 2025.”
Village staff said it published a request for proposals earlier this year looking for a consultant to assist with research on historical documentation to support a municipal reparations program, but that the RFP received no responses.
Pending village board feedback, work on a new “Racial Policy Audit” authorized in light of nationwide pushback to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives brought on by President Donald Trump will also go forward this summer. Consultant group Keen Independent Research is conducting that audit, according to village staff.
In their presentation, village staff also pointed to the recent hiring of Kellye Keyes as the village’s new DEI chief and the passing of an updated Community Relations Commission work plan giving the volunteer body greater funding for community work and influence on the village’s human rights ordinance process.