About Us

Martin Luther King, Jr.

OUR MISSION

The Community Race Relations Coalition is

a diverse group of citizens and organizations whose mission is to promote racial

and cultural awareness through dynamic outreach to strengthen our community.

“We often hate each other because we fear each other; we fear each other because we don’t know each other; we don’t know each other because we cannot communicate;

we cannot communicate because we are separated.”

The Community Race Relations Coalition is a diverse group of citizens and organizations based in Waco, Texas whose mission is to promote racial and cultural awareness through dynamic outreach to strengthen our community.

The coalition grew out of community-wide dialogues on race relations held in 1999

and 2000. The first dialogue consisted of small facilitated groups in which participants shared personal experiences, identified areas in need of change,

and prioritized action steps.

The second dialogue consisted of workshops focused on needs identified in

the first dialogue. One workshop generated the idea of a coalition to continue

efforts to work for improved race relations in our community.

To facilitate this, the Waco Mayor gathered a group of community leaders

in October, 2000 to begin the organization of the Coalition.

After a year of informal meetings, the coalition adopted

bylaws and elected a board.

“We often hate each other because we fear each other; we fear each other because we don’t know each other; we don’t know each other because we cannot communicate;

we cannot communicate because

we are separated.”

OUR GOALS

EDUCATION:
Provide opportunities for adults

and young people to learn to accept, respect and include people of other ethnicities and cultures.

LEADERSHIP:
Promote the transformation of Waco into a community where

racial differences are accepted, understood and embraced.

SOCIALIZATION:
Make social interaction between racially and culturally diverse persons commonplace within the Waco community.

Steve Cook,

Treasurer

Dr. Bill Falco

Gigi Green-Bowie

Jan Barger,

Activity Facilitator

Delisa Burnell Smith

CRRC Board Members

Dr. Stephen Reid,

Vice Chair

Katharine Turner-Pearson

Ex Officio

It is expected that Directors attend monthly Board meetings on the first Thursday of each month from 5:15 p.m. through 6:45 p.m. at a location designated by the Chair unless otherwise excused. CRRC notices are generally accessed on the website. It is expected that Directors have a working knowledge of internet computing and have access to email.

The CRRC Board of Directors consists of 15 Directors plus 3 Ex-Officio (non-voting) members. The Directors serve staggered 2-year terms (7 or 8 elected each year). The Executive Committee consists of 4 Officers: Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary) elected yearly.

Elections are held at the September meeting of the entire CRRC membership. The Board delegates tasks and duties to Committees which carry on the business of the CRRC. Each Director is expected to serve on at least one Committee (and most likely chair one). Committees consist of at least one Director to chair the given committee plus any number of individual CRRC members.