CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Within two years Cleveland went from having six black firefighters to none.
City officials and community leaders organized the Cleveland Workforce Diversity Commission to help more minorities get city jobs.
“We need to honor diversity and not ignore it like we have been,” said Avery Johnson, Cleveland’s vice mayor and District 3 councilman.
The commission will meet at 6 p.m. April 8 to discuss how minority recruitment is going in the fire department and talk about any upcoming job announcements.
“We’re optimistic that it will improve,” said Dr. Michael J. Laney, vice chairman of the commission.
Dr. Laney and other members of the group said Mayor Tom Rowland supported forming the commission. Mr. Rowland and City Manager Janice Casteel could not be reached for comment Friday.
About 7 percent of Cleveland’s estimated 38,627 residents are black, according to the latest census estimates.
“We want to see that reflected in hiring people of color for all positions,” Dr. Laney said.
The city has been making progress, said Aubrey Ector, pastor of the Unity Christian Ministries and chairman of the diversity commission.
In March 2009, blacks represented about 5 percent of the city’s work force. By December 2009, the number reached 6 percent, he said.
But the Cleveland Fire Department went from having six black firefighters to none when all of them retired about two years ago, said Mr. Johnson, who helped establish the commission.
Dr. Laney said the fire department also is without female firefighters.
IF YOU GO* What: Cleveland Workforce Diversity Commission meeting* When: 6 p.m. April 8* Where: Municipal Building, first floor
The diversity commission includes the Bradley County NAACP, the Ministers Fellowship of Cleveland-Bradley County, Bradley Initiative for Church and community and 100 Black Men of Bradley County. The commission also includes a Hispanic representative, Mrs. Casteel and a city human resources representative.
More blacks, women and Hispanics have been hired by the police department since the group formed last fall, officials said.
The group said it would like to see more diversity in all city departments.
“We’ve got 62 different cultures in Cleveland. We need to appreciate that and honor that,” Mr. Johnson said. “We have kids coming out of school and we need them to know the hiring practices here are going to be fair.”
The commission’s role is to be a sounding board for employers seeking to hire more minorities and for minorities who want to be hired. It will distribute information about job openings to minorities and It will examine hiring practice policies and offer suggestions to for improvement, officials said.
“Just having a watchful eye in the community is helpful,” Mr. Ector said. “It helps to assure the community that they have in put.”