Survey makes progress at racial justice meeting

Conversation continued on how to administer a public survey at the Racial Justice Working Group of Jasper County meeting on Tuesday. The group brainstormed potential questions and topics that could appear in the survey.

“What are the issues that we feel we should give the community the opportunity to speak to? We all have our perceptions,” group leader Jessica Petersen said.

Areas of concern the group discussed to potentially appear on the survey include the perception of fear in the community, housing disparities, issues with law enforcement, demographics within the city, what is happening in the schools, family structure, mental health, gender, criminal background and low income or poverty levels.

To help structure the questions, the group plans to do additional research of surveys that have already taken place along with research of what the actual statistics are in the community.

“If we can get the facts and the actual data, you can make them aware of the discrepancies of perceptions,” Petersen said.

Also, partnering with another organization to administer the survey and help sponsor the survey was discussed. The group recognized if a survey comes from a group called the Racial Justice Working Group, some citizens may be hesitant to participate. If the survey comes from a recognizable, established organization, it may be better accepted.

The details of the survey including complexity, length and how to distribute it were also discussed.

“We need to give people something they can get done in five to 10 minutes, or they won’t do it,” Peterson said.

To follow up the survey, the group plans to hold a town hall meeting to reveal what it learned from the survey, to answer questions brought up in the survey and give a forum for community members to speak about their experiences in town. Petersen said she is in contact with DMACC about using auditorium and a date will come following work completed on the survey.

To conclude the meeting, a date was discussed for a small group meeting to hammer out questions for the survey. The next Racial Justice Working Group meeting is planned for 6 p.m. May 24 at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Newton.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at
641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or
jpierson@newtondailynews.com