Chambers of Commerce- as gatekeepers of the city- Dr Lana Walton

 Whenever possible, drop in on the Chamber of Commerce while visiting other states. The city's Chamber of Commerce is a good representation of what one will find in a city. This is because the attitude of the local Chamber of Commerce - the association purposed to promote interests and needs of businesses in its community, can give outsiders a glimpse of what the mindset of the community and other systems within it (courts, education, business, churches) are like as far as social justice is concerned.

My Chamber of Commerce- a model one

The local Chamber of Commerce where I live, with over 300 members purport to be a strong, vibrant one. I concur as It works very diligently to meet the needs of the members, and ultimately the community. It has made the environment a fun place to live, work, and do business for everyone, regardless of race, age, etc. I would rate it a ten out of ten.

Other cities/states Chamber of Commerce

 The diverse group of business owners who are members of every city's local Chamber of Commerce's paramount interest is, of course, an economic one. They are exceptionally aware of the professional as well as non professional community in which they conduct business. In fact, the Chamber of Commerce is also very important to the City Council as a good source of direction on varying economic concerns. I see theChamber of Commerce as the thinking tank of the city. Some of the members are also active in other community organizations such as churches, school boards, PTA, etc. Their children are frequently enrolled in public education k-12 in the community.

With a varying number of members, it's not unusual that at times there may be competition amongst one another within the organization. There is definitely dissimilarity in personalities, world views, as well as opinions on how to make the community grow. While some members may be approachable, some may not. A number of associates may harbor biases, and prejudices, and others do not. 

 The interpersonal skills of Chambers of Commerce lobby receptionists vary. I have observed behaviors ranging from snobbish but tolerant, overly laid back, blatantly rude, to cheerful, warm, and skilled in rolling out the welcoming mat to everyone that enters its doors. In this instance, I think back to leadership training, and Organizational Psychology that indicate leaders normally set the culture of the organization. The Chambers of Commerce are certainly leaders in the community.

Ways in which the Chamber of Commerce may set the norm of the community

Sociologists suggest that people conform to existing social norms in their society or community. For those seeking equality and equity in education, employment, housing, and loans, perceived prejudice, biases, and racial attitudes is most important in choosing where to live, work, or do business. Therefore, If the norm of the community is that certain groups are welcome or not welcome, the attitude is often seen in their Chamber of Commerce, and has most likely trickled into the schools- affecting teachers, students, faculty and staff, Police Department, Banks, other businesses' Human Resources hiring practices- with job recruiters normally following suit. The focus here is that we must be good role models for our children in the community.

If you consider yourself a fair, social justice minded person, who see all groups as equally valuable, and is interested in starting a business, teaching in k-12, or simply a parent who wish to move into a community where your child can receive the best education, it might be a good idea to find out what the existing social norms are in the city by visiting the city's Chamber of Commerce. Browse around a bit and observe. Better still, attend one of the meetings.

Evaluate the local Chamber of Commerce where you wish to work

What do you see? How were you treated from the time you entered the lobby? Do the Chamber of Commerce members make people of all races and ethnicities feel welcome when they enter the doors, meetings, or community events that they sponsor? Do they appear to be one of inclusiveness or conformity? Take time and find out whether people of color in the city see attitudes towards them as favorable or unfavorable. 

Other ways of dissecting community attitudes

If you want to bypass the Chamber of Commerce, you can also review the city's diversity profile online to determine its attitude. The racial demographic of the city, discrimination by category, hate crime report, as well as gender and ethnic breakdown of males and females in the city, and school district will also offer information about mindsets. Search out school demographic of what students are put into gifted classes in the school district, as well as expulsions, and anything else you may think of investigating.

The affect a non inclusive community can have on people

If you see yourself as a conformist, or one who only shares your educational and social justice thoughts with people who agree with you, be careful where you plant your feet, as research asserts that people who are conformists tend to show increase in prejudice, stereotyping, etc., when they move into areas that are prejudice. For instance, if you are a business manager, principal, teacher, counselor, pastor, mechanic, etc. who is a conformist,  unless you learn how to stand firm in inclusiveness, you will tend to permit your place of business, school, or church to be less inclusive or none inclusive when it comes to being fair with certain groups of people in a non inclusive community. It's a good thing to conform to embracing all people.

 Ethical or unethical decision?

 Some years ago, in speaking with an acquaintance who owned a booming business with mostly white employees, I was shocked to learn that a person of another race, non African American, was not hired because the employees did not see the candidate as a perfect fit. They had been given the task of choosing to hire or not hire. The final decision of the owner not to employ the applicant was not based on qualifications but the assumption that the individual would feel uncomfortable, making the work place a hostile environment for everyone.  It was concluded that it would not be fair to subject the contender to this type treatment. Unfortunately, I was not in the same state of the acquaintance at the time of the conversation. Therefore, I was unable to visit its Chamber of Commerce to try and determine whether there was a correlation with the attitudes of the employees and the organization.  I was, however, surprised because the owner was also a person of color. Nevertheless, I gathered that the proprietor's criteria for a satisfying solution was the foreseeing of terrible consequences for the candidate.

What and if questions

  What does the Chamber of Congress look like where you do business, or want to do business? What role do you play if you are a member? Whether you own the means of production, or manage the business, did you visit the Chambers of Commerce before opening?  If you did not like what you saw, perhaps you can make a difference in transforming it into what it should be- a welcoming organization for all people. Start by telling the Chamber of Commerce what you saw, and how such behavior can affect the educational system in the community, as well as the other systems. Encourage them to host diversity sensitivity training or other events, inviting the communiry in order to embrace positive race relations.

 Let's say that you are in the process of setting up your business. What does or will the demographics of your place of business look like? Will you as the leader assure that race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, body size, age, religion does not affect a candidate's chances of being hired, or your employees' opportunity to move up the ladder for promotions?

WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER! (We really are)

Think tanks come in all diversities. Having a mixture of people is a benefit to any business, church, school, police department, court system, or community. The local Chamber of Commerce need members who are not only economically interested, but who also have a desire to uplift and value all the people in its community that support its businesses. It is important that the Chambers of Commerce be seen as a positive gateway to their neighborhoods.

Dr. Lana J Walton- social/educational justice advocate