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WHAT IS THE RALEIGH COMMUNITY COUNCIL ?

The RCC is a nonpartisan civic consortium made up of the presidents and chairpersons of the major organizations representing Raleigh's diverse communities. The Council engages in open dialogue, research, consensus building, advocacy and leadership development to improve the quality of life and build a better community. It is the goal of the Council to seek proactive ways to engage the total community and provide leadership and strategies for that which is fair and just.

OVERVIEW
Founded in December 2006, the Raleigh Community Council (RCC) is a collaborative partnership process of civic organizations engaged in providing information and advocacy for residents of Raleigh, North Carolina. As members of the collaborative, these organizations have committed to help plan and implement an integrated structure of cross cultural, multigenerational information sharing and effective delivery of recommendations for solutions to problems and disparities which plague Raleigh's African American communities.

The RCC serves as a forum for member organizations to engage in planning and evaluating real life circumstances, and to exchange information on emerging issues and trends. The Council receives regular reports from a wide array of citizen groups, governmental agencies and individuals.Through discussion and consensus, the Council reviews and approves recommendations and initiatives by which specific courses of action can be implemented to help reduce injustices of disparities in the African American community. Any recognized civic organization engaged or interested in the social, economic and educational well being of citizens in Raleigh, North Carolina is eligible for membership.

WHO ARE INVITED TO MAKE UP THE INAUGURAL RALEIGH COMMUNITY COUNCIL ?
Mr. Daniel Coleman, President
Raleigh-Wake Citizen's Association

Mr. Michael Leach, President
Raleigh-Apex NAACP

Atty. Geoffrey Simmons, President
Capitol City Lawyers Association

Rev. Mary Heggie, President
N.C. Association Of Women In Ministry

Mr. Carl Dean, Chairman
Wake County African American Caucus

Ms. Abeni El-Amin, President
Dream House Community Center

Rev. Charles Brown, President
Raleigh Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance

Mr. Eugene Weeks, Chairman
Wake Voter's Coaliton

Mr. Keith Sutton, President
Triangle Urban League

Mr. Ronald White, President
South Central NAACP

Dr. Alice Garrett, Chairwoman
Harriet Webster Task Force for Student Success

Mr. Tony Jeffreys, President
100 Black Men Of The Triangle

Ms. Erin Byrd, Civic Engagement Director
Blueprint North Carolina

Mr. Lawrence Dickens, Chairman
RWCA-MPAC

Dr. David Forbes, Sr., Chairman
Lost Generation Task Force

Ms. Bonnita Hargis, Chairwoman
N.C. Martin Luther King Resource Center

Mr. Bruce Lightner, Chairman
Raleigh Martin Luther King Committee

WHAT WE ARE .... WHAT WE AREN'T
The Raleigh Community Council seeks to become a collaborative and deliberative body of citizens who are in sitting leadership positions with major civic organizations in Raleigh. Our thrust will be to share information, challenges and opportunities which impact African American communities. This is what we are:

A). The Council is envisioned to be a sounding board and think-tank for progressive, proactive and measured responses to issues which are deemed prudent and necessary to be addressed. Discussing and defining strategic goals is the standard by which the Council will operate.

B). The Council will not have officers other than a convener, treasurer and secretary. Memberships will comprise of only those who are chief operating officers or Chairman of their respective organizations. Each member will have equal footing, authority and access to information. Proxies will not be permitted.

C). The Council is expected to have initially minimum expenses in which to operate. There will be a need for stationary, postage and reasonable refreshments related expenses needed to host forums and meetings. Each participating organization is asked to contribute $200 per annual for general expenses.

D). Each member is encouraged and expected to seek and obtain a resolution or statement of support for participation from their respective organization.

E). At minimum the Council will meet quarterly, four times per year. Quarterly meeting will be held in January, April, July and October. The Council will set an annual calendar so that all members know well in advance when meetings will be held. In addition, the Convener shall communicate with each member at least thirty days prior to a scheduled meeting. Emergency meetings can be called by any three members with a 24 hour notice.

F). The genesis of the Council is the thinking that in Raleigh there is a need for the African American community to be beneficiary of information which helps empower citizens to become more involved and knowledgeable about the affairs of their City and County. When issues pop up, such as the Sanitation Worker plight, it will be profound and powerful when we all stand together in unison and solidarity.

G). Through the Council an ongoing communications effort with the broader community will be launched to encourage more citizens to become involved with and supportive of the various participating organizations represented on the Council. Our degree of potency comes from how strong and participatory each organization is individually and collectively. In essence, through a well defined and well crafted document which provides the public with information, fact sheets and an open invitation to participate, we can help increase the memberships of each organization. Our ability to act or produce an effect rests with how strong and resolute each organization becomes. Just imagine how more effective we will become if each organization, through the Council's efforts, could be increased by 50%.

WHAT WE ARE NOT
A). The Raleigh Community Council is not designed to engage in partisan politics. The Council does not endorse candidates for office. The Council will collaborate with organizations which do provide voter education information and candidate endorsements.

B). The RCC is not a service provider, however, the Council will develop and maintain a database of organizations and agencies to provide referrals to individuals seeking specific services and assistance.

C). The RCC is not designed to replace or dilute the effectiveness of any group or organization. The RCC is not and will not become a replacement for any existing entity in the community. Our sole purpose is to bring various civic groups together, ... not to divide.