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History of JCMCF
"I really feel at home here is one of the highest compliments that can be said about a neighborhood, city or state. Jefferson City, like any city, has a diverse, ever-changing population, from natives to newcomers. All deserve to feel equally at home."
This is the first line from an editorial published in the Jefferson City News Tribune on June 18, 2000. That date marked a significant step for the community of Jefferson City and mid-Missouri. It was at that time the Jefferson City Multicultural Forum began its formal process of foundation. And those first few words within the editorial reflected the hopes of the Forum in its earliest stages of effort toward making everyone in Jefferson City feel part of the community.
The actual beginning of the Forum was in the fall of 1999 when the Jefferson City Chamber of Commerce organized a trip to Rogers, Arkansas, the purpose of which was to investigate how the community dealt with the influx of Hispanic immigrants to their area. There were approximately 60 members of the Jefferson City governmental, education, business and human services organizations as well as the community at-large who participated in the trip.
During the two day stay in Rogers, members of the task force met with their counterparts from the Rogers area. They heard the stories of local immigrants and the community members regarding changes that had to be made to accommodate new languages and traditions. They also got a sense of the challenge it could be to welcome a large influx of persons with different backgrounds to their once very homogeneous city. Some of these challenges included new curriculum offerings within the schools, a language gap for new immigrants trying to open bank accounts or shop in local stores, a lack of adequate, affordable housing, an understanding of laws, a mixing of cultures and many more.
The Jefferson City Multicultural Forum exists to foster understanding of and communication between races and cultures by:
•Promoting harmony;
•Welcoming diverse groups into the existing population
•Encouraging acceptance and acknowledgement of our diversity; and,
•Working with individuals of all origins to develop capable, productive citizens.
Armed with new census information, outlines of plans from other local communities such as California and Sedalia, Missouri, and the above statement, a Board of Directors was elected and a new non-profit organization of the Jefferson City Multicultural Forum was legally instituted in January 2001.
The Board of Directors consists of a cross-section of the Jefferson City population, drawing individuals from many cultures, including Hispanic, Asian, Indian, African, African-American and more. Community representation was also established to include educators and administrators from the public and private educational institutions, religious leaders, business members, college staff and faculty, recent immigrants, health department, officials, governmental entities, law enforcement and private individuals.
Initial funding for the Forum's work came from a $1,000 grant offered by Scholastic. This money along with in-kind services from Scholastic and other business members within the Jefferson City Chamber of Commerce allowed the Forum to cover its legal obligations regarding its foundation and begin to focus on the tasks at hand: Diversity Training, Resource Directory, and community events such as the Multicultural Fall Festival.
Future MOVING FORWARD
Future of JCMCF
Where does the Jefferson City Multicultural Forum go from here?
Mid-Missouri continues to be a destination for immigrants from many areas of the world. Jefferson City is home of Lincoln University, one of the most diverse four year institutions in the state of Missouri. The University also serves an international student population from 27 countries around the globe, with the highest numbers from Jamaica, Ghana and Tanzania. More and more Americans are learning about their own cultural heritages and expressing their pride.
Employers in the area need a source from which to draw both employees and knowledge of diversity and legal issues involved in the question of multiculturalism. Governmental organizations need resources for handling the new languages emerging and the challenges of cultural/multi-national differences in both needing and desiring help from such agencies.
To this end, the Jefferson City Multicultural Forum will grow in its outreach. It will continue to offer multicultural events as an opportunity for sharing and awareness of the community's differences and commonalities. Members of the Forum will participate on various other organizational councils and boards such as El Puente, Lincoln University and the City's Commission on Human Relations.
What does the Forum need to accomplish all of this? It needs support, not just financial, although the Forum would not turn down any endowments, but it truly needs people support. It needs to have more and more people involved as the Forum endeavors to make the Jefferson City area a great place to live and a place of pride for all cultures. Interested persons may contact the Forum to discover how they can make a difference in their community.
Everyone who decides to make their home in mid-Missouri deserves to feel at home. That is the ultimate goal of the Jefferson City Multicultural Forum.
ABLE Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE)
If you, or someone you know, have a reading problem, we encourage you to take advantage of this program. Improving a person's reading skills not only helps them professionally, but it also helps to improve their personal life, especially their self esteem. The mission of ABLE is to teach adults to read. This includes non-readers, poor readers, or persons who cannot comprehend what they read. This program is a free, private service that is open to the public. ABLE is located in the Educational Resource Center (Performing Arts Center) at 501 Madison Street, Jefferson City, MO, or you may call the Executive Director, Mr. Ben Smith, directly at (573) 636-5558.
