Civic Dinners

Two pandemics affected the nation in 2020. The first was coronavirus: the second, a community health concern over racism and police brutality. Public demonstrations and riots were illustrative of the tensions building, resulting from racial, ethnic, and socio-economic issues affecting communities across the country. 

These tensions reached a boiling point in the metro Atlanta area that summer, with some demonstrations leading to violence, causing property damages, injuries, and loss of life. In Sandy Springs, we were fortunate that the worst of the rioting was outside the city limits, and no one was injured as a result of demonstrations in Sandy Springs. However, the root cause of the unrest remains a divisive issue impacting the community's general health and safety. 

To address the problem, City leaders wanted to understand the issues through the community's lens – to hear what individuals felt were the most pressing concerns contributing to the unrest. Traditionally, addressing a citywide issue would call for a large public gathering. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, such gatherings presented a health-safety risk and were legally prohibited under state-mandated Public Health Safety measures. To facilitate community discussion, the City partnered with Atlanta-based Civic Dinners; a company focused on fostering community conversations in targeted geographies. Using a program developed by Civic Dinners in collaboration with the King Center, the City launched a discussion on Inclusion and Belonging. 

The City held 44 civic dinners throughout July and August (2020), each dinner hosted by a community member with an average of six to eight participants. At least three of the dinners were held entirely in Spanish. The conversations explored the community's perspectives around inclusion and belonging; and how we can create a more inclusive Sandy Springs. 

The Civic Dinners were the first step in an ongoing process, beginning with listening. The Dinners provided the City Council with input from a wide lens. That feedback is distilled into themes for action and recommendations on actionable steps the City and Community can take to move forward. In November 2020, Mayor Paul announced that he was forming a Diversity and Inclusion Committee to advise the City on programs and ideas to further efforts of inclusion.