Community invited to explore, discuss COVID-19, racial equity data on new website
Contact
Jeff Danna
Communications Manager
jeff@dbqfoundation.org
563.588.2700
For immediate release
DUBUQUE, Iowa — Following its successful virtual data walk on October 6, the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is asking the general public to visit a new website built for the event and use the information displayed to initiate conversations and action that will address challenges facing Dubuque.
More than 100 community leaders joined the third annual data walk, which used current events — the COVID-19 pandemic, killings of unarmed Black Americans by police, and a growing attention to systemic racism — as jumping-off points to discuss local data about the pandemic’s impact and racial equity in areas like criminal justice, housing and education.
Attendees had an opportunity to explore the new site, dbqdatawalk.com, which will remain live for the foreseeable future for anyone to view. In each section of the site, visitors have the option of posting comments about what issues the data raises, what other information they’d like to see, and how the community can respond.
“Today, we are confronted with crises at the global, national and local levels, and to address these complex problems, we need to understand them and where our community’s collective work can make the biggest impact,” said Nancy Van Milligen, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “Informed and engaged communities are more effective in solving problems and building on their strengths, because their efforts are built on actual data rather than assumptions about the people who live there.”
There are many ways people can engage with the data walk website, including individually, with colleagues in the same organization, or with collaborators from another organization.
During the data walk, attendees broke off into small groups made up of peers from different areas of the community for discussions that represented an array of perspectives.
“A topic like racial equity can be really challenging to have conversations about in our country — difficult for people to discuss and hard to remedy,” said Kelly Larson, director of human rights for the city of Dubuque, addressing attendees during the data walk. “I appreciate being part of a community willing to tackle this topic head on and dig into the data. Creating the kind of community we want to be depends on all of us.”
Data like that on the site drives the work of the Community Foundation and its partners to break down barriers to opportunity for Dubuque-area residents. The Foundation is committed to being a “learning organization” that continuously listens to residents and researches community needs to understand how Dubuque is changing and what challenges and opportunities will arise in the future.
Groups and organizations interested in exploring the data walk site with a Community Foundation staff member can reach out to Alex Baum, the Foundation’s director of knowledge management, at alex@dbqfoundation.org or 563-588-2700.
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The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque envisions a vibrant and inclusive Dubuque region where everyone can thrive. Since 2002, we have inspired people to give back to their community, and we turn this generosity into lasting change across our region, increasing access to resources and opportunities that help all people succeed.
Visit dbqfoundation.org to learn about the many ways we are building a strong, thriving Greater Dubuque for all—and how you can donate your time, talents, and dollars to transform our region.