Photo Credit: Office of Mayor Eric Johnson
Jubilee staff were honored to attend the inauguration of Mayor Eric Johnson, and couldn’t help but notice how his key points overlap with Jubilee’s pillars of impact and recent strategic plan. Here are our top five take-aways from Mayor Johnson’s inauguration speech:
A focus on Opportunity. We couldn’t have agreed more when Mayor Johnson promised to make Dallas “a place where anybody can do anything.” As a result of our strategic plan, Jubilee has highlighted Opportunity as a crucial part of improving lives and strengthening community. Stay tuned for our unveiling of this new pillar!
It takes a village to teach a child. Mayor Johnson calls on each of us to recognize that education requires more than just books and pencils— it takes holistic support and partnership between families, neighbors, and organizations.
“We MUST build a Dallas where every child has the tools, including the love and support, they need to dream big dreams and to accomplish what might at first appear to be impossible.”
That’s why Jubilee takes a whole-family approach to learning, and offers wrap-around services to fill in the gaps. Working together with our neighbors, we supplement each other’s strengths to build a better community.
3. Data + Transparency = Accountability. Jubilee has always found that data helps us align our programs with our neighbors’ needs and helps us measure a program’s return on investment. It also empowers us to report on where we’re succeeding and where we’re struggling. This keeps us accountable to our neighbors, volunteers, donors, and the public.
We were so glad to hear Mayor Johnson announce his passion for data-driven policymaking, stating that “we simply cannot afford to fund programs or initiatives whose effectiveness is not supported by data.”
Making that data available to the public means we share what’s working and what’s not. It’s an openness based on trust, respect, and mutual goals. As the Mayor put it, “we must provide a higher level of transparency and accountability to our residents if we truly want to Dallas to be a 21st century city.”
The 21st century is here, and Jubilee is ready. Check out our dashboard to see some of our recent measurements and next steps.
4. Education & Workforce go hand in hand. Jubilee has always had an emphasis on the education of children and adults, but after finalizing our strategic plan in 2018, we made Workforce a stated part of our key pillars of impact. The mayor is now appointing an Education & Workforce Czar to make our city the “Education and Workforce Capital of Texas.”
Not only are Jubilee and Mayor Johnson aligned on the need for affordable childcare and 21st-century workforce skills, we also identify the same partners in building this pipeline of equity and prosperity: strong public schools and a thriving community college district.
5. Safety is the foundation of a thriving city. Mayor Johnson promises to work with Police Chief Renee Hall, a friend and supporter of Jubilee, to reduce crime (an important part of Jubilee’s work in its 62-block area). He also seeks to build police-community relations, which is the foundation of Jubilee’s work in public safety. We love showcasing our relationship with Dallas Police because it’s a refreshing and inspiring vision of how communities can— and do— help keep their own neighborhoods safe. Jubilee Park is a long way from being perfect, but we are proud of our neighbors’ work to reduce violent crime and increase accountability among themselves and with officials.
To get involved at Jubilee or learn more about our holistic approach to community revitalization, email us at hello@jubileecenter.org.