MACKINAC ISLAND – The annual Mackinac Policy Conference brought together movers and shakers, your newsmakers and decision makers. The Detroit Regional Chamber made it happen during a pandemic, amid the climate of equity and inclusion, and efforts to rejuvenate the state of Michigan’s economy.
The conference focused on the “business community’s changing civic role in polarizing times” – the theme for this year’s event. A themed outline laid out how businesses can advance diversity in its workplace, “Utilizing civility and facts in public discourse, building a culture of empathy, and advocating for the fundamental tenets of American democracy.”
“We at the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce view ourselves as stewards of an incredibly important Michigan asset,” said Sandy Baruah, Detroit Regional Chamber President and Chief Officer. “We come here to enjoy each other, to learn from each other, and frankly, make policy fun.”
The annual conference which is a 290-mile drive north of Detroit centered on the issues which impact people and businesses, and how public and business policies or the lack thereof can or can’t be achieved amid such societal and political polarizing stances.
One of the on-going criticisms by some privacy advocacy groups is the growing alarm of government and law enforcement agencies’ use of technology to surveille citizens and in some cases facial recognition cameras which falsely misidentifies darker skin-toned individuals.
One of the latest tech tools the Detroit Police department is utilizing is a system called, ShotSpotter. The product detects gun shots to a precise location. The police departments wants to expand the program with $7 million in funding provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.
During the Mackinac Policy Conference, a panel discussion which included the Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief James White, the two leaders insisted in a modern world, DPD must stay technologically advanced to lower crime.
“It doesn’t record you in open spaces and it doesn’t record you in private spaces,” said Chief White. “It simply send a notification that a shot was fire in a particular area of our city which is a condition that should never be okay.”
Crafting public policy often comes with much debate or weigh-in from people with differing perspectives. The process for the finalizing or implementing any such policy has become increasingly difficult in the political arena, especially on controversial issues, which makes the debate around having an opinion on such topic polarizing.
“The country is choking on change and will be strangers to each other, if we don’t recognize the people on ‘the other side of the aisle’ are also scared too,” said Van Jones, CNN Host. Jones was an invited guest who lead the conference session on ‘Divided We Fall: Confronting the Perils of Polarization.
“I’ve never seen a bird fly with only a left wing or a right wing,” Jones said. “We need each other to make it all work.”
There were many panel sessions or conversations which put a spotlight on the importance of workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion across multiple industries.
Announced during the conference, after a couple of years in partnership, the Detroit Regional Chamber and Gallup Center on Black Voices is coming to Detroit. The projects will seek to record the experiences of Black Detroiters and track any progress toward racial equity.
“For the last 85 years, how we’ve leveraged our reputation for research rigor and as public trust where we are measuring and monitoring public opinion is this idea that we use this trust and public opinion research to establish new measures that shape global conversations,” said Camille Lloyd, Executive Director of the Gallup Center on Black Voices.
“We want to know and to understand where are those manifestations of systemic disparities? How do they show up in our lives and the abilities that Black Americans have to lead a life well-lived or to achieve equitable outcomes,” Llyod continued.
The attendees for the conference concluded with varying perspectives on their takeaway from the annual gathering.
“We have a lot of complex issues that need to be solved and they need to be solved in a way where we ae bringing together and where we are trying to be constructive,” said Kim Trent, Deputy Director for Prosperity at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Development.
“I’m excited that the business community seems to be invested in civility and inclusivity, …I think we are moving in a positive direction. I try to walk away with a positive point of view.”
“Education is a prominent conversation but, the conference is the conference, said Marvin Beatty, Vice President of Community and Public Relations for Greektown Casino. “I give it a good C+. Good conversation up here and we’ll see how it translates once we get into the community.”
