Summoning leaders: Walk, then talk

It’s often easier to talk about problems than take tough steps to fix them.

Creating committees and holding executive summits buys time and diverts attention from the real obstacles. Everyone leaves these meetings feeling good, but often nothing is different tomorrow.

Is this what will happen at Thursday's comprehensive summit on the link between minority academic success and economic empowerment, and how embracing diversity leads to success in the global economy?

The summit at the Lexington Convention Center is sponsored by the Governor's Office of Minority Empowerment, Finance and Administration Cabinet and the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center.

This appears more an opportunity for officials to appear serious about the problem. Perhaps they are, but how will we know?

A recent Bluegrass Institute special report on 'State of the School District: How Whites and Blacks Perform in Jefferson County Public Schools' clearly states Kentucky’s challenge in improving the academic performance of its minority students. But where is the visible action plan to hold people accountable to close performance gaps with a sense of urgency?

Wanna bet those issues won't be addressed at this summit?

Wouldn't it be great if the summit attendees issued an Action Alert like the one the Bluegrass Institute issued recently to communicate the first steps to take to close learning gaps now? Just think of the impact if the Governor put his punch behind commitments made at the summit in a similar alert!

Better yet, reverse the order of events: Hold a summit after the challenges have been addressed in order to highlight the positive progress made in improving academic success, increasing economic empowerment and embracing diversity.

But that approach would take leadership and requires courage. Actions would speak much louder than words. Any takers with the responsibility, accountability and power to make a difference?