Florida 4-H Program Handbook

SECTION 3: Appendix A - Federal Affirmative Action Guidelines

Mission

The goal of the Affirmative Action Program (AAP) of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service is to see that the youth of the state are served without discrimination with regard to race, color, sex, handicap, or national origin. In addition, the plan calls for us to take "affirmative action" to involve young people from the minority-population segments of our society in our programs. These two major thrusts of the AAP are consistent with the general youth program goals of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Since 1964 it has been illegal to use federal funds to conduct any program which does not actively pursue compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI.

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Concerns

Some of the major concerns relative to "road-block" removal for more effective 4-H program compliance have been as follows

1. Membership in many clubs and groups consists of one race in communities which have interracial potential.
2. Delineation of geographic target areas in many cases was not clear.
3. Participation of non-white youth and adults in programs beyond local communities is quite small, i.e., camp, fair, etc.
4. 4-H Expansion and Review Committees which are required to be organized in each county may not function satisfactorily.
5. Many county staff have not carried out "all reasonable efforts" to reach non-white youth and adults to the degree that white youth and adults are reached.

Agent Responsibility

In a legal sense, the County 4-H Coordinator or the County 4-H Program Leader is responsible for all local 4-H units since they are instruments of the Extension Service. The agent assists with 4-H unit formation, often through others and recognizes their existence through approval for the use of the 4-H name and emblem, and through provision of training and educational materials. If the unit operates in a discriminatory manner, such services must be terminated after due notification.

The Agent is responsible for "all reasonable efforts" to integrate local 4-H units in racially/ethnically mixed 4-H communities. The Agent is responsible for documenting that local 4-H units in racially/ethnically mixed service areas are either (1) integrated, or (2) "all reasonable efforts" have been made and certified to the Dean of Extension through an annual state report.

To understand the guidelines and procedures for "all reasonable effort" one must understand the various definitions as defined in the AAP.

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Components of Affirmative Action Plan Defined

Expansion and Review Committee

In order to better understand how the AAP meshes with our Extension 4-H Youth programs, it is essential that we have a thorough understanding of the role of the County 4-H Advisory Committee as it relates to the AAP. (Note: This Committee is sometimes referred to as the 4-H Expansion and Review Committee.)

The AAP says: "Members of the 4-H Expansion and Review Committee will be selected from the several geographic areas and will be representative of the area with regard to race, color and national origin and socioeconomic levels of the people of the county. Minority representation on this Committee will be in the appropriate ratio with the total population mix." Geographic areas as it is used here actually refers to Affirmative Action Planning District.

Geographic Areas

The term "geographic areas" refers to those areas from which members of your County Advisory Committees are drawn or selected. Specifically, these are the areas from which members of your Family and Consumer Sciences Committee and 4-H Advisory Committee are selected. These geographic areas are usually quite large and they may also be sometimes known as Affirmative Action Planning Districts. Usually (though not always) these geographic Planning District coincide with County Commissioner districts.

Local Neighborhood and Community Boundaries

This is a term used in the Affirmative Action Plan to delineate those areas which have been (or may be in the future) identified by the County Extension staff and the Advisory Committees as forming natural or logical community or neighborhood areas. For the purposes of this document we will call them "Community Areas." These boundaries may be based upon criteria such as recognized neighborhoods, city blocks, housing complexes, apartment complexes, natural boundaries (i.e., rivers, highways, railroads or major streets), election precincts or in some cases, school districts. The only real test to be applied to the development of these boundaries is that race, color or national origin may not be used as a determining factor! They must be logical boundaries and no "gerrymandering" may be involved.

Geographic Area and Community Boundary Determinations

Many of us have assumed that "geographic area" and "local community boundaries" were pretty much the same thing. Many 4-H Agents have operated under the assumption that they were the same. If you will interpret the AAP guidelines in the context that community boundaries are used to delimit Community Areas, the meaning may be clearer to you. Since boundary determination is a process which may be redone as your county population patterns change, it is a dynamic rather than a static concept.

The AAP says: "Each county's 4-H Expansion and Review Committee and the County Extension Staff have delineated (will delineate) local community boundaries to determine needed 4-H units. The number and method of determining community boundaries varies (will vary) by county. All areas (will be) of sufficient size to allow for expansion of different types of 4-H units. Counties used (may use) a variety of methods in establishing community boundaries such as County Commission Districts, School Board District, Extension Planning District, County Census Districts, and others. Within these geographic areas, most counties have or will delineate smaller areas of needed 4-H expansion."

What this means is that the County Extension staff, working in concert with the Advisory Committee, may identify Community areas which are different from Geographic areas mentioned earlier in the plan.

The only real test to be applied to the development of these Community Areas is that race, color, or national origin may not be used as a determining factor. They must be areas surrounded by logical boundaries and no "gerrymandering" may be involved.

Each club must serve a definite Community Area which is clearly delineated on a map and the Community Area boundaries must be described in narrative form.

1. Clubs and boundaries must be approved (documented in minutes) by a properly structured, functional Advisory Committee.
2. More than one club may exist in the same Community Area when needed. Number of potential members, facilities, available leaders, etc., are factors that influence the number of clubs needed in a Community Area.

The racial composition (by number and percent) of each Community Area served by a club(s) must be determined. This ratio must be used to determine that needed percent of integration to be considered in full compliance with the AAP goal if it is in an interracial community. Until this ratio is achieved, all reasonable effort must continue to be implemented on an annual basis. If this ratio cannot be determined, the population ratio of the county must be used. The source of such determination must be documented, that is, census report, advisory committee decision, or similar document.

One-race clubs may be formed and/or maintained in a one-race Community Area provided that the overall intent of the Affirmative Action Plan is being met on a county-wide basis.

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All Reasonable Effort

The term "all reasonable effort" is used pertaining to 4-H units serving interracial communities in defined geographic areas. Extension staff members need to know criteria for meeting the USDA requirements. These include all three of the following:

1. Use of all available mass media, including radio, newspaper, and television, to inform potential recipients of the programs and of opportunities to participate.
2. Personal letters and circulars addressed to defined potential recipients inviting them to participate, including dates and places of meetings or other planned activities.
3. Personal visits by the County Extension staff including volunteers to a representative number of potential minority recipients in the Community Area served by the club(s) to recruit members.

Representative number is determined by multiplying the percent minority in the county population by the number of potential minorities in the Community Area served by the club.

Example: A Community Area has 100 families of which 40 families are black. The black population of the county is 10 percent. Personal visits should be made to a minimum of four black families.

Documentation of All Reasonable Effort

Affirmative Action Program compliance reviews are conducted annually to provide a tool to measure progress and define areas of major weaknesses and concerns. Therefore, it is extremely important that "all reasonable effort" be carefully documented. The following procedures represent some of the ways 4-H Agents can effectively document efforts to actively pursue compliance with the Civil Rights Act:

1. Identify each existing 4-H "unit" by race of membership and identify location on a county map.
2. Obtain compliance letters from appropriate individuals and organizations such as volunteer staff, advisory groups, and civic 4-H support groups. Such letters should indicate that the basic provisions of the Civil Rights Act have been acknowledged and accepted.
3. Retain correspondence, enrollment forms, visitation notes, and such, to help establish that all reasonable efforts have been made.
4. Make sure that organizational by-laws and constitutions have a provision stating open membership to all youth.
5. Retain official minutes and records of attendance obtained at meetings.
6. Maintain current membership rosters of both youth enrollment and volunteer staff.
7. Maintain a file of the statistical data which formed the basis for specific information in your county AAP.

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Equal Access of 4-H to ALL Youth

The Affirmative Action Plan says: "To insure non-discrimination and to assure equal access to 4-H programs, the County Extension Staff and the 4-H Expansion and Review Committee will establish, within resource limits, a sufficient number of 4-H units with each geographic area of the county to accommodate anyone of 4-H age desiring membership in 4-H. Community Clubs, school clubs, project clubs, special interest clubs, and short-term special activities will be made available, within existing resources, to all 4-H age youth in each county.

This is simply a reaffirmation of the first thrust of the AAP; that is, to assure that 4-H is open to everyone. There is, however, a key phrase in here that keeps our mission from being impossible. That phrase is "within resource limits." In order to honor that phrase the 4-H Advisory Committee must be knowledgeable about what the county 4-H resources are. They cannot be expected to make decisions without knowing your capabilities.

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Setting Programming Priorities

The AAP says: "The County Staff and the 4-H Expansion and Review Committee will establish goals and determine priorities in each County 4-H program."

This is simply another practical reason for the existence of the 4-H Advisory Committee. What it says is that 4-H Advisory Committees do have a major role to play in helping the 4-H Agent determine his or her program priorities and areas for emphasis. This would still be true even if the AAP didn't mention it.

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Recruiting 4-H Leaders

On this subject, the AAP says: "The 4-H Expansion and Review Committee and the County Extension Staff, along with 4-H members, will identify and recruit adult leaders from each area of the county. Organizations will be contacted and asked to help locate and provide 4-H Leaders.

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AAP Compliance... An Annual Review

The AAP says: "The 4-H Expansion and Review Committee and The County Extension Staff will study each existing 4-H Unit as to location, membership and area served to determine if each unit is in compliance."

Here is another area where we may sometimes miss the boat. This is primarily an administrative process carried out by the 4-H Agent. The information can be tabulated in an easily understandable form and presented to the 4-H Advisory Committee at its regular meetings.

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Authorizing 4-H Clubs

It would seem to be clear from the foregoing paragraphs that the County 4-H Advisory Committee is intended to play an important role in the total county 4-H program. Specifically, when questions arise about starting a un-racial club in a community area of the county that is clearly populated by citizens of only one race, it then becomes the responsibility of the county 4-H Advisory Committee to make decisions concerning the way in which this new club will fit into the total county program.

If it is determined by the Advisory Committee that the proposed club clearly serves a need within a logically delineated community area that is populated by members of one race, then the Affirmative Action Plan does not preclude the establishment of such a club.

Similarly, if a new club is proposed for a multi-racial area, it becomes the responsibility of the 4-H Coordinator (and/or other county Extension Staff members) to make certain that appropriate steps are taken to insure that the club will be integrated. If, after "all reasonable effort" has been expended, the club is still not integrated, the County 4-H Advisory Committee may still authorize the chartering of the Club with the proviso that a continuing effort be made to achieve the appropriate racial mix within the Club.

Annual accurate documentation of the "all reasonable effort" process is essential. Decisions of the County 4-H Advisory Committee, in large measure, will be based upon the "all reasonable effort" documents. As noted earlier, it is the responsibility of the 4-H Advisory Committee, in concert with the County 4-H Agent, to determine, within available resources, the annual and long-range plans for the 4-H effort within the county. If the provisions of the Affirmative Action Plan are to be met, then the 4-H Advisory Committee must be involved in an ongoing process of making decisions, offering support and approval, as well as, giving advice and counsel to the County 4-H Agent. It is difficult, if not impossible, for the 4-H Advisory Committee to provide this kind of input into the 4-H program if it meets no more often than once or twice a year.

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Agent and Advisory Committee Relationship

If the County 4-H Advisory Committee is duly constituted and if it meets frequently and maintains a high level of involvement in, and knowledge of, the total County 4-H program, then it can be fairly stated that it has its share of authority and responsibility for the approval of all new clubs and other county 4-H activities.

However, it should also be clearly understood that the relationship which exists between the County 4-H Coordinator or the County 4-H Program Leader and the County 4-H Advisory Committee is one in which the 4-H Agent assumes the role of the educational specialist and program manager who discusses problems and approaches with the committee; who influences and is influenced by the committee; and who has significant input into committee deliberations in all areas of discussion. The 4-H Agent is not just a technician who simply carries out the dictates of the committee.

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