Apr 4, 2018
Dianne English builds bridges across difference. She is executive director of Community Building Initiative (CBI), whose mission is to achieve racial and ethnic inclusion and equity in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. CBI programs include the Leadership Development Initiative, Leaders Under 40, and Equity Dialogue Circles. Before joining CBI, Dianne served as executive director of Mecklenburg Ministries, an interfaith organization fostering understanding, compassion and justice. She has served as a board member for numerous civic and nonprofit organizations, including for Florence Crittenton Services and the Center for International Understanding. Dianne is a recipient of the UNC Charlotte Distinguished Service Award and the Mecklenburg Ministries 25th Anniversary Legacy Award. She earned a B.A. in Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
This episode is perfect for anyone interested in racial and ethnic inclusion and equity, social activism, and making a difference in the time and place you are in.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Dianne describes the conversation that she has been part of for 30 years.
- She explains the work and origins of the Community Building Initiative (CBI).
- She talks about CBI programs and the impact it seeks to make.
- She addresses whether her work has made a difference.
- Dianne shares what she finds exciting about this moment in community building.
- She discusses the importance and limitations of acknowledging racial inequity.
- She answers what CBI would do with greater resources.
- She reveals why she does this work and the pivotal experience that changed her life.
- Dianne shares what shaped her childhood and interest in social activism.
- She talks about what her father means to her and his most defining quality.
- She remembers her mother and the legacy she passed on.
- She discusses her education and how she found her way to Charlotte.
- Dianne reflects on the impact of Crossroads Charlotte and building social trust.
- She shares memories of her husband Roger English and the challenge of caring for him.
- She reveals what her close friends, Susan Patterson, Octavia Seawell and Emily Zimmern mean to her.
- Dianne answers what she knows for certain.
Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "When I asked Dianne what she knew for certain, she closed her eyes and paused for what seemed a long time..."
To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning