Three years after the establishment of the city of Little Rock’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the results are evident. The city has seen increased cross-departmental collaboration, improved access to public information, more shared decision making, and a boost in trust and morale in some departments, said Chief Equity Officer Amber Jackson.
“We will measure progress within the city this fall with our second inclusion and belonging survey, which we conduct every three years,” Jackson said. “We also maintain ongoing communication with residents and community-based organizations to gather feedback and make program and policy adjustments to meet their needs effectively.”
The DEI team, which consists of five members, engages with more than 2,500 city employees and a community of more than 205,000 residents. Jackson oversees initiatives at the Office of Executive Administration and works with 16 departments to promote equitable practices, policies and outcomes.
“Equity requires deliberate actions to remove systemic, group and individual barriers to opportunity,” Jackson said. “Some of the initiatives I’m currently working on include language access, a professional development policy and internal standard operating procedures.”
Mayor Frank Scott Jr. has worked to ensure equity is more than a buzzword to his administration. Jackson said that his dedication to the DEI office reflects that, but it goes beyond just creating an office. When the DEI office was established in 2021, Scott intentionally positioned it within the executive administration.
“Including us as part of his team means equity has a seat at every table in the city,” Jackson said. “He also ensures we have the resources we need and trusts us to do our work. By keeping the needs of diverse residents and employees at the forefront, we provide our colleagues — who design processes and make impactful decisions daily — with the insight and tools to increase access and opportunities for marginalized communities.”
Jackson is passionate about that work.
“I’m here for the people — those I serve and those I serve alongside,” she said. “I also enjoy the unique challenges of city government and the opportunity to use and develop various skill sets. Every day is different, and the privilege to positively impact our community motivates me.”
Jackson takes pride in Little Rock’s cultural and ethnic diversity. Recently, while filling her car at a gas station, she overheard someone shouting. She looked up to see a family helping a young girl out of a small car, her quinceañera gown spilling onto the pavement. Nearby, a Black man leaned across his car and yelled, “What’s going on?”
“I couldn’t hear the family’s reply, but they probably explained that they were celebrating her 15th birthday,” Jackson recalled. “The man called out, ‘Oh! You’re so pretty!’ Moments like these happen every day in our city. You don’t experience that kind of diversity in a homogenous population. Little Rock is a place I’m proud to call home, partly because of opportunities like this to learn about both our differences and our similarities.”
Jackson earned a Master of Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Before joining the city of Little Rock, she worked as a program officer at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute in Morrilton and a program manager at Hendrix College in Conway.
Jackson credits Dionne Jackson, assistant professor at Hendrix College, with being a strong mentor.
“Since hiring me for a new role in her office at Hendrix in 2017, Dr. Jackson has consistently opened doors for me, and for that, I’m forever grateful,” she said. “We share an understanding of the magic that happens when we embrace diversity in all its forms, create space for people to express their whole selves and relentlessly pursue justice. I’ve learned so much from her, and we continue to support each other as we move into new organizations and roles. I wouldn’t be where I am without her, and I’ll always be one of her loudest cheerleaders.”
Jackson lives in Little Rock with her husband of 20 years, James. The couple has one daughter, August. In her free time, Jackson enjoys spending time with their four dogs and being outdoors, whether in her yard or elsewhere around the Natural State.
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