Previous coverage: Jefferson City discusses diversity, racism

The Jefferson City community has been facing the complex topics of diversity and racism for several months, and we've been reporting on those discussions as they happen. We've heard from city leaders, school district officials, teachers, local faith leaders, concerned parents and Jefferson City Public Schools alumni.

Look back at all of the voices who have contributed to this discussion in our previous coverage of the issue.

Conditions for minority-owned businesses in Jefferson City improving – Feb. 11, 2018: Black business owners and city leaders said Jefferson City tries to embrace people of all races but sometimes falls short. Some members of the community said people of color in business need to become more involved in community organizations. Others said the scars of decades of racial injustice still loom over the city.

Human Relations Commission hears community input at first meeting – Jan. 31, 2018: The Jefferson City Commission on Human Relations met Jan. 30 for the first time in more than seven years, showing eagerness to bring education and change to the community.

Human Relations commissioners outline goals for commission, community – Jan. 28, 2018: The eight members of the newly resurrected Jefferson City Human Relations Commission discuss their backgrounds, motivation for joining the commission, and goals and challenges they see for its work.

Missouri human rights commissions push education, advocacyEducation is the primary goal of the new Jefferson City Human Relations commissioners as well as several human rights commissions in Missouri. Other human rights commissions work with their city governments to implement ordinance changes.

Service celebrates King's desire to make a difference – Jan. 15, 2018: "Unity in Diversity" was the theme for the 14th annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative service hosted by St. Mary's Hospital in Jefferson City. Col. Sandra Karsten, superintendent of the Missouri Highway Patrol and the first female officer to be promoted to the rank of lieutenant, captain, major, lieutenant colonel and colonel, was the keynote speaker.

JCPS diversity: more data reviews, staff training coming – Jan. 14, 2018: Developments continue in the formation of Jefferson City Public Schools' plan to address diversity, equity and inclusion issues. New data presented to the school board show the district's disciplinary outcomes for students' office referrals seem to be equitable for race and ethnicity.

Jefferson City revives Human Relations Commission – Dec. 10, 2017: Jefferson City's Human Relations Commission began taking form this fall as the City Council prepared to vote on new commission members. The advisory commission, whose last meeting was in June 2010, would hold educational events about diversity.

Faith Voices continues work to 'heal racism' – Nov. 28, 2017: Faith Voices for Jefferson City members met to further develop plans to address community issues they've identified, with most of the issues directly focused around race.

State looking at JCPS racial discipline disparity – Nov. 26, 2017: Significant racial disparities persist in which Jefferson City Public Schools students tend to face disciplinary action and specific kinds of consequences. Students who are black represent 20 percent of the district's student population but represented 39.5 percent of the district's discipline incidents in the first quarter of 2017.

Jefferson City Public Schools' discipline issues up, but reasons may be complicated – Nov. 26, 2017: The number of discipline incidents at Jefferson City Public Schools in the first quarter of 2017 increased significantly over the same time last year, but district officials have said the situation may be more complicated than a possible increase in students' bad behaviors.

Jefferson City Public Schools pursue diversity: JCPS made some progress on diversifying staff, but has a long way to go to reflect student body – Nov. 12, 2017: Community members and Jefferson City Public Schools' leadership have cited the importance of the district's staff being as diverse as its student body. Data submitted by the district to the federal government suggest JCPS has made some progress over the past year in closing a gap between staff and student diversity, but that gap still exists.

JCPS faces teacher shortage – Nov. 12, 2017: Community meetings on diversity have cast a renewed spotlight on Jefferson City Public Schools' efforts to have the diversity of its staff match the diversity of its students. JCPS Director of Human Resources Shelby Scarbrough explained all school districts in Missouri face challenges in attracting the candidates they need, but the district is re-evaluating its recruitment, hiring and retention processes to try to stay competitive amid a teacher shortage that's particularly acute among diverse candidates.

Jefferson City Public Schools' diversity meetings wrap up – Nov. 9, 2017: At the last of three community meetings hosted by Jefferson City Public Schools, community members wrote down ideas for improving diversity, which Superintendent Larry Linthacum said district leaders lwill look over to develop goals and actions.

JCPS hosts second diversity discussion – Nov. 8, 2017: One recurring theme in the second community meeting hosted by Jefferson City Public Schools was a desire to move away from teaching strictly Euro-centric readings of history that aren't necessarily inclusive of everyone's history.

JCPS strives to be 'stronger together': Community input gathered at first diversity discussion – Oct. 25, 2017: About 40 people plus district Board of Education members and staff came together to discuss strategies and ideas for initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion within the Jefferson City Public Schools district.

Faith Voices plans steps to address racial inequalities – Oct. 24, 2017: More representation of minority teachers and employees in Jefferson City Public Schools and local businesses was the top priority residents said they wanted to address at a Faith Voices for Jefferson City meeting titled ""Healing Racism: From Chaos to Community."

JCPS diversity discussions to get underway this week – Oct. 22, 2017: As Jefferson City Public Schools prepared to start its series of community meetings to discuss diversity, Superintendent Larry Linthacum and Board of Education President Steve Bruce outlined how they hoped to seek input and solutions from the community and update people on the district's plans to move forward."

Second town hall examines how to build race-conscious institutional structures – Oct. 11, 2017: In the second town hall meeting hosted by Faith Voices of Jefferson City, a panel consisting of Jefferson City Public Schools Superintendent Larry Linthacum, 5th Ward City Councilman Larry Henry, Mayor Carrie Tergin and Bishop James Howard Jr. of One in Christ Baptist Church answered questions about how to construct an environment that fosters inclusion and a better understanding of racial issues.

Town hall on racial disparities draws large crowd – Sept. 28, 2017: The pews of Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church were nearly full for the first town hall meeting hosted by Faith Voices of Jefferson City, as community members voiced their experiences to be acknowledged by local institutions at the beginning of a journey toward progress on racial disparity in Jefferson City. The meeting featured a panel consisting of Boys & Girls Club of Jefferson City's Director of Operations Christopher Sutton, Jefferson City Public Schools Board of Education member Michael Couty, JCPS Superintendent Larry Linthacum, Missouri and local NAACP President Rod Chapel, Quinn Chapel A.M.E.'s Rev. Cassandra Gould and 5th Ward City Councilman Larry Henry.

Racist photo spurs town hall meetings – Sept. 27, 2017: Jefferson City 5th Ward Councilman Larry Henry and River City Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Susan Cook-Williams outlined their goals for a series of town hall meetings about racial issues.

JCPS community meetings aimed at healing, constructive words of wisdom – Sept. 24, 2017: Jefferson City Public Schools Superintendent Larry Linthacum and Board of Education President Steve Bruce discussed the district's community engagement initiatives aimed at charting a healthy course forward after pain and consternation caused by a racially insensitive photograph three Jefferson City High School students were involved with.

Disciplinary action taken for students in 'racially insensitive' photo – Sept. 19, 2017: Jefferson City Public Schools confirmed three of the youths posing in a photo circulating on social media that shows "racially insensitive" and other offensive imagery on a car were JCPS students. The photo caused concern at Jefferson City High School and in the wider community.