In the early morning hours of October 12, 2019, police officer Aaron Dean shot and killed 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson through her bedroom window. Jefferson had been playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew when a neighbor called for a wellness check, concerned that her front doors were open and lights were on. What should have been a routine check became a deadly encounter that would expose deep fractures in how cities communicate with and listen to their Black residents.

The killing of Jefferson became the catalyst for research examining the relationship between local government and Black communities. The three researchers at Texas Christian University conducted an extensive investigation spanning three interconnected studies that reveal troubling patterns about whose voices are heard and valued in municipal decision-making.

The researchers’ first study, published as a book chapter, establishes the theoretical framework and historical context necessary for understanding how cities can disrupt racism through improved listening practices.

Understanding the Fort Worth context proved crucial for grasping the broader implications of failed municipal listening. With a 2019 population of 914,000, Fort Worth is considered a majority-minority city where 35 percent of residents are Hispanic, 20 percent are Black, and 40 percent are non-Hispanic White. However, this demographic reality was not reflected in positions of power. At the time of Jefferson’s killing, 65 percent of the police force was White, as were the mayor, city manager, majority of the city council, and police chief.

The city had a documented history of problematic police-community relations, particularly with Black residents. A 2016 racial profiling report revealed that while Black residents comprised 18.9 percent of the population, they made up 26.3 percent of traffic stops. By 2017, Black residents accounted for 41 percent of arrests despite being less than 20 percent of the population. Fort Worth had the second-highest fatal police shooting rate per 100,000 people among comparable cities in 2019, while having the third-lowest violent crime rate.

Prior to Jefferson’s killing, the city had already faced criticism over the 2016 arrest of Jacqueline Craig, a Black woman who called police to report that her White neighbor had choked her son. Instead of addressing her complaint, the responding White officer pushed Craig to the ground and arrested her while her daughters were detained. This incident had prompted the city to establish a Task Force on Race and Culture in 2017, explicitly designed to listen to community concerns about systemic racism.

The three communication researchers trace events surrounding Jefferson’s killing and the city’s response, revealing fundamental problems in its communication approach. The city waited nearly 10 hours to make any official statement about the killing. City officials released conflicting information without coordination between the mayor’s office, police department, and city communicators. Jefferson’s first name was mispronounced in multiple different ways during official statements. Most problematically, police released a photo of Jefferson’s legally owned handgun via social media, which critics viewed as an attempt to blame the victim and justify the officer’s actions.

Based on this case study analysis, the communication colleagues identified critical changes cities must make to authentically engage Black communities. These recommendations span four key areas: cultural changes that acknowledge past racism and demonstrate genuine care; political changes that do not prioritize standards of professionalism that favor Whites; structural innovations beyond traditional town halls; and accountability measures that “close the listening loop” by articulating what was heard and what specific changes will result.

The researchers build directly on the foundational case study by conducting an investigation that centers the voices and experiences of Black stakeholders in Fort Worth through extensive qualitative research. This study amplifies the perspectives of those most affected by the city’s listening failures, providing rich detail about how municipal communication processes perpetuate systemic racism.

Between March and August 2020, the three researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 25 stakeholders and activists. Nineteen of the participants identified as Black, while six identified as White allies working with organizations that advocated for people of color. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 72 and included community activists, pastors, educators, business owners, lawyers, nonprofit managers, and municipal employees.

First, participants expressed deep frustration with formal city processes, particularly city council meetings and public comment periods. They found these formats restrictive and performative rather than genuinely oriented toward hearing community input. The researchers found that participants distinguished clearly between hearing and listening. One explained that “listening requires evaluation based upon response. How well you respond to what you heard?”

Second, participants clearly recognized what researchers termed “the politics of listening,” noting that city officials overwhelmingly listened to White residents with wealth, business connections, or political power. While the city did listen to some Black and Brown residents, participants noted these individuals were typically affluent, older, or rarely challenged the city’s decision-making processes.

Third, participants perceived the city’s failure to acknowledge the Black community as legitimate partners in governance as evidence of racist listening practices. When community members gathered at City Hall after Jefferson’s killing, they were met with fire marshals at the doors and locked out of the building.

Fourth, many participants viewed the city’s communication efforts as “damage control” and publicity rather than authentic engagement. Even the Race and Culture Task Force, which had been established specifically to listen to community concerns, came under criticism. Despite spending over a year gathering community input and presenting more than 20 recommendations, most suggestions were ignored by city leadership until after Jefferson’s killing.

This study concluded with participants’ recommendations for transforming municipal listening systems. They called for cities to acknowledge past racism, expand who receives genuine attention, create more accessible listening opportunities outside traditional formats, and most importantly, demonstrate that listening leads to concrete changes in policies and practices.

A third study from these three communication researchers expanded beyond Fort Worth to test whether the patterns identified in the case study reflected broader national trends. The researchers conducted a comprehensive study of 501 Black residents across the United States to examine how listening affects trust, satisfaction, commitment, and overall attitudes toward their hometowns.

The survey sample included Black residents across the United States, with 50 percent identifying as women and 47 percent as men. Participants ranged widely in age, from 18 to over 66 years old and had a range of educational backgrounds. Geographically, respondents represented all regions of the USA.

The results confirmed that listening plays a crucial role in relationship outcomes for Black residents. The research found that listening positively predicted greater trust, commitment, and satisfaction with city government. However, the overall findings painted a picture of lukewarm relationships between Black residents and their local governments. Most survey responses fell in the moderate range, suggesting that Black residents across the country don’t feel overly positive or negative toward their cities.

This moderate positioning proved significant because it suggested these relationships could easily tip toward negative territory when problems arise. One participant captured this sentiment in an open-ended response, describing their city as “OK at the moment.” The researchers noted that this finding aligned with their qualitative research showing that Black stakeholders’ perceptions of cities are tenuous.

The survey also revealed that when cities engage in better listening practices, Black residents feel more satisfied with their relationship with the city, which in turn makes them feel more positive about their community and more likely to recommend it to others.

However, the researchers also discovered a more complex relationship when it came to overall city attitudes, finding evidence of what they termed a “suppression effect.” While listening was positively associated with city attitudes in simple correlations, it showed a negative direct effect in the full statistical model. This suggests that Black residents may have understandable suspicion about whether listening efforts are genuine or merely performative, particularly when they have higher expectations based on their participation in city government.

In open-ended survey responses, more than 400 participants provided additional insights about their experiences with local government listening. Thirty-five participants made direct references to race. Another eight participants made direct references to policing concerns.

The national survey validated the Fort Worth case study findings, showing that problems with municipal listening to Black residents extend far beyond one city or one tragic incident. Black residents across the United States experience similar frustrations with municipal listening processes that appear designed more for compliance with legal requirements than for genuine engagement and shared problem-solving.

Together, these three interconnected studies from Texas Christian University researchers provide both a sobering assessment of current failures in municipal communication and a roadmap for cities genuinely committed to building trust and partnership with all their residents. Their comprehensive research demonstrates that effective municipal listening requires not just hearing community voices, but implementing changes based on their input and closing the accountability loop that transforms consultation into genuine partnership.