LET’S TALK ABOUT: EQUITY AND INVOLVEMENT!
Equity and engagement of our residents should be strategies we think about in two ways - individual ways we can increase safety, trust, and belonging; and systemic ways we can address historic disinvestment in underrepresented populations. These are not mutually exclusive and should be addressed with the assumption that they intersect in many ways.
As we think about these strategies and how they are implemented in our neighborhood system, in our boards and committees, how they show up as diverse staff and leadership we must continue to lead boldly around this goal. I pledge to recognize the privilege I have in these spaces and the responsibility that comes with it. The responsibility to listen, understand and amplify the messages of underrepresented communities and to advocate in spaces where those messages are silenced.
We have to acknowledge that our systems for engagement are not set up to include everyone. That is why we see largely homogeneous NDAs, boards and committees. We have to think about why people show up and why they don’t show up.
You can find out more about the City’s Equity work HERE.
Some Ideas I’m Excited About:
Neighborhood Engagement:
Invest in translated materials, culturally relevant outreach methods and interpretation at events.
Provide child care, food at meetings and events.
Engage with underrepresented communities to recreate spaces that are accessible and welcoming.
Engage residents in continuing discussions of how they access our services, where they feel comfortable connecting with the city and where they don’t.
Systemic Action:
Understand the distrust of government and what we can do to create more community ownership of spaces for engagement.
Address issues like implicit bias, privilege and power, historical inequities, and systemic oppression in the work of the City.
Restructuring Support for Communities:
Invest in support for community gatherings that are welcoming to various ages, abilities, race and ethnicities, gender identities and other forms of diversity.
Establish a central pool of funds and capacity to support events and spaces that are designed and informed by diverse communities.
Identify areas where we can use the privilege of our system to repair the hurt and damage caused over generations. To that end, I encourage exploring opportunities to support indigenous landback movements.
Youth Organizers:
Engage youth with a diversity of backgrounds and identities in conversation about the future of Milwaukie.
Create a youth council position that works with City Council and connects youth voice with decision making.