Click here to access video of the December 8th town hall listening session
On December 8th, City Council and facilitator Bill de la Cruz held a listening session to hear about individual experiences and solutions to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. A quick recap, full video, and opportunity to share your thoughts is available on the project webpage.
For a good definition of diversity, equity, and inclusion - words that are commonly mislabeled - check out the Wilsonville Alliance for Inclusive Community’s about page.
In responding to injustice, research shows that it exists at the individual, relational, systemic, and institutional-levels. For a while I didn’t know the different between the latter two, but I have come to understand systemic as issue-based, like housing, that exists across multiple institutions. Whereas, institutional speaks to inequality within certain organizations, like a city government or private housing developer.
Solutions to either will look different. For example, forming an employee team to address inequity within the workplace is an institutional solution. To address a systemic problem, you will need to gather perspectives from outside of the organization.
Addressing systemic equity
Systemic equity is the issue that I have been tracking in Wilsonville’s pursuit to be a more inclusive, diverse, and inclusive community.
In June, the City Council passed the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan and directed city staff to come up with options to stand up an equity team/commission/task force.
In August, I wrote about the key elements (scope, diversity, resources, management, and decision-making power) of developing a successful team to address inequity.
At the town hall in December, I highlighted the essential need to identify key issues and metrics of forming an equity team/commission/task force. In bringing together the diverse political coalition of the Home Builders Association, Wilsonville Chamber, and Wilsonville Alliance for Inclusive Community to support the call for an equity oversight committee, specificity was the common thread.
In my time in the northwest I have been struck by the facade of action that is cast in predominately white-liberal-higher income rooms when talking about issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity. These groups are excellent with the language, but lack the follow through to commit to specific actions or change. If all that comes from the proposed equity team/commission/task force is to study the issue more, then we have failed.
My list of key issues and metrics
The following are my list of key issues and metrics to focus our work on inequity:
Single-parent households and access to jobs, services, transportation, and safe, affordable housing
People experiencing homelessness, especially students in West Linn-Wilsonville Schools
Policing oversight and reform in Wilsonville
Immigrant and refugee issues of inclusion and access to services in Wilsonville
Learning achievement gaps in our schools by race and income
Gender identity and sexual orientation issues of inclusion in West Linn-Wilsonville Schools
What’s your list?
Contact City Council today! Click their faces on the Act page to generate an email, or give them a call. Leave feedback on the Wilsonville project webpage for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
It’s going to take all of us to make Wilsonville a more inclusive place. It’s your time to speak up!
The issue that I have been tracking is Wilsonville’s