City of Asheville seeks community input prior to expanding equity initiative

Press release from the City of Asheville:

 

Asheville City Council is committed to supporting a community that is inclusive and diverse. A diverse community was identified as 1 of 8 key focus areas in the 2036 Vision City Council crafted in January 2016.

Council took the next step in supporting this focus area by setting aside money in the City’s 2016-2017 budgettoward equity efforts. This includes the hiring of an Equity Manager. This position would be dedicated to helping the City achieve meaningful progress by evaluating delivery of programs and services and its decision-making on how to expand equity.

That’s a start. The expectation is that the person in this position will also build bridges with partner organizations, and help the City have more diverse boards and commissions as well as staff. Inclusiveness would also extend to opportunities for minority businesses to contract with the City. Equity would factor into infrastructure investments.

Before we advertise for this position, the City would like to hear from the community first. This will help management assess the specific skills necessary for the Equity Manager position to be successful. Community input will be gathered and considered in the development of recruitment materials. Final recruitment materials will be shared with those who give input.

Input meetings will be held:

·         Dec. 13, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave. A light lunch will be provided.
·         Dec. 20, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the Shiloh Recreation Center, 121 Shiloh Road.
Also the City will gather community input through its online public engagement platform, Open City Hall Asheville, starting Dec. 14.

Models already exist for creating meaningful equity in local government. In 2006, the City of Seattle implemented what is seen as the first practical effort for a municipality to address institutional racism with its Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative. North Carolina municipalities that have followed their lead to promote racial equity include Durham, Greensboro and Raleigh.

The plan is to have the Asheville position filled by May.

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About Thomas Calder
Thomas Calder received his MFA in Fiction from the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program. His writing has appeared in Gulf Coast, the Miracle Monocle, Juked and elsewhere. His debut novel, The Wind Under the Door, is now available.

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3 thoughts on “City of Asheville seeks community input prior to expanding equity initiative

  1. Roger Clegg, Ctr for Equal Opportunity

    Let’s hope that the “Equity Manager” bears in mind that it is unfair, divisive, inefficient, and unconstitutional for a government agency to treat people differently on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sex. This applies to both politically correct and politically incorrect discrimination and preference.

    • John Penley

      It is also illegal to discriminate on the basis of race which has been a North Carolina tradition for all of the 64 years that I was born and raised in this state. Asheville had separate and unequal schools until 1969. Just to show that I am not politically correct I also think that racism SUCKS !!!!

  2. John Penley

    I think that the biggest problem seems to me to be inequality in hiring for jobs, especially in the downtown tourist area.

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