Sometimes when I pick up the newspaper, the topic for an
opinion article slaps me in the face. No, not the impeachment hearings that are
receiving more than enough coverage from every conceivable angle. The November 1, 2019 Observer Reporter
featured two front-page articles on what happens in a community that is not
proactive on the issue of diversity and ethnic inclusion.
In the same issue was a glossy full color magazine published
by the local Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Agency. Twenty-eight Community
leaders are featured. One is a black
woman, four are white women and the rest are white men. One of the articles is entitled “Growth
Driven by Working Together.” There is no
discussion on addressing economic or social diversity within Washington County.
The first front page article discussed a recent outbreak of
students from Canon McMillian School District circulating racially insensitive
videos on Facebook. The school
superintendent was quoted as saying: “we need to address it [racism] head-on
and meet the challenge.” The response to
this incident was scheduling a school assembly with a professor who specializes
in diversity and inclusion.
The second prominent front page article was a summary of
this professor’s high school assembly at Canon-McMillan, designed to address
the racism. The reporting summarizes an effective presentation designed to leave
students with a message on kindness and acceptance. More initiatives are on the horizon to extend
the school district’s “No Place for Hate” program.
The response of Canon McMillan to the hateful incident was
certainly welcome and encouraging. But
those of us who care about diversity were not heartened by the bimonthly Inside Washington County Chamber of
Commerce Magazine. The issue was titled:
“Washington County…An American Success Story”. The Chamber trumpeted low taxes
and the opportunity for outsized profits as the foundation that makes
Washington County successful. Other
business leaders discussed the ability to adapt to changing conditions brought
on by the oil and gas industry. The Tourism Promotion Agency was proud of the many
domestic and international visitors that travel to Washington County each year.
While all of these points were valid, something was sorely
missing in addressing what makes Washington County successful. There was no discussion of the diversity that
exists in Washington County and the part that minorities play in our success.
There was no plan by our mostly white leadership to encourage others of
different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds to invest, live and work
here. Moreover, there was no commitment
to business diversity that should include the nurturing of entrepreneurs in
economically challenged neighborhoods as well as large corporations in
Southpointe.
Without a proactive diversity plan in place: racism in our
schools; minority hiring in our police forces, courts and county offices; and
incentives for minority businesses and professionals in all fields to make
Washington County their home will not be addressed on a comprehensive basis. County leaders will continue to react to
racist incidents as they occur rather than to fashion a plan to avoid them. New business initiatives will follow the same
tired homogeneous model rather than incubate diverse paths to success.
What is to be done? Look no further than Lehigh County, our
neighbor to the east, with a population of 366,000 compared to the 207,000 who
reside in Washington County. Like
Washington County, Lehigh County is undergoing an economic resurgence due to
its location near New York City and Philadelphia. Unlike Washington, Lehigh has recently
announced its commitment to diversity.
An impressive array of regional organizations (including the
local chamber of commerce) have come together on a project called “Color
Outside the Lines” to develop a strategic plan designed to remove the systemic
and structural barriers to racial equity and inclusion. In an October 2019 press release, it was
announced: “In an us-versus-them world the process needs everyone to be us. This
is an opportunity to learn how much we are all better off when we are all
better off. Lets show the rest of the nation what it means to be from Lehigh
County.” The strategic plan will be
developed through a series of workshops, community meetings, conferences and
trainings.
Before Washington County undergoes a comprehensive strategic
diversity plan, it needs a forum dedicated to the needs of local minorities. Accordingly, I will renew my call for a
diversity commission, appointed by the county commissioners, but independent of
direct county oversight. The commission
needs the legitimacy of a formal appointment to gain traction in the community.
However, it must also be independent of any political pressures so that its
members are free to point out diversity and inclusion deficiencies within
municipal and county government.
Clearly, the time for such a commission, or other appointed
working group, is long overdue. We can
start by recognizing that when every community flourishes, Washington County is
truly an American success story.
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