Facing community pressure, Keizer councilors leave diversity committee and its name in place

After weeks of turmoil, the Keizer City Council decided Monday that diversity lives on in the city.

The council voted to leave intact the city’s Community Diversity Engagement Committee – and leave its name alone.

But that action came after councilors endured another tongue lashing from citizens appearing before them.

Councilors Soraida Cross, Lore Christopher and Dan Kohler had raised concerns about the committee for its reference to diversity. They had suggested the committee change its name to scrub the word “diversity.”

There was no such effort at Monday’s meeting. The committee itself reported back to the council that its members voted unanimously earlier this month to keep its name, and the council accepted that recommendation.

In previous sessions, some councilors worried that Keizer was jeopardizing potential federal funding. They said President Donald Trump’s efforts to scrub diversity, equity and inclusion from federal agencies could reach through to those who receive federal money.

Those remarks have drawn a parade of citizens to council sessions and the recent meeting of the engagement committee. That continued Monday with residents urging the council to leave the committee alone.

“If you truly wanted everyone at the table, diversity is not the problem. Your actions are.”

–Keizer resident Ryan Hewlett

Marci Wilken said that removing the word “diversity” from the committee’s name “sends the wrong message. It signals a step backwards when we should be moving forward.”

She said diversity should be a community commitment.

“Losing diversity does not erase the need for it,” Wilkin said. “It does not change the fact that barriers still exist.”

She said diversity was about “correcting historic and ongoing disadvantages” and that diversity “is not just important – it is essential.”

Ryan Hewlett said the council’s consideration of a name change “is such a waste of time. This is such a deliberate step backward.”

He described as “performative nonsense” to worry over the word diversity.

“It’s kind of appalling that there are some members of the council that are trying just to even consider removing the word diversity from this group,” Hewlett said. “If you truly wanted everyone at the table, diversity is not the problem. Your actions are.”

He chided councilors for what he called “mind boggling” actions.

“You’re kind of embarrassing the city with these petty, exclusionary distractions,” he said. “It’s crazy.”

Hewlett and another speaker called out Christopher for her reference at an earlier meeting that diversity had become a “weaponized” term. The speakers didn’t identify her specifically in their remarks.

“Labeling diversity as a weapon is a tactic designed to silence and divide,” said Michael Welsh. “The statement is not only irresponsible – it’s dangerous.”

He said councilors wanting the committee changed are signaling that “inclusion is inconvenient.”

Jane Titchenal, chair of the engagement committee, noted there appeared to be “overwhelming” support in the community to leave the committee’s name along.

“Diversity is not something to fear. It is something to acknowledge,” she said. “Only together can we build a stronger, more inclusive community.”

When the council considered refinements to the committee’s mandate, there was not a peep of comment about a name change. Clark polled the councilors, finding there was consensus to keep the name.

The council instead made adjustments to the committee’s charge, asking for an action plan. It also reinstated that the youth member on the committee could vote on committee business. A split council in an earlier meeting had stripped away the vote.

Councilors then voted 5-2 for the reformed committee directives. Clark explained she was voting no because she believed the committee was losing its autonomy. Kohler didn’t explain his no vote.

The council then voted to appoint Cross, the councilor who earlier proposed the name change, to serve as its liaison to the engagement committee.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

Defying councilors’ name change request, Keizer committee sticks with the one it has

Keizer council, engagement committee reach common ground

Citizens take Keizer councilors to task for questioning city engagement committee

Contact Editor Les Zaitz: [email protected].

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