The swearing-in ceremony for new Oak Park village trustees took a political turn at Monday night’s meeting, when a number of residents argued that the board should adopt a revamped diversity statement written by the Community Relations Commission.
Approving the diversity statement, first written in 1973 and most recently updated in 2015, is standard procedure for each incoming board.
Oak Park’s existing diversity statement states that the village “encourages the contributions of all citizens, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital and/or familial status, mental and/or physical impairment and/or disability, military status, economic class, political affiliation, or any of the other distinguishing characteristics that all too often divide people in society.”
The proposed statement goes further, specifically calling for authentic representation and equity.
“We believe in equity, because diversity and inclusion are necessary, but not sufficient, to achieve fairness and justice,” the proposed language states. “By embracing equity, we work to break down systems of oppression in order to seek fair opportunities and outcomes for all residents. We reject racial barriers that limit and divide us, and we reject bias towards any group of people.”
Incoming Trustee Arti Walker-Peddakotla said it is “shameful” that the board has not yet moved forward on a new equity policy and that it refused to put the proposed new language up for a vote.
“The Community Relations Commission has been asking for a year-and-a-half, along with Trustee [Simone] Boutet, to just get something on the agenda, so the board can at least consider their work,” she said. “This is not how government should run.”
She said the board chose not to bring the item up for a vote because some board members are “not comfortable” with the new statement. “Your discomfort is exactly what you need to feel,” she said, “because your comfort comes at my, at our expense.”
Tom Zapler, chairman of the commission, also called on the board to vote no on the existing diversity statement. “For too long the community has taken the path of tradition, civility and moderation that ignores the urgency of oppression and inequality,” he said.
In a telephone interview, Zapler said the commission was working to get the new language on the agenda, but board members expressed concern that the new language was a “major change and they should get input from residents.”
Trustee Deno Andrews said at the meeting that the issue should be postponed because it was never placed on the board agenda, and several constituents said they were unaware that the discussion was taking place.
He said the Community Relations Commission also did not list the item on its website or agenda. “I don’t think we can have a document that talks about inclusion and equity and collective shared power and have such a substantial rewrite that was done in virtual secret with handpicked public input,” he said.
Former Village President David Pope also argued that a rewrite of the diversity statement should be a “jumping off point for a more engaged conversation with the community as a whole.
“We should not rewrite something simply based on a small number of folks sitting in a room deciding this is the new language and handing it to the village trustees,” he said. “We should instead use it, for something as important as this issue, to meaningfully engage the broader community and have folks sit at the table and help to define what it means and what it means for the future of the community.”
The existing diversity statement was approved by a five-to-two vote, with Walker-Peddakotla and incoming Trustee Susan Buchanan casting the No votes.
tim@oakpark.com
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