The anti-boycott advisory referendum on this year’s ballot had the potential for being very divisive regardless of the outcome. It sounds like that was not the case. Both sides seem to use the argument, “This is not who we are as Oak Parkers,” and they are correct. I think that is, in large part, the result of Oak Park’s longstanding commitment to community diversity, inclusion and equity. But it is also a clarion call for the village to recommit to those efforts.
One of the guiding principles in our ongoing commitment to diversity in Oak Park has been the belief that proximity breeds familiarity and connection. If we live close together, we cannot help but get to know each other better.
If I have a meaningful relationship with my Jewish or Palestinian neighbor, I will better come to understand their pain over issues in the Middle East and the implications of antisemitism and islamophobia. If I have a chance to engage with my African American neighbor, I can more fully understand the impact of systemic racism.
For over 50 years, Oak Park has been making unprecedented and tangible efforts at diversity, inclusion, and equity by striving for integrated housing through the work of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center. While these efforts have lagged in the last few years due to village funding issues, I believe the results of this recent election, both nationally and locally, require that we recommit to this work as individuals, as a community and among our local elected officials.
Constructive proximity begins at the level of housing integration. Thanks to the integration efforts of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center over the last 50 years, achieving this kind of crucial proximity has been a priority. However, recent events such as this referendum vote and the discussions about zoning changes serve as a reminder that Oak Park cannot afford to simply rest on 50 years of our “laurels,” and assume that this work is now finished.
Instead, we must recommit ourselves to intentionally integrated housing on all levels. The village board can support and assist with this recommitment by re-establishing communication with, and funding for, the Oak Park Regional Housing Center’s work. We must do that not just for the sake of our housing environment, but for the sake of restoring a sense of belonging for all current and future Oak Park residents.
Stuart Barnes Jamieson
Founding board member of SEOPCO
Former OP Regional Housing Center employee