But what happens when keeping out the diversity you so overtly cherish means maintaining the appeal of one the nicest cities in all of America and ensuring that high property valuations—both commercial and residential—flourish?
Boulder has a racial equity tool. But it’s too white to use it, BoulderBeat.com, June 23, 2022
Boulder loves a grand plan, and there was perhaps none grander than its racial equity plan, adopted last year, and accompanying assessment tool. Together, they provide a path to ensuring that every city dollar, decision, policy and program worked to correct historic and systemic racism.
Rollout of the tool (a 14-page set of questions) has been inconsistent. It has become somewhat of a routine for diversity-minded council members to ask if the racial equity tool has been applied to whatever issue is confronting them that night; the answer is often no.
The city’s Community Vitality department — gearing up for a 5-year expansion of outdoor dining in Boulder — recently gave it a go.
“Given the demographics of Boulder, we lack adequate input from people of color,” staff wrote in pre-meeting notes to council. “Input was gained from stakeholders that primarily represent a White demographic.”
Staff recommended gathering information from more diverse cities with outdoor dining programs, and acknowledged the limitations of racial equity assessments in a city that is 79% white.
“This leads us to a broader question that outdoor dining alone cannot address — how do we make the City of Boulder more inclusive?”
Councilwoman Nicole Speer expressed her disappointment with the outreach efforts during Tuesday’s discussion. Community Vitality director Cris Jones said the quick turnaround did not leave enough time for robust outreach.
“In the nature of trying to stand up a program in really short order, it does make it challenging to have a broad, widely inclusive public engagement process,” Jones said.
City staff will continue to seek feedback, Jones said.
Those most committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and equity strangely live in communities lacking any of the vibrancy they so virulently promote as America’s greatest strength, simultaneously living in disproportionately white cities boasting some of the nation’s most desirable real estate valuations.
Why are those who brag the most about dismantling white supremacy and promoting diversity the least likely to live around the latter?
