The Racial Resolution: Stepping Stones Towards Equality
A moment as powerful as the initial peaceful protest following the wrongful death of George Floyd in May of 2020, warranted strong follow-through confirming that steps would be implemented to combat systemic racism and its persistent harm to people of color. After the Bowling Green community made itself heard, BRAVE founder Anthony King took measures to ensure that the local government was listening.
Alongside City Council member Sandy Rowland, King began to build upon the foundation the protest provided. The two met at Rowland’s house to discuss the possibility of creating a city ordinance for people of color in Bowling Green, a racial resolution designed to create a safer atmosphere for Black and non-white citizens after they’d worked to voice their concerns and frustrations.
At its crux, the resolution asked city council members, as well as citizens living in Bowling Green with a position of privilege, to acknowledge and confront issues of racial disparity present in the community. When presenting the resolution before the City Council, King pointed out key, harmful differences between people of color and the white population of Bowling Green: Black people living in BG have less trust in the police, a lower comfort level while grocery shopping or carrying out other aspects of their daily lives, and hold little hope when it comes to approaching the governing body itself to voice concerns and effect change.
Rowland, alongside council members John Zanfardino and Rachel Phipps, penned the resolution and brought it forward to a vote, which after a 4-1 tally, passed unanimously. Council members admitted the existence of racism built into the structures of society, and began to take the first steps towards reforming a city’s laws and policies with all of its citizens in mind. Within the resolution are the following statements, provided here from an article by BG Independent News:
City Council pledges to listen and learn, in order to take meaningful action on racial injustice to ensure that people of color are treated equally in every encounter with the city and in receipt of city services.
City Council seeks to increase diversity present throughout all city departments and divisions.
City Council pledges to ensure that there are transparent processes across all city government for investigating employee misconduct and employing progressive discipline.
An existing police officer will be assigned the duty of liaison to communities of color. Just as the police division assigns liaisons to school-age children and other community groups, outreach to communities of color should be formalized.
The Human Relations Commission will create a series of city-sponsored “Listen & Learn” events, with the goal of educating city staff and the public on the history of racism and furthering the discussion on these issues within our community.
Since the resolution’s passing, BRAVE members have taken steps to remind City Council members that the journey of educating themselves and others about racism, as well as working actively to combat it, has just begun. BRAVE has also been an active participant in dialogue with the police liaison appointee, Adam Skaff, to advocate for Black voices deserving of representation, and included him in a panel discussion in November of 2020. BRAVE holds meetings on a monthly basis, continuing to help construct policies and procedures that make the BG area the community it has promised to become.
