by Cyndy Liedtke Hogan

Standing near a sign reading, ?Welcome. We are Building an Inclusive Community,? NLC President James Hunt, councilmember from Clarksburg, W.Va., reflected on his personal experiences and his agenda to make America?s cities more inclusive during an address at the Congressional City Conference.

?My life has been an incredible journey impacted by a number of significant moments,? he said. ?I sat in a classroom in 1962 at Central Junior High School in Clarksburg, West Virginia, with two brave African-American girls as they braved prejudice and ignorance in fighting for their right to an education.  As a freshman basketball player for West Virginia University, I visited Washington, D.C., in 1968 and stayed at the DuPont Plaza Hotel, only one block from this very place and as we entered a restaurant for dinner, we were told that we could not eat there because they did not serve blacks.?

?America?s cities are working for inclusive communities, but they face a tremendous challenge,? Hunt added.

During his year as president, Hunt is encouraging cities to join NLC?s Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities.

?I am so encouraged by the steps that the National League of Cities has taken to share our inclusive communities message,? he said. ?We want to do all we can to invite you to join us in this effort.?

Cities can get information about passing resolutions to join the partnership at www.nlc.org.

?An inclusive community is a community that has recognized that the future will be judged on how well we include,? Hunt said. ?An inclusive community is a community that breaks down the barriers to affordable housing.  An inclusive community looks for bridges to education and job training.  An inclusive community picks up the mantle from Rosa Parks and makes room on the bus for the new Americans.?

An inclusive community is also a place that never stops working toward inclusion, Hunt said, and a place that has the courage to post a sign that announces its commitment to inclusion like the one displayed at the conference ??Welcome. We are Building an Inclusive Community.?

Hunt said he was particularly encouraged by 13 young people attending the conference ? seven from Selma, Ala., and six from Clarksburg ?  who were meeting to develop a framework to assist their communities in becoming more inclusive.

?I am personally asking our youth delegates ? more than 120 of them that hail from cities across America ? to join with these 13 young people and lead their cities in this important endeavor,? he said.

Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities
As of March 17, NLC had received resolutions from six cities to join the Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities.

Atlanta, Bluffton, Ind., Clarksburg, Little Rock, Ark., Moorhead, Minn., and Selma have now joined the partnership.

Cities interested in joining can follow the Inclusive Communities link at www.nlc.org. The link includes information and a tool kit.