by Cherie Duvall

An initiative that stems from a pivotal event in a small West Virginia town is now sweeping the nation as more and more cities join NLC?s Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities.

As of last Friday, 68 cities have become members of the inclusive communities partnership ? a program spearheaded by NLC President James Hunt, councilmember of Clarksburg, W.Va., to promote equal opportunity and fairness in cities. Hunt?s efforts to encourage cities to build inclusive communities spring from witnessing segregation in his own town while growing up, then being a part of a movement to unify the city. One action in particular opened the eyes of many Clarksburg residents.

The town-changing moment occurred in 1999 when Clarksburg?s first black council member and mayor, Rev. David Kates, and Hunt decided to co-chair a unity rally held on the same day as a Ku Klux Klan rally. The partnership between the two elected officials ? one black and one of Slovakian descent ? made citizens realize that the KKK?s rally was not only offensive to racial minorities, but also to the town as a whole. The ?Let?s Get Real Rally? attracted hundreds of people who gathered to show the world that Clarksburg was not a town that promotes hate.

 ?This really brought the community together,? Hunt said. ?People all of a sudden recognized that they could make a difference and could have a visible way of showing inclusiveness.?

Other Cities Follow Suit
NLC has found that reasons why cities join the inclusive communities partnership abound. Some even started on this journey well before the initiative began.

For instance, in 2004, Bluffton, Ind., Mayor Ted Ellis received an envelope with a photocopy of a newspaper photograph showing  the opening of a local restaurant. On the photocopy was a written message that stated, ?we don?t wear turbans in Bluffton? and ?we speak English.?

This disturbing message about the new business owner, a practitioner of Sikhism, a religion that combines elements of Hinduism and Islam, inspired Ellis to take action. Although his city started its own initiative that March, joining NLC?s inclusive communities partnership seemed only natural and beneficial.

Before becoming an inclusive communities program partner, Bluffton had already assembled a committee to identify often-overlooked communities in the city, such as the elderly community and the growing Hispanic population. Since joining, the city has been preparing to introduce the idea of inclusiveness to its students during the upcoming school year.

Other cities have taken the word ?partnership? to a new level. Last month, three Ohio mayors ? Bedford Mayor Daniel Pocek, Lakewood Mayor Thomas George and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson ? signed a joint, regional mayoral proclamation to join the partnership during NLC?s First Tier Suburbs Council steering committee summer meeting in Bedford.

In June, Greenbelt, Md., and College Park, Md., were welcomed as new members of the partnership as part of the National Small Cities and Towns Day ? an annual event sponsored by NLC?s Small Cities Council ? held this year in Greenbelt.

NLC Board members and committee and constituency group leaders had the opportunity to contemplate what ?inclusiveness? means in their cities at the NLC Board of Directors meeting in Roanoke, W.Va., last month. They also shared their experiences in joining the partnership. 

?It was a bit of a journey for us to shape our approaches to the [partnership?s] resolution,? said Brea, Calif., City Clerk Bev Perry. ?What we gradually realized is that what inclusive means really depends on your community. We concluded that it is much more than race relations. It involved ensuring that all aspects of our community are open and affordable to everyone.?

Casper, Wyo., Councilmember Lynne Whalen said a youth group from one of the high schools in her city is exploring ways to make their school have a more inclusive environment. The group and the city council plan to pass a resolution shortly that focuses on what inclusiveness means.

?We are thrilled about the youth interest in the partnership,? Whalen said. ?They want to be sure that their high school welcomes everyone ? from jocks to kids with long hair.?

Resources
To prepare for becoming a member, NLC provides a tool kit, which includes information on how to join the partnership, a sample resolution, a list of steps that cities can take to promote inclusive communities and examples of successful programs, policies and activities that cities have used to build inclusive communities.

When a city sends the resolution to NLC, the community will be enrolled in the partnership and will receive a sign that will serve as a daily reminder that the community is working toward a better future for its citizens.

NLC is also urging leaders to celebrate the 7th Annual Race Equality and Inclusive Communities Week, Sept. 25-29. During the week, cities and towns are encouraged to endorse racial and ethnic equality and inclusive communities through activities in their communities.

To serve as a guide for participating cities, NLC has prepared a Race Equality Kit that consists of a letter from Hunt, a sample press release, a sample proclamation and examples of possible events that could take place during the week.

?These efforts represent a commitment to the power of inclusiveness as a force for stronger, more successful communities,? Hunt said. ?We will weave these efforts together to create continuing, collective and sustainable action."

Details: For more information on the Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities, to download the program?s tool kit, to view the continuously updated list of members of the initiative or to learn more about Race Equality and Inclusive Communities Week, go to www.nlc.org.

NLC Builds an Inclusive Nation

Map of the 68 cities that have joined the Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities as of Friday, Aug. 4



Alabama: Aliceville, Selma
Arizona: Avondale, Chandler, Tempe
Arkansas: Arkadelphia, Little Rock
California: Brea, Duarte
Colorado: Lafayette, Lakewood, Steamboat Springs
Florida: Eustis, Margate, North Miami, Palm Bay, Palm Coast, Perry, South Bay
Georgia: Atlanta
Illinois: Decatur
Indiana: Bluffton, Gary, Indianapolis
Kansas: Abilene, Mission
Louisiana: Natchitoches
Maine: Brewer, Portland
Maryland: College Park, Greenbelt
Massachusetts: Cambridge
Michigan: Kalamazoo
Minnesota: Moorhead, Rochester
Missouri: Kirkwood
New York: Schenectady
North Carolina: Creedmoor, Sylva
Ohio: Clayton, Columbus, Huber Heights, Kettering, Lakewood, Moraine, Oakwood, Riverside, Trotwood, Vandalia, West Carrollton, Harrison Township, Jefferson Township
Oregon: Hermiston
Pennsylvania: York, Carlisle
South Carolina: Rock Hill, Walterboro
Tennessee: Nashville
Texas: Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Plano
Virginia: Martinsville, Richmond
West Virginia: Clarksburg, Huntington, Morgantown
Washington: Burien, Mesa