Human Relations Council needed now more than ever
One evening recently, I heard the voice of Dean Lovelace, the former Dayton city commissioner and champion of the disadvantaged who died in 2017, clearly tell me: “Someone needs to speak up for the Human Relations Council.”
The
HRC protects the rights of our most vulnerable citizens — renters and workers who face discrimination; minority businesses facing barriers of entry; new immigrants trying to make their way; citizens with a grievance; and residents confronting injustice.
These are significant responsibilities. However, looking at the city’s commitment in 2019, the city only funded 10 fulltime staff to cover these responsibilities. In our proposed 2021 budget, we only fund five. Additionally, we provide one contract employee and 2 temporary ones. While these positions provided flexibility, they also reduce effectiveness, impact, and stability compared to fulltime staff.
This level of staff is inadequate for a typical time; this is not a typical time. Set aside COVID-19. The death of George Floyd has been a catalyst to re-examine race relations. In June, we initiated five working groups for police reform. In July, we declared racism a public health crisis. The recent election cycle revealed deep divisions among our citizens.
Born out of the struggle for civil and human rights in the 50’s and 60’s, the HRC was created to address these very issues.
Some communities are scrambling to catch up and are creating Human Relations Councils. Others are investing in new resources to strengthen their capacity or hiring directors of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity.
Not us. We undervalue HRC. Just like the Priority Boards that died by a thousand cuts, we are slowly crippling it.
We cannot set aside the economic impact COVID19 has on us. Reduced business and loss of jobs means less income taxes, reduced revenue to the city, and difficult budget decisions. As our mayor frequently explains the budget demonstrates our priorities and outlines our plan for the upcoming year. It empowers and limits what we can do. We can say a lot of things; the budget demonstrates what we mean.
The lack of adequate funding raises questions about our commitment and ability to face the challenges of this moment.
Hear the words of Don Crawford, the first African American elected to the City Commission, on the HRC’s creation:
“I’m sure we must agree that under such a mandate as we bear, any condition or circumstance that adversely affects some of our citizens’ safety, security, and general welfare, inevitably works to the disadvantage of us all . ... If any of our people are denied any one of their rights, opportunities or responsibilities ... there exists an ill that must be cured and a cause to which we must address ourselves.”
We have a sacred duty to cure any ill; with our proposed budget we will fail.