Campaign lets businesses show support for inclusion
Kutztown University initiative provides window stickers to businesses that commit to nondiscrimination
The symbol is simple: a handshake, framed in a rainbow heart background.
But the design holds deep meaning for its creator — Kutztown University senior and social work major Maya Evans — and the 18 Kutztown-area businesses that have chosen to display it.
Evans said the symbol means a commitment to inclusion — the idea that no one should be hated or shamed because of traits they cannot control, like their race, gender, or sexuality.
Giving businesses the option to visibility support inclusion is the goal of Evans’ All Inclusive Establishment initiative.
The campaign provides window stickers and posters sporting the symbol to businesses that agree to participate.
“All customers and employees should be free to be who they are inside,” Evans said, “that’s the message this project is based on.”
With the help of Christine Price — director of the LGBTQ+ and women’s resource centers on campus — Evans started the All-Inclusive Establishment initiative last October.
The campaign is about more than making a statement — Evans said it’s an opportunity for Kutztown to band together in support of vulnerable community members.
Evans, who interns at the university LGBTQ+ center, said it’s not always a given that diverse people are accepted.
“There are a lot of students and families that came to me directly to ask about the climate on campus, is it safe?” Price noted, “they want to know before they commit to coming to Kutztown, is the university and downtown going to be a welcoming place?”
That concept resonates with Jon Escueta, owner of City Cuts barbershop in Kutztown, which dons the All-Inclusive Establishment logo.
“Coming from a personal perspective of knowing what it feels like to not be welcomed for my differences, I never want anyone to experience that feeling,” Escueta said.
He said a priority for his business is making all clients feel at ease in their identity.
“People should be proud of their heritage and not afraid to show it off to others, Escueta said, “Overall, we just want everyone to feel comfortable and included in our environment.”
A Kutztown native, Evans said her interest in social justice spurred her to first hold information sessions about the campaign last October.
Those early efforts earned the support of Kutztown University president Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson and the student government, Price said.
Evans eventually took her campaign before the Kutztown Community Partnership — a nonprofit that “serves as a liaison to foster cultural and economic collaboration” — and the Kutztown Borough Council.
Their responses, she said, were overwhelmingly encouraging. “So far the feedback has been positive, which I’m really thankful for,” Evans said, “it’s just now starting to really come together.”
The following Kutztown area businesses have opted to join the campaign:
Eagle Point Management, K’Town Pub Taphouse & BBQ, Firefly Bookstore, Kelchner Cleaners, City Cuts Barbershop, Sorrelli Jewelry, HIVE Cafe, Main Street Getaways-Dream Vacations, Young Ones, Cielito Lindo Mexican Restaurant, New Vision Salon, The Bagel Bar Cafe, Four Monkeys Coffee Shop and Roastery, La Cocina Mexicana, Donut Lover’s Boom, Paisley and Company, Althea’s Imaginarium, and BeCharmed Grooming Salon.
More information on the All-Inclusive Establishment Initiative and other resources on inclusivity can be found on the Kutztown University women’s center’s website.