The word “diversity” continues to trigger political struggles in Keizer.
The Keizer City Council directed at its meeting on Monday, March 3, that a name change be considered for the Community Diversity Engagement Committee.
Councilor Soraida Cross led the charge, initially suggesting the committee pick from among six new names she listed.
“Pick one of these names,” she said. “Get rid of the word diversity.”
Councilor Lore Christopher, a former Keizer mayor, renewed her concerns as well.
“The word diversity has been weaponized. It has become divisive rather than inclusive,” she said.
The council instead voted for a more restrained directive, that the committee consider and recommend a name change.
The suggested names from Cross included Keizer Community Outreach Committee, Keizer Culture of Kindness Committee, Keizer Community Outreach Ambassadors, Keizer Outreach Alliance, Keizer Community Connection Committee and Keizer Neighbors Connection Committee.
While less specific, the council’s final directive didn’t go well. The committee three days later stood its ground, voting to keep the current name.
They were urged to do so by speakers during the committee’s meeting on Thursday, March 6.
“I’m here today to express my deep disappointment and outrage at the recent attack on diversity by our city council,” said Michael Welsh. “It is appalling that elected officials who are supposed to represent the entire community have chosen to undermine the very idea of inclusion by calling diversity a weaponized term.”
Roland Herrera, a former city councilor, said there was misunderstanding about the word diversity.
“There’s fear,” he said. “I would not be in favor of removing it.”
Jacqueline Green opposed the name change, adding, “I wish they would have had a committee like this when I was growing up.”
The Keizer City Council provided its community engagement committee a list of possible new names recently. The Community Diversity Engagement Committee voted to leave its name alone.
Tammy Kunz, a member of the engagement committee, shared a report chronicling her work to survey community opinion. She talked to people in Keizer and students at Chemeketa Community College.
“Diversity has not always been embraced,” she quoted a high school student as telling her. “But as we continue to grow as a society, we are starting to see the importance of different races, nationalities, religions and sexes.”
At the college, a Keizer resident said, “Changing the name means you take away the reasons we chose to live in Keizer. We like the name, as diversity says we all matter – not once race, but all of us.”
Another wrote, “I hope you listen to how we feel and not try to take our voices away like the rest of the community.”
One high school student said, “I am scared we will lose too much of Keizer if the name changes” and another wrote, “Knowing the council is not standing for me or my family is hard.”
Some councilors have said in earlier discussions that they worry the city could lose federal funding.
Cross, Christopher and Councilor Dan Kohler at one point sought to pause the work of the committee. The same three asked the council to press for a name change.
Jane Titchenal, committee chair, said at Thursday’s meeting there was “no objective evidence” the city needed to change the name to safeguard federal funding.
Tim Wood, assistant city manager, told the group the city receives little federal funding.
“There’s not a lot of immediate risk to us,” he said.
Titchenal defended the role of diversity.
“Diversity is not a threat – it is a strength,” she said. “It brings people together.”
She objected to the idea that diversity is as divisive as councilors have portrayed, acknowledging that “fear is real.”
“But acting prematurely on unproven threats is not leadership,” she said. “It is a disservice to the people who trust us to make informed, thoughtful decisions.”
The city council formed the committee in 2021, following by a year its declaration of a “Statement of Values – Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.”
With the committee’s unanimous vote to retain its name, the matter returns to the council as soon as Monday, March 17.
Christopher noted at the March 3 meeting that the council created the committee and retained the authority over naming it. She said the council didn’t have to abide any recommendation coming from the committee itself.
“We can choose whatever we want,” she said.
News tip? Contact Les Zaitz at [email protected].
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
Keizer council, engagement committee reach common ground
Citizens take Keizer councilors to task for questioning city engagement committee
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL NEWS SERVICE: Get around-the-clock access to news about Keizer with a digital subscription to the Keizertimes. It’s secure, is available at $10 a month, and takes just a moment when you go HERE. Your support for local journalism is vital.
