As the demographics in Westbrook change, it is important to make sure that all of our residents feel represented in the public sector. A strong community is comprised of people who feel that they have a voice and in this, it is important to have representatives who understand the unique and varied needs of different populations. Additionally, a diverse city council has the advantage of seeing problems and solutions from different perspectives. We speak about diversity, often as an abstract entity, a definition: “The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect’ It means understanding that everyone is unique and recognizing our individual differences.
These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within everyone.” (QCCNY, 2018)
Westbrook has grown in many ways since the 1990’s, when I first moved here, including the diversification of the population. It is time to reflect this change in the public sector as well.