City reaches out for a more inclusive community.
With a dominant white population and a diminishing middle class, the city of Boulder has devoted special attention to addressing issues of diversity.
“I think that Boulder has diversity, but the white stereotype drowns that diversity,” said Brian Bell a senior business management and film production major. “The areas are smaller and not as prominent, but not all of Boulder is liberal and white.”
The city of Boulder has created new ways to reach out to people that have previously felt excluded or unwelcomed by the community at large. Members of the community have voiced their concerns of the growing elite and exclusive population in Boulder.
Recently, the city organized an outreach program called “Meetings-in-a-Box” in order to connect with communities that have increasingly felt excluded from the community.
According to the city of Boulder’s January 2008 Meetings-in-a-Box summary, the report found that an increase in attitudes of entitlement and elitism from some Boulder residents has resulted in an exclusive atmosphere for people of color.
The Human Relations Commission is also working to encourage understanding of Boulder’s diverse population, enforce the Human Rights Ordinance, and suggest changes to other ordinances and policies.
“City Council has reviewed the results of the January ’08 Meetings-in-a-Box and has agreed that we have a serious issue and need to figure out how to address it,” said Boulder City Council member Angelique Espinoza. “The meetings help to take big city issues and expand public outreach.”
The escalating cost of living, lack of available jobs and lack of acceptance of people of color are issues that were emphasized in the January meeting about where a lack of diversity comes from.
“There is also a diversity issue with accessibility for handicapped and physically challenged community members,” Espinoza said.
Espinoza said the city and Boulder City Council have been committed to the issue of diversity and plan to continue to find new ways to build an inclusive community.
“The city has a Human Rights Ordinance which regulates offensive actions and protects people from discrimination – it has been in effect for years,” Espinoza said.
The Human Rights Ordinance is a locally enforceable version of the Federal Civil Rights Act that protects against illegal discrimination within Boulder city limits. Housing, employment and public accommodation are the specific areas protected under the ordinance.
City Manager Frank Bruno said he hopes to see the city become more inclusive not just racially, but as a community that welcomes people of all backgrounds to live in.
“We need a change in the thought process- inclusiveness is something that we all can embrace,” Bruno said.
Other policies have been directed to the issue of creating a safe environment for people of all color.
A bias-motivated sentence enhancement has been used to add additional punishments to sentences for those who commit hate crimes, said Espinoza.
Although Boulder has improved in becoming more connected to other communities, Bruno expressed his concern for the city’s ability to reach their goal of an inclusive atmosphere because of continuous problems that arise
“Personally, I don’t know if we will ever reach a point where we think we are there,” Bruno said. “Situations make us feel that steps forwards lead to steps backwards.”
Internally, the city plans to continue working towards a more diverse atmosphere by keeping inclusiveness a top priority in everything that is done. City Council has also created a sub-committee on inclusiveness to further address issues of diversity within Boulder.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Brittany Sovine at Brittany.Sovine@colorado.edu.
