The National Civic League has always stood for the value of including everyone in community decision-making, along with the principle that equity helps everyone thrive and the importance of leaders recognizing the diversity of their communities. These values will not shift in the face of changes in national politics.
Effective governance and problem-solving requires the recognition of a community’s diversity and intentional work to be inclusive and equitable. Local governance is a partnership among a city or county government, its residents, and other stakeholders. For this partnership to be effective, all voices should be heard and respected.
Think about an issue like public safety or health. In both cases, achieving goals in these areas is more dependent on individual behavior and neighborhood environments than the work of police and medical professionals. The same can be said for education, environmental sustainability, disaster preparedness, and any number of other issues. Rarely is a government able to solve a public issue alone.
The civic engagement and democratic governance promoted by the National Civic League and thousands of other organizations encourages local governments to recognize the variety of needs and interests of their diverse communities, which requires inclusive listening and engagement. This diversity is not just racial or ethnic; it also encompasses political ideology, age, differences in abilities, homeowners vs renters, newcomers vs old-timers, and other factors. Without recognizing and including all of these voices in problem-solving and, yes, hiring them to be part of the governing structure, a community cannot effectively create an environment in which all can thrive.
As for equity, it’s hard to improve the overall public health, education and quality of life of a community without addressing disparities caused by poverty and other social determinants. Any statistician can tell you that improving conditions for those at the bottom will bring up average conditions more quickly than incremental improvements for those at the top, as has been the case for life expectancy worldwide, as child mortality in low-income countries has been improved.
A book by Heather McGhee called The Sum of Us, makes a compelling case for improving life for all people by addressing inequity. McGhee uses the example of communities that closed their swimming pools in the 1960’s, rather than integrating them, which resulted in a lack of recreation for all residents. Improving equity by addressing the needs of underserved populations, she says, improves the well-being of the community as a whole.
I hope that you will stand with us and continue our collective work toward a more inclusive democracy that helps all members of our communities thrive. Join us!
