Embracing, encouraging and respecting the input and voice of Evanston’s Black and Brown communities is essential to improving equity and social justice in our city. For too long low income communities have been too often shut out from the decision making processes that impact their neighborhoods and their quality of living in Evanston. Time and time again, concerns from members of these communities regarding plans that negatively impact their neighborhoods and lives have been disregarded and oftentimes ignored all together.
We need to move beyond discussions and talk about equity and put our beliefs into actions that have real impact. Our City’s budget is a moral document. This blueprint of our priorities as a city has, by and large, not reflected the City’s stated ideals of equity and social justice. The so-called “lens of equity” that our City government references with frequency has failed to deliver. Far too often we have seen exorbitant expenditures that have clearly not served the interests of our communities of color.