“Not just ‘favored few’”

Carmel Pine Cone—January 12, 2024

I hope the mayor of Pacific Grove will consider putting the DEI Task Force on hiatus. I attended every meeting in 2023, and so far, it has accomplished nothing. No social justice or racial healing.

Some of the group’s proposals (with no follow-through) included a DEI calendar of important DEI events, a list of the most “marginalized” persons in the city, donation of tiles for the Walk of Remembrance on the Recreation Trail at Lovers

Point, and hiring a consultant (Seed Collaborative) for $356,256.50. No further action has been taken on any of these proposals, and there have been at least four resignations and three canceled meetings due to a lack of a quorum.

I suggest the mayor consider renaming and repurposing this committee, which seems to exist primarily in order to favor one racial/gender/sexual orientation/socio-economic group over another, which is bad politics for our city in a bad political year on the national level, as well as on the local level.

Think of the poor beleaguered ex-president of Harvard University, and even the DEI ex-dean at Stanford. I understand the DEI Task Force wants to include the homeless and people under the age of 18. Fine, but let’s be inclusive of everyone in this town and not just the favored few.

Carol Marquart, Pacific Grove