Equity Summit & Dialogues, Winooski, VT
Participants at April 6, 2019 Winooski Equity & Diversity Summit
At 1.5 square miles and with a population of over 7,000, Winooski is the most densely populated city in all of Northern New England; a place with an increasingly diverse mix of residents including a growing number of immigrant and New American families as well as a higher than average population of millennials.
The city’s current leaders are not representative of the people who call Winooski home. With the encouragement of several Winooski leaders who are people of color, predominantly white city leaders realize that Winooski cannot meet its vision of being “Vermont’s Opportunity City,” unless future decisions are informed by the voices and leadership of a broad and inclusive group of residents.
The Creative Discourse Group was invited to help city leaders find a way forward. Our starting place was to help the community begin to build meaningful relationships and shared understanding among a diverse group of residents (including students, elders, formal and informal leaders, and people from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds). This foundational work included a daylong summit and a follow-up series of small group dialogues that provided an opportunity for participants to share their stories and experiences living in Winooski; talk together about the history of their city; learn about the ways racism, bias, and other long standing inequities impact their community; and generate ideas for moving the city forward.
The work culminated with a set of recommendations and two specific action steps that were presented to a joint meeting of the Winooski City Council and the Winooski School Board in August of 2019. Both of these elected bodies are committed to working in partnership with city staff to move these actions forward. The city is on a path towards creating an equitable, inclusive culture that will make it possible for more diverse community members to step into leadership roles and have a meaningful voice in city decisions.
Susan McCormack and Kesha Ram with WHS Students who researched and delivered a well received presentation about the history of Winooski during the April 6 Summit.
“Through our shared work with Creative Discourse, we were able to strengthen our relationships and build self and community awareness. It brought out the best in our community and Winooski will be stronger, more inclusive, and better prepared for the future as a result of the conversations and work Sue and Kesha facilitated.”