WILLIAMSBURG — As Williamsburg continues to consider steps to counteract the effects of racial inequity, staff has recommended that the city pick and adopt two initiatives.
During a recent City Council work session, City Manager Andrew Trivette presented the council with proposals that stemmed from the recently presented Truth & Reconciliation Report.
City staff identified seven potential steps for the council to consider, with the suggestion that the council identify two to pursue.
Potential steps laid out on Sept. 11 include hiring a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant; advancing the African American Heritage Trail investment plan; providing Economic Development Authority business grants for minorities; requesting proposals for the redevelopment of the Blayton and Triangle properties in the city; inviting Williamsburg-James City County schools to talk about diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; tracking DEI spending; and instituting student scholarships.
“On behalf of the Truth & Reconciliation Committee, I am truly pleased with the thoughtful work of City staff and the suggestions put forth before City Council to advance our committee’s recommendations,” committee chair Bobby Braxton said in a statement.
Braxton added that the committee does not endorse any of the recommendations over the others and trusts the council’s judgment in deciding which two can be carried out effectively and in the best interest of the community.
The Truth and Reconciliation Committee was formed in 2021 to study the impact of racism and racial injustice on Williamsburg residents. During the process, the committee interviewed Williamsburg residents and members of the descendant community. The committee met through July 2023 and then presented its report and recommendations to the council.
The committee’s recommendations included modernizing the historic triangle area of Williamsburg “as a vibrant epicenter for thriving Black tourism, community, culture and economy;” establishing a standing Truth and Reconciliation Committee; fostering a welcoming community within the city’s leadership and workforce; focusing on mental health initiatives and efforts; and conducting an in-depth study to look at and find solutions for race-based discrimination, actions, impacts and effects in a number of areas such as housing, education, health care and business.
Once members of the council come up with a consensus on the direction they want to go in, Trivette said, the item will be put on the agenda to be considered at an upcoming meeting.
The first set of items the council chooses will be advanced over the next year, but as council member Stacy Kern-Scheerer pointed out, it isn’t about “checking the box” and moving on.
“I look at many of these things, and they are not something that we’re just going to do in a year,” she said. “When we think about what we’re looking for in the next year, it really is to say, ‘These are the two that we are going to hit the start button on,’ and not necessarily with the goal that this will be done in a year.”
Sian Wilkerson, 757-342-6616, sian.wilkerson@pilotonline.com
