This is a video that I recorded for my 2014 Bemidji mayoral campaign. In it, I address some of my own personal experiences with racism as a child. As we have all witnessed the events unfolding in our nation and city sparked by the horrific actions surrounding the death of George Floyd, we have come to realize that America is grappling with the issues of prejudice and racism in a whole new way - and in a whole new world, even when compared to six years ago.
So what does this mean for Bemidji, our community? When I think of race relations both here and in the greater world, I am drawn to what the 'relations' part of that phrase really means. Relations are relationships. Often in our lives, we have a difficult time identifying with others whose lives and experience differ from our own. That is, until we start to get to know them better as individuals - people, like you and me - through the building of personal relationships. As we interact, we begin to see that we are not so different: we dream, we hope, we build. We all aspire to create a better tomorrow for ourselves and our children.
I believe that our country and city need to focus on developing relationships and improving communication among our diverse populations. We have work to do to further the conversation regarding race, reconciliation, and unity. As mayor, I would seek to accomplish this through inclusion of voices from a broad cross section of our community.
Through the formation of specialized “Community Task Forces” to explore and evaluate different ideas and actions for solving the most complex issues affecting our community such as homelessness, crime, wastewater, city spending and more, we would listen and learn from each other. These groups would be representative of the community and focus on each member’s talents and skills relative to the specific issue being addressed.
Varied backgrounds and points of view will strengthen community-led solutions, and would include input from civic groups, student groups, business groups, nonprofits, faith organizations and general citizens. Working together, community problems are solved from within, relationships are built and mutual understanding increases.
Transparency is another facet of city government that is important to me. As mayor, I would develop strategies to streamline and increase communication between the City of Bemidji Police Department and community members. Our Police Department should know and engage with the many diverse populations that comprise our city and our community should know and engage with the officers who protect and serve us.
Too often we use terms like “citizens” and “law enforcement” as though each are a homogenous group. “Citizens” are individual people and “law enforcement” are individual officers who all have their own voice and experiences. Proactive communication leads to greater understanding, enhanced collaboration, and improved trust.
We need to get back to seeing each other as people first. We need to commit to treating one another as we each want to be treated. I am dedicated to creating an environment in city government that empowers us to do that.
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