The Greensboro City Council has a stated goal of bringing the demographic makeup of each board and commission it appoints in line with the demographics of the City of Greensboro.
The City Council in 2020 did not hold nearly as many work sessions as usual, but in December it held a work session to discuss the importance of the boards and commissions appointed by the City Council being not only geographically diverse but also making appointments with consideration of race and gender diversity.
Recent appointments have been made only after a discussion of whether the race and gender of the proposed appointee would further that goal, and it was discovered that Councilmember Sharon Hightower had to give her approval regarding race and gender before an appointment could be made by a fellow councilmember.
However, at least one commission has escaped this effort for race and gender equity. The Commission on the Status of Women has no gender diversity at all. The City Council has appointed nine women to the nine-member commission. The last appointment in December 2020 was after the City Council held an entire work session to discuss race and gender equity on boards and commissions. And that appointment was another woman, making no move toward bringing the Commission on the Status of Women in line with the demographics of Greensboro, where 46.5 percent of the population is male.
It seems that having a few men on the Commission on the Status of Women would bring a new perspective and a different point of view to that commission, which is one of the purposes of increasing the diversity on the boards and commissions. It has also been stated that underrepresented populations deserve representation. Certainly men could not be any more under represented on the Commission on the Status of Women.
The boards and commissions when possible were set at nine members so that each member of the City Council would have one appointment. However, on the Commission on the Status of Women, Hightower has appointed three members and Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter has appointed two.
Considering the fact that the mayor and seven of the eight councilmembers are women, one might ascertain that the status of women in Greensboro is doing well and that it is unlikely that the governing body would do anything to harm the status of women in Greensboro.
In fact, with only one male on the City Council, perhaps 2021 is the year for the city to establish a Commission on the Status of Men.
Diversity For Thee Not for Me! Mandate Mayor and her hypocrite peanut gallery pander and fight to appear one way but in reality are only virtue signaling to their most “woke” supporters. With a female dominated recently council our tax base is eroding faster everyday and crime is rampant including violence against women.
Does this include all 273 bent genders too? We could go at this all day! Here’s a concept, just pick genuinely qualified human beings. The rest should not matter one iota.
Doesn’t the “B” in LGBTQ mean that there are only two genders???
…asking for a friend.
Forced diversity for appearance’ sake is never good, and will always backfire.
Enough with the virtue signaling and making up committees for every group/minority/special cause! When our government learns that we are one people, and can start governing us as one people, things will actually start to improve. Until then, wasting time, energy, and financial resources on things that can only serve to cause further divide, will only have negative effects.
Stop separating us from each other!!!
Very well said Tom.
When you think of the generational lack of diversity in government (or any industry), remember it will still take generations for the women (or other affinity group) to catch up to the men.
It isn’t systemic racism, it has been systemic affirmation of white men. We are only starting to even the playing field. It isn’t surprising the John would suggest such a biased idea of creating a Commission on the Status of Men. I won’t say he is biased, but his idea sure is.
Why is the idea of a Commission on the Status of Men a biased idea? Every special interest group in the universe has their own commission or committee or what ever except for WHITE MALES. Believe what you woke idiots may, but this country was made by white males! Were we perfect? NO. But America must have done something right as we have people willing to break our laws to get into the country and I don’t see thousands trying to leave. If there is any discrimination in this country today is is against WHITE MALES. You may call me a racist bigot all you want to, but it will not change a thing. We are sick and tired of a bunch of cry babies talking about diversity and equality. I want people that are QUALIFIED to sit on committees and boards. I frankly don’t care about their sex or if they are purple with pink spots. If you want to see how diversity works, look at the NFL or the NBA. Do you think I have a chance of playing on these teams just because I would be an undersized, slow, white, non-athlete? NO! They want the BEST regardless of race. It is time that we realize that this diversity mess simply puts less qualified people in positions that result in less being accomplished. Look at how much time the Greensboro City Council spends on this subject due to her highness Sharon Hightower. Wake up guys, we are getting the shaft!
Trying to pull the reverse racism/sexism card. Nice….
Yes, WHITE MALES have had it great for 400+ years because they refused to allow anyone else at all a seat at the table for about 200 years and then WHITE MALES made it very difficult for anyone else to join the table. Yes, WHITE MALES created all of the rules that we are slowly trying to mend and repair from.
While you say, “I frankly don’t care about their sex or if they are purple with pink spots”, you spend a lot of time defending WHITE MALES. As you say: “this country was made by white males! Were we perfect? NO.” Yet, you aren’t acknowledging that maybe that’s the problem – WHITE MALES MESSED THIS UP FROM THE BEGINNING.
To be clear – white males as a group, not you personally. I know you agree, because you’ve already acknowledged they made mistakes and that WHITE MALES was the group that has had all of the power from the colonization through at least the mid-1800s and most of the power hereon out.
You do realize that the NFL and NBA are terrible examples for your case? The athletes have specific measurable outcomes that clearly denote their capability and other opportunities in those leagues are rampant with incompetent WHITE MALES (as owners, coaches, managers, scouts, and other personnel). So let’s use your athletes example – what are the CLEAR MEASURABLES that will accurately distinguish people for roles on important committee?
Shilling for diversity is ironic coming from our city council – that contains not a sinlge white male.
“Diversity” is Leftist code for ‘anyone but Whitey’.
Just as “comfort food” is code for lots of fat, carbs, & sugar. Eases your guilt as you self-destruct your remaining life span.
Please please please don’t use Coke’s training videos to tell us to be less “White” not really sure how that works
This is Great! We got a council worried to death about gender profiling while bullets are flying all over the place!
I don’t know about anyone else,but I’m disappointed,ladies.
One of the problems in electing women to the council is an over-abundance of empathy over facts and logical reasoning. Women tend to be concerned with feelings, but men tend to want the facts and deal with issues logically, not empathetically. Not saying that one is better than the other, but when you look at the current city council my first sentence appears to be correct.
All the courses I took in the area of social sciences in college supported that proposition (or tendency), yet no one is willing to step and talk about it. But wait. . . . .and election is coming and that will be the time to talk about it and get rid of a few “loud voices without any plans” council officials.
On a hunch here – you were in college in the 70s when almost all faculty were white males and were teaching from research and knowledge created almost exclusively by white males? I think the social sciences have grown a little bit.
“Elections Matter” once said someone when he proceeded to proceed to tear the country apart. If White Males want to change the makeup of the council then run for office, support the candidate and vote for him. White Men, it is YOUR fault for t he make up of the council.
You make a good point, the LEFT has corralled their resources better than while males. But I disagree. You only have to look at the city & country demographics to see the answer.
Hers a novel idea for diversity black history months almost over how about a Native American month then an Asian month. an Irish month a Scottish month a German month a Polish month a Jewish month and a White month we keep going and soon we will have a whole history year
Careful, if anything is any good, everyone will jump in and ruin it. Reminds me of all the financial gurus who tout a method to make lot of money – quick & easy. I knew of any such method, I sure wouldn’t tell anyone about it – unless it was my pump & dump scheme. GameStop.
Sorry I left out Hispanic month
You comprendo, senor.
Uh, that was “yo”, not “you”.
Dumb & Desperate in NC