Spokane equity leaders say civil-rights education and community support shape youth opportunities amid DEI backlash

On an episode of the Spokane City Council's Equity Spotlight, Jarrell Haines, director of the City of Spokane's Office of Civil Rights, Equity and Inclusion, and Jamie Stacy, vice president of the Spokane NAACP and founder of Strong Women Achieving Greatness (SWAG), described how civil-rights laws shape opportunities for local youth and said community support sustains mentoring and outreach programs.

The conversation focused on how civil rights intersect with youth development and on recent backlash to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. "Diversity, equity, and inclusion impacts so many people besides just people of color or just women," Stacy said. "It makes room for those who have been historically left out." Haines said the backlash partly reflects misunderstanding: "When you engage people who might have a negative perception of DEI, you…