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Commissioner recounts Leadership Thurston County equity day, highlights persistent covenants
Summary
Vice Chair Thelma Jackson reported on Leadership Thurston County's equity day, describing participants'responses to inequity topics and noting that "there's still over 1,700 properties in Thurston County with racially restricted covenants attached to their property descriptions even in 2025."
Vice Chair Thelma Jackson briefed the commission about a Leadership Thurston County equity day she attended and used her remarks to surface historical and present inequities in the county.
Jackson described the event's guiding questions and said she addressed the audience about the evolution of equity work and local history. She told the commission that many attendees were unaware of ongoing legacies of housing discrimination: "there's still over 1,700 properties in Thurston County with racially restricted covenants attached to their property descriptions even in 2025," Jackson said.
Jackson said the session prompted questions about affirmative action and the evolution of equitable practices; she also noted that the program's tuition (about $2,500'$2,800 was discussed) could be a barrier to broader representation in future leadership cohorts and suggested advocating for more inclusive recruitment.
Jackson and commissioners discussed how leadership programs might broaden outreach and reduce financial barriers to ensure future leadership pipelines better reflect the community.
Next steps: staff will circulate the program link and commissioners discussed promoting the next Leadership Thurston County application cycle when it opens in March 2026.
