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Philomath inclusivity committee debates proclamation wording after member says committee failed to act
Summary
At a July committee meeting in Philomath, a long-serving member, Zena, said she could no longer participate because of bias she experienced; members responded by debating whether the city proclamation should keep a 2020 historical reference and whether proclamations should be paired with yearly action commitments.
At a July meeting of the Philomath Inclusivity Committee, a long-serving member identified in the meeting as Zena delivered an emotional statement saying she had faced bias within the committee and could not "rubber stamp" a proclamation without concrete action behind it. Her remarks prompted committee discussion about how the city’s yearly inclusivity proclamation should be worded and whether it should include an annual, actionable checklist.
Zena said the committee’s founding language — which references 2020 and the community response to the murder of George Floyd — risks becoming tokenizing if it is not paired with follow-through. "I can no longer be part of this in any way," Zena said, urging the group to move from words to unified…
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