Volunteers, nonprofit sought to assist Whatcom racial equity panel
Bellingham and Whatcom County are moving forward with their new Whatcom Racial Equity Commission and are seeking a nonprofit agency to support the panel’s work, along with local residents to help select the advisory group’s first members.
In a joint statement issued Tuesday, April 11, Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood and Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu said that four community members are being sought to serve on an appointment committee.
In addition, the county will post a request for proposals this month to solicit a nonprofit organization to help the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission under contract with the county, and house the commission and its executive director.
“The organization will serve as an administrative agent to carry out the vision of the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission as an independent, community-led advisory body,” the joint statement said.
In a companion move, the Bellingham City Council voted unanimously Monday, April 10, to add the word “equity” to the name of its Public Health, Safety and Justice Committee, making it the Public Health, Safety, Justice and Equity Committee.
Both Fleetwood and Sidhu pushed for formation of the commission after the 2020 social justice movement sparked by the murder of George Floyd persuaded elected officials that it was time to address systemic racial inequities.
Both Whatcom County and the city of Bellingham are helping to launch the commission with $100,000 each annually, and each council has voted to address systemic racism as a public health crisis.
The new panel will be composed of elected officials and appointed members who speak for a variety of community interests, including representatives of business and social justice organizations, according to its founding document approved in October 2022.
Dozens of U.S. cities have similar advisory groups or have pledged to create them, according to the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
