Bangor officials form human rights and racial equity advisory committee
BANGOR- Different Bangor City officials met today to discuss creating a new advisory committee on human rights issues.
According to Bangor City Officials, racial equity, economic justice, inclusion, and human rights are core values for the city of Bangor.
So to embody that sentiment, members of Bangor’s Government Operations Committee met to form the Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Economic Justice, Inclusion, and Human Rights, with some members stating the city is an area that would benefit from the advisory committee.
“The problems that could arise are problems that are not only racial. In the past couple of weeks and months we’ve dealt from with freedom of speech to LGBTQ situations to hate instigated actions,” Bangor Committee Member Angela Okafor.
Nine voting members of the new committee would be handpicked by city council.
Some of those members include one representing the NCAAP, one representing the Penobscot Nation, a member representing LGBTQ interests and even one representing faith-based interests.
There’s also going to be four non-voting members which would consist of the city manager, the superintendent of schools, a Bangor High School student and a student representing the post graduate schools in the area.
“It’s for people to come and actually, if there is is an issue, have it brought up and addressed, and know it’s going to be addressed in a policy setting,” Bangor Committee Member Sarah Nichols said.
Another Bangor official said the goal is to promote diversity and the spirit of inclusion in Bangor and to also help provide information or help fix issues for the public relating to human or racial injustice.
“We can’t be putting the city at risk legally but people do have legitimate grievances,” Bangor Council Chair Clare Davitt.
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