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Council knows it must take lead on diversity

JANESVILLE — Education, recruitment and active leadership are needed to make Janesville a more diverse community.

Those were just a few of the recommendations from Janesville City Council members at a panel discussion Thursday night.

The discussion, "Diversity in Janesville: Where do we go from here?" was sponsored by the YWCA Rock County and the Diversity Action Team of Rock County and was held at the school district's Academy for International Studies.

Bob Baldwin, the school district's diversity specialist, and Allison Hokinson, community relations director at the YWCA, moderated the discussion.

City council member Russ Steeber told the audience that he has lived in Janesville since 1978 and has seen Janesville become much more diverse.

But Janesville faces some specific challenges.

George Brunner and other council members noted that the Ku Klux Klan's appearance in Janesville in the 1990s gave the city a reputation it can't seem to shake.

Baldwin agreed, saying he's gotten an earful about Janesville's reputation during recruiting trips for the school district.

So what's the answer?

"I hate to say this, but there's a lot of ignorance out there, and ignorance breeds prejudice," Steeber said.

Council member William Truman said education is the answer.

Brunner agreed.

"It should start in the schools and then spread through the community," Brunner said.

Council members were asked about the city's recruiting efforts. Currently, only six of the city's 418 workers are minorities. The police department has recruited people of color for years but without much success, Brunner said.

The city council needs to take a leadership role on the issue for the good of the whole community, council President Amy Loasching said.

That includes reaching out to a more diverse group of residents when picking committee members.

Diversity does matter, and not just because it's a nice idea. Embracing different groups brings in new ideas and perspective, Loasching said.

Audience member Amy Golackson put it simply: "Studies have shown that groups that are more diverse are more successful."