Northbrook village leaders set diversity goals

Northbrook village leaders are considering forming a diversity task force and adopting an inclusivity pledge spurred by nationwide Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality of unarmed black men and women.

Like many North Shore communities, Northbrook had a history of discriminatory housing practices during World War II and the postwar era through 1957.

One developer put in place restrictive neighborhood covenants to limit homeownership to only Caucasians until federal law banned such discrimination on the basis of race, said Judy Hughes, president of the Northbrook Historical Society & History Museum.

Acknowledging that history and the existence of other forms of institutionalized racism is part of taking responsibility for the past while embracing the community's diversity, Village President Sandra Frum said.

Frum outlined nine goals for the village to accomplish, including creating a diversity task force with representatives from all government entities and adopting a welcoming and inclusivity pledge similar to what Deerfield and Lake County have codified.

"It just struck me as something that is worthwhile," she said.

Among the proposed goals are:

• Renaming the village's Community Relations Commission to include diversity or inclusivity in its title and for the commission to review its mission.

• Helping create a community forum on systemic racism sponsored by RAIN (Racism in the North Shore), the Northbrook Public Library, and the village's community relations and youth commissions.

• Working with the library to provide community book readings and discussions.

• Improving diversity/sensitivity training for village employees.

• Passing an affordable housing ordinance.

The village is in the process of drawing up an affordable housing ordinance, currently under review by its plan commission. Officials will discuss the ordinance at the July 14 village board committee of the whole meeting.

"There is not much affordable housing in Northbrook," said Frum, adding the exception is the village-operated Crestwood senior housing. "(It) came up last June when our board met and set goals for ourselves for the upcoming year."

Frum aims to get some of these goals accomplished before the end of summer.

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