Village should heed diversity report

The village of Arlington Heights Board of Trustees is reviewing a recent report and recommendations on diversity, equity and inclusion compiled by an external consultant.

I encourage the board to give thoughtful consideration to the recommendations of The Kaleidoscope Group as an opportunity to improve upon the culture and already desirable quality of life within the village.

The report correctly points out that Arlington Heights is an attractive, sought-after destination to live, work and raise children. It also points out some of the shortcomings of our community, such as a 10% discrepancy between the community population and village staff in terms of racial demographics, or survey results that indicate a statistically significant difference in perceptions of gender discrimination between village employees who identify as male versus those who identify as female.

Personally, I have always found Arlington Heights to be a welcoming and inviting community. I'm also a white, Christian male living in a predominantly white, Christian community. I can only imagine what it would be like moving to this village as a minority and finding a municipal government where few members look as I do, sending my kids to a public school district with a staff that is over 96% white (per the 2019-2020 Illinois Report Card), or a police department without a single African American sworn police officer.

Many of the changes in the Kaleidoscope report can be enacted without spending additional taxpayer money, such as the incorporation of DEI principles into performance management for staff. Others might be worth the investment to make our community more inviting. Arlington Heights is a wonderful place to live, but I encourage my elected officials to take this opportunity to see what improvements can be made to ensure it's a wonderful place for everyone who lives here.

Christopher M. Jones

Arlington Heights