The Bainbridge City Council appointed Deanna Martinez to the Race Equity Advisory Committee, filling the spot left by Brenda Fantroy-Johnson when she joined the council.
Also, the council moved forward on having six Race Equity Welcoming Signs around the island.
Martinez is a member of the Multicultural Advisory Council and the Equity, Race, and Community Engagement Coalition on Bainbridge. She will serve in her new role until her term ends in June of 2023.
“I have my lived experience as a Latina, but more importantly I have taken the time to learn the history of how systems began and continue to oppress,” Martinez wrote in her application. “I also bring a great deal of empathy and authenticity to the conversations surrounding equity.”
Fantroy-Johnson talked about what Martinez brings to the REAC.
“I think there’s a lot of people in the community that know Deanna,” she said. “She’s been working with the race group, and she also was a person who came to plenty of the REAC’s earlier meetings. There’s a lot of activities that happen outside of council that we know Deanna from. I think she’s going to be a great addition.”
In other REAC news, the council moved forward the proposal to implement the Race Equity Welcoming Signs. Interim city manager Ellen Schroer will prepare a budget amendment in the amount of $6,700 from the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion setaside fund. The item will be placed on the March 9 consent agenda.
Six signs will have three sign graphics with different messaging. One is 30 inches by 24 inches and states, “Diversity + Equity + Inclusion: A City Welcome To All.” It will be placed at Agate Pass and Waypoint Park. Another sign is 24 inches by 24 inches and says, “All Are Welcome” with a border of words around it. It will be placed at the ferry terminal.
The third sign is 18 inches by 24 inches and reads, “All Are Welcome” with a picture of hands around the city’s logo. That sign will be placed at Lynwood Center, Blakely Harbor and Battle Point Park. Project manager Mark Epstein said sign manufacturing and installation are scheduled to be complete by the second quarter of 2021.
“We started this back in June of 2019, and it was always one of my favorite projects,” Fantroy-Johnson said.”I’m glad to see that we were able to bring it all together and have it in so many different places with so many different signs, so many perspectives. I think it’s fair to say that once these signs are up, we will be finally perceived as a welcoming city.”
