An Open Letter from the Founders of the Batavia Community Diversity Initiative

In June 2020, the Batavia Community Diversity Initiative was born and, like many things these days, it has all played out on Zoom video meetings.

We came together as Batavians — a group of moms, educators, advocates and cat dads, most of whom were strangers prior to meeting in the comments section of a post in a community Facebook group — who were horrified by the death of yet another Black man, George Floyd, at the hands of police. We wanted to do something about it. So it made sense to start with the city we call home.

Just a few days prior to our first meeting, Batavia residents turned out in the hundreds for a #BlackLivesMatter peace rally outside the Peg Bond Center at the heart of our beautiful city’s downtown area. That rally, courageously co-organized by a pair of young activists, felt to many of us like a turning point for our west suburban city of 26,000. But we didn’t want the momentum for justice in this historic moment of 2020 to begin and end there. In the words of the late great Congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis, we want to get in some “good trouble.”

We immediately got to work talking about how we could make Batavia a city where everyone feels like they belong. If you look at the numbers, the areas for improvement are clear. 

Based on the most recent Census data, Batavia’s population is over 90 percent white. Based on responses to the latest National Community Survey, many Batavia residents recognize the city’s lack of diversity. Only 56 percent of respondents to the survey agreed that the city was doing an “excellent” or “good” job attracting people from diverse backgrounds to live here.

These numbers, to us, represent both a challenge and an opportunity. In the midst of both a pandemic and a major recession, our local economy can use any boost it can get. It is our belief that helping to make Batavia a place where a wider array of people feel welcomed and celebrated will help our city thrive in this difficult time. Research has repeatedly shown that diverse voices bring innovative thinking, and increased diversity in schools is associated with improved leadership skills and mental health — for people of all backgrounds.

All of this brought us to our mission statement: to cultivate and strengthen Batavia’s commitment to diversity, equity and belonging.

Where does this work begin? We believe that it all starts with education, spread through community partnerships and brought to action through civic engagement. We hope to help our city shift toward more equity and belonging in all areas of public life, including at public leadership levels. Additionally, we hope to help make Batavia a community that continuously grows in its awareness of other cultures and teaches equity and belonging as a way of life.

After months of behind-the-scenes work, our organization is ready and raring to launch. Here are just a few of the things we’re already up to:

• We are currently working to help register voters in Batavia ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. 

• We’ve partnered with the Batavia Historical Society and its beautiful Batavia Depot Museum to help amplify and grow its current featured exhibit, Community, Culture and Conversations: African American Heritage in Batavia.

• With the recent release of candidate packets for local political offices up for election in April 2021, we are working to educate Batavia residents on what exactly their elected officials do and how they can go about becoming one of them by running for office.

• And finally, we’re launching a Freedom Library that will make anti-racist reading materials and other educational resources more accessible to the public.

And that’s just the start. We have plenty more ideas, and we know there is plenty more to be done. But we believe the time for local action is now. As the legendary singer Nina Simone once said, “At this crucial time in our lives, when everything is so desperate, when every day is a matter of survival, I don’t think you can help but be involved.” 

If you are interested in joining our organization, supporting our work, or are just curious and would like to learn more, enter your email address in the form below. You can also follow our progress on Facebook and Instagram.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll be launching our full website, and sharing more details on the above initiatives and more. If we are to succeed in our goal to build a better Batavia, we need you. We hope you’ll join us.