Batavia Community Diversity Initiative Launches to Build a Better Batavia

New Nonprofit Organization Offering Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programming Born Out of the Racial Justice Movement of 2020

BATAVIA -- On Thursday, the Batavia Community Diversity Initiative (CDI) formally launched as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and publicly introduced its inaugural leadership council.

The organization formed virtually over the summer of 2020 in response to the racial justice protest movement that arose and quickly spread throughout the country, including here in Batavia, following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn. What began as a Facebook group and a Zoom meeting between neighbors and friends eventually blossomed into a formal organization that coalesced around its mission to cultivate and strengthen Batavia’s commitment to diversity, equity and belonging.

The Batavia CDI recently elected its Leadership Council, which will be headed up by Batavia resident Chris Lowe, the organization’s first-ever president and Exec Team leader.

“I have spent my entire adult life waiting for our society to have open and honest discussions about race and injustice,” Lowe said. “We have formed this organization to do exactly that and give a voice to those who have been persecuted and oppressed.”

The organization initially sprang out of a Facebook post written in May by Kathleen Meeks, who will serve as Education Committee Team Leader on Batavia CDI’s inaugural Leadership Council. Community Relations Team Leader Robert Buckley and Member-at-Large Marisa Pfautz are also members of the council. Additionally, Secretary Kate Garrett and Treasurer Sarah Ahrens were elected to the group’s Exec Team.

The group is currently at work on a slate of programming for 2021 and beyond, including initiatives related to anti-racist literature, racial equity training and Batavia’s Black history. Additional details on these initiatives will follow in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, the Batavia CDI has already helped register voters ahead of the November general election and begun to engage with a number of community leaders to gauge interest in future partnerships and coalition building. The organization is encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response it has received during those conversations and is feeling optimistic about what the group will be able to accomplish in 2021 and beyond.

“I have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support for our organization,” Lowe continued. “From the individuals who helped found the organization to the elected officials and community members who have eagerly pledged their support, I am confident this organization will change individual lives and our community for the better. I am very excited about the work we have planned and I cannot wait to get started.”

The Batavia Community Diversity Initiative is an organization dedicated to serving Batavia by cultivating and strengthening the community’s commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging. Together, we believe we can build a stronger, more robust and welcoming community by encouraging all citizens to maximize their potential. Learn more and get involved at www.BataviaCDI.org.

For additional information, follow the Batavia CDI on Facebook and Instagram.