By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
The King County Council recently adopted legislation to establish a strengthened the County’s Human and Civil Rights Commission.
The legislation, which aims to establish a community-led, independent body dedicated to advancing human and civil rights in the county, will revamp the Commission so that it will play a key role in advising on anti-discrimination ordinances, conducting outreach to marginalized communities, raising awareness on rights issues, monitoring compliance, and providing regular reports to the County Executive and County Council.
“I have been concerned for some time about our civil rights enforcement work at King County,” said Councilmember Rod Dembowski, who authored the legislation. “In a county named for the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we must lead in this work. This legislation reaffirms the County’s commitment to uplifting the voices of community members and upholding equality and justice for all County residents. I look forward to the Commission moving forward in their work without delay.”
Seattle King County NAACP President Darrell Powell is in support of the legislation to enhance access to protecting the rights of the county’s residents.
“The NAACP Seattle King County Branch wholeheartedly supports Councilmember Rod Dembowski’s legislation to improve the County’s Human and Civil Rights Commission,” said Powell. “With the new Commission in place, King County will strengthen access to equity, justice, and inclusivity for all of its residents.”
Additionally, the legislation seeks to ensure the Commission’s independence by giving the Commission the ability to review existing civil rights enforcement mechanisms and provide recommendations on changes, including the scope of the Commission’s own responsibilities.
The Commission’s new responsibilities include overseeing that equity is observed and practiced and is the “voice” of a wide spectrum and diversity of citizens, including African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders who all look to the Commission as an advocate in policymaking.
“The re-establishment of a King County Human and Civil Rights Commission remedies a grave omission in the oversight of civil rights in King County, especially given that almost 50% of King County demographics belong to communities of color,” said Kyle Kinoshita, President of the Seattle Japanese American Citizens League. “For our part, the Commission would provide an essential voice for the Asian Pacific Islander community at a time of a rise in anti-Asian hate, lack of affordable housing, and continuing income disparities. The Commission would ensure that our community, along with all protected classes, have a powerful presence in policy decisions.”