ELLENSBURG POPULATION 78%
10% 0.8%
White
Hispanic Hawaiian
the community, “Now we have a subcommittee of our commission members that set up a time to meet with a specific group,” Klauss explains. Alongside this, the DEI has held numerous events that facilitate community discussion. Klauss says, “Last year, they had their first event belonging in the Burg, which was a partnership with CWU and the Ellensburg School District, and it was a community discussion, trying to bring people from all sorts of backgrounds together in Ellensburg to talk about what does it mean to belong? And what do you have to give to belong or give up?” These conversations have continued, on April 8 the DEI held their second Belonging in the Burg event, they hope to hold these events twice a year moving forward. The DEI commission also holds monthly meetings to discuss the information they’ve gathered and what is coming next for the community. “They’ll talk about other upcoming events and opportunities to get involved,” says Klauss, “They talk about how they’re using their budget. So, it’s just kind of a typical government meeting where the agendas are set, and just trying to work at chipping away
2%
Asian
0.5%
2%
American African Indian American
some of these tasks that they put on their work plan.” All the city’s meetings are open to the public, in person and online via Zoom for those who would like to participate.
Home of the Wildcats
“Central Washington University will be most successful when equity, diversity, and inclusion are in every program, every college, and all throughout the university,” reads the university’s inclusivity and diversity statement. Central Washington University offers an array of resources for students, on and off campus. On campus you can find the Diversity and Equity Center, “We provide holistic student support, identity-based & cultural programs, and social justice workshops to cultivate a sense of belonging and community at Central Washington University and beyond,” says the DIversity and Equity Center’s website. There are many ways to get involved, the Diversity and Equity Center organizes identity-based affinity programs where students can establish community and a sense of belonging. This includes THRIVE: Women of Color Empowerment Program, Q*Fam: A 2LGBTQIA+ Support Program and Find Your People, a collaboration with
student led organizations to facilitate opportunities to build community. Updates and events can be found on their social media. The Diversity and Equity Center at CWU also collaborates with student-led organizations to facilitate cultural events across campus. This quarter they orchestrated events for Black History Month, Ramadan and Pride. While CWU has resources for their students, that doesn’t mean the students’ needs are being met. In recent years, CWU students and staff have been fighting for a Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) on campus. While the CWU Diversity and Equity Center serves their students, the students’ needs have outgrown the space. According to the U.S. Department of Education, CWU’s student body is 53% white, 18% Hispanic, 9% two or more races, 6% unknown, 5% Black, 5% Asian, 3% non-resident alien, 1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and 1% American Indian/American Native. The CCI would offer minority students a designated space with resources tailored to their specific needs. “The CCI is a project that has been ongoing for ten years,” says the CWU Observer, “The CCI would provide a properly equipped kitchen so that students could cook cultural foods, a conference room, a worship room for all faiths and dedicated space for identity based student organizations.”
Taking Pride in the Community
Being proud of the place you live is constitutive to your happiness living there. In Ellensburg, members of the community have taken it upon themselves to foster an environment they feel a part of. In recent years, Ellensburg High Schools LGBTQIA+ youth have been targets of brutal bullying and harassment. Students have spoken out about their experiences, in a CWU Observer article from earlier this year, students expressed their frustration with the administration after little to no change. Helen House is a LGBTQ+ youth center in Ellensburg, dedicated to providing a safe space for members of the community. Tylene Carnell, the director of Helen House, has lived in Ellensburg for over 20 years and came here to find
SPRING 2023
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