I used to say the same thing, but as a white guy, people in positions of power in government and business have always looked like me. Diversity (in all forms) should be celebrated and encouraged, as it leads to better decision-making and representation.
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Just to add to what @Jake and @Nonnative said: even if you “don’t believe in race” or you think how people otherwise identify themselves is stupid and superficial, I think there’s still a reason to pay attention to Councillor-Elect Forte’s background. Think about these three things:
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Even if you ignore every possible label that people like to argue about –“black”, “straight”, “man”, “goat”, or whatever-- would you still agree that every person has lived through life and had their own experiences that are different?
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On average, would those different experiences give you different perspectives and opinions about things?
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Would a democracy have a more “realistic” sample of its citizens if more, different opinions were reflected in its government?
I think that is the idea that people who care about diversity and representation are trying to push. All this hype about identity is not supposed to be an attempt to check superficial boxes; it’s a way to make it more likely that you’ve heard every possible opinion and that you’ve covered all of your bases. In a nation built by the people and for the people, these concerns are problems about proper sampling; they’re about risk mitigation.
To be fair, I do feel like there’s quite a few people out there who might only care for Forte because she’s a black, queer woman. I’d agree with you if you were to say those observers are focusing on the wrong issues, but I also don’t think those parts of her are irrelevant little details.
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People bringing different perspectives and experiences to the table are a good thing.
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If you really wanted real diversity on the city council then you would need to get some conservatives on it. And the Wake County Commissioners too …
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They’ve tried that. People didn’t like it 
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So the reason people tried that was because they didn’t like that either at one time.
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Hahaha, touché… 
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Raleigh’s new Council member Stormie Forte was sworn in today:
https://raleighnc.gov/news/2020-07-21-historic-swearing-ceremony-new-raleigh-city-council-member
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. . . though not everyone is entirely confident that the appointment was made for the right reasons:
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What? Indy Week not happy with something?! 
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Curious as to where people draw the line between gentrification and making improvements. Is it possible for the city and developers to do the latter without being accused of the former?
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It’s a good question (deserves a long answer) but I always feel it goes in several different directions because gentrification has several meanings. Are we talking about displacement? Are we talking about the breaking up of an existing social fabric? Are we talking about diluting out a neighborhood culture? I’m sure there are a few I’m missing.
I don’t see a problem with the city doing something that’s equal across the city. For example, if community center upgrades are planned across the city and some folks think that those upgrades are increasing property values due to new/modern services available, that doesn’t hold for me. At the moment, I believe you can get away with saying that the city if making those upgrades for everyone.
I think you can call it a problem when the area is used for something and there is no reinvestment made back into the immediate area. Thinking out loud here, you’d have to make, as best you can anyway, people feel like everyone is benefiting from that change in some way. I’m not sure what that looks like though, need some way to reinvest/help the people who live somewhere due to that rapid change.
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I will say this – in urban studies and sociology, it is taught that gentrification has been happening for 2000 years, and will continue to happen, as it is a natural ebb and flow of development based on a number of factors that change over time. The real problem is that in the last 40 years, gentrification has taken on a negative moniker only because of economic conditions that allowed for development to be guided by profit maximization, and not how it fits into the fabric of a community in need.
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As an extension to that, let’s not forget that it is negative to some folks but also positive to others. Some long-term residents are HAPPY that their area is being gentrified. They are happy to see the benefits and live through them or even cashed out because of it.
We are just not really hearing from those that cashed out and are happy about it, from my perspective. I’m not trying to belittle the negative effects, the city could certainly be pushed to minimize those negative impacts, but it’s not all doom and gloom.
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Absolutely. There are always two sides to the coin.
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One thing to keep in mind about these areas east and south of downtown - in the past they started as homeowner but by 30 years ago these were mostly rental houses that were not well kept up and often took advantage of renters. In other words, the change recently was not from home ownership by those less off to those more well off (although some of that has certainly happened). It was poorly maintained rental houses that often went into default and were acquired by the City until they had enough critical mass to serve as the developer and sell below market rate homes to below market rate buyers.
There’s a big cry for <30% AMI housing but that’s simply not feasible for home ownership and even for rental that’s a huge subsidy up front for construction and a huge operating subsidy to keep it that affordable. Then you have some of the same folks saying the Neighborhood Conservation Overlays should be respected, which excludes all unit types other than single family. So there’s not only disconnect between some of the things they say they want (‘we want 30%!’, but then ‘it has to look like everything around it (single family)!’, but then ‘we want to help the most people!’), let alone the reality of implementing them.
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She might help to create more diverse housing options, I like this appointment. Hopefully she does her job well.
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This might be an interesting one to watch. At the Oct 6 council meeting they are discussing terms and elections for Raleigh City Council.
http://go.boarddocs.com/nc/raleigh/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=BTWMYZ5D97D1
During the January 7 Council meeting, Mayor Baldwin asked the City Attorney’s Office to assist in providing the framework for the creation of a Study Group to consider and make recommendations relating to City Council terms, council member compensation, and voter engagement and participation. Council decided to move forward with a process to appoint a Study Group consisting of seven City residents using the same procedure that Council uses to nominate and appoint other boards and commissions.
The specific areas to be considered by the Study Group are as follows:
Whether Council should change the current terms of office from two-years to four-years, and related questions such as whether the new terms would be staggered, and when the change would become effective;
Review of Council compensation with a goal of expanding opportunities for more individuals to seek elected office; and
The development of a set of proposals to increase voter information, engagement and turnout in municipal elections.
The period to submit applications to be considered for the Study Group has expired; a total of 14 applications were received for the seven designated positions. The applicants and related information are included in the Appointments agenda category and are on the ballot which appears later in this meeting.
It would be appropriate for Council to direct the City Clerk to conduct the nomination and appointment process at the appropriate point in this meeting.
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Haven’t watched yet but sharing as I do.
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David Cox doesn’t consider renters (no matter how long they’ve lived in the same location) actual residents. The study included the opinions of 6 renters and Cox came in with he wanted to know who ‘actually’ lives in the study area.
Talk about showing your true colors.