Spotlight On...

 

Mayor Ardell Brede

and the State of the City in 2010

 

As a new decade begins, Rochester mayor Ardell Brede is looking forward to “the new normal.”   He admits that he’s not quite sure what that means yet, “but for sure [it’s] not the normal of the past.” 

In his annual State of the City address on January 4, Mayor Brede covered many topics, from gangs and crime rates to cultural exchange trips to Saudi Arabia and China.  But the mayor dedicated much of his time to talking about two upcoming “Big Deals,” both of which directly relate to the Diversity Council’s mission of creating an inclusive and welcoming community through education.

The first Big Deal is the 2010 Census.  There is a kick-off event at the Government Center on January 15, but questionnaires, which take about 10 minutes to complete, will not be mailed out until March in preparation for Census Day on April 1.

Mayor Brede stressed the importance of this census count to Rochester and its residents, both in terms of access to federal government funds and determination of the number of representatives for local, state, and federal political offices. 

 

But the mayor also stressed the necessity for across-the-board participation:  “All residents must be counted—people of all races and ethnic groups, both citizens and non-citizens.”  Mayor Brede encouraged everyone to return a completed questionnaire because otherwise Census workers will need to be paid to come to your door for a personal head count.  But even more importantly to the mayor, “we want to be sure everyone is counted, because in our inclusive community, everyone counts.”

The second Big Deal to look forward to is the “RACE:  Are We So Different?” exhibit, hosted by Mayo Clinic and Rochester Public Library, that will be on display at the library from May 17 through September 4.  This nationally touring exhibit will be open to the public free of charge. 

The RACE exhibit explores the origins and manifestations of race and racism in everyday life through the framework of science. 

 

Mayor Brede encourages everyone to tour the exhibit:  “[It] will provide a unique learning opportunity for the greater Rochester area community to understand, grow, and embrace diversity while respecting our differences.”

And Mayor Brede pointed out that the two Big Deals have something in common.  He explained that “[s]ince 1790, the U.S. Government has collected racial data in a census.  Racial categories, rules and regulations resulting from the Census have huge effects on law, policy, medicine, employment and many other critical realms of American life.  Visitors [to the RACE exhibit] will find an overview of the Census’ influential role in American race policy on a panel that describes ‘Why We have Race on the Census, Anyway’.”  

One doesn’t have to spend much time around Mayor Brede to realize that he has a sincere personal and civic interest in working to make Rochester an inclusive and welcoming community for everyone who lives, works, and visits here. 

A sign on South Broadway reads:  “Welcome.  We are building an inclusive community.”  These words are more than just a slogan to Mayor Brede.  They are his promise to all city residents.  So whether he is talking about the 2010 Census, or the City of Rochester in general, Mayor Brede is determined to carry forward the message that “in our inclusive community, everyone counts!”