Former Spokane Public Schools Board of Directors President Jerrall Haynes is the city's first civil rights director. Haynes was appointed by Mayor Nadine Woodward earlier this month, and previously worked to develop the framework for the city's Office of Civil Rights, Equity and Inclusion, which will investigate complaints of discrimination and violations of city law. Although Haynes had worked to create the office, his path to becoming the director was frustrating to many who felt that he was sidelined after Woodward appointed another applicant, who rescinded her application shortly after. The city budget funds the office's director and two staff positions, and Haynes will begin his work by hiring staff to aid in the work of creating policies and programs to remove discriminatory barriers and to provide the community with education and support resources. (SUMMER SANDSTROM)
NEWCOMERS
Spokane is growing. But where are all the new faces coming from? During a Spokane City Council study session earlier this month, Patrick Jones, a researcher at Eastern Washington University, presented drivers license surrender data from Washington's Department of Licensing that shows the top five states people are moving to Spokane from. The top three states are California, Idaho and Oregon, which isn't a huge surprise. But the other two states — Texas and Arizona — were more unexpected. "Maybe we'll get more direct flights to Arizona, Texas on the basis of this," Jones said. Jones noted that out-of-state migration in 2022 was lower than the previous three years, and that most of Spokane's growth is probably coming from in-state migration. But that data comes with a three-year delay, so it'll be awhile before we can get an accurate picture of which Washington counties people are leaving in favor of Spokane. (NATE SANFORD)
JUNETEENTH
On Monday, activists and community groups gathered at Spokane's Underhill Park to celebrate Juneteenth and call for an end to forced prison labor. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in America, but advocates say modern-day forms of slavery persist because of language in the U.S Constitution's 13th Amendment that prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude, "except as a punishment for crime." Members of the nonprofit All of Us or None staged symbolic banner drops in Spokane and 14 other cities across the country to call for the prison exception to be removed. In attendance on Monday was Spokane resident Stanley Harewood, who saw the prison labor system up close during the 13 years he was incarcerated. "Thirty cents an hour," Harewood says. "It was slavery." Spokane Community Against Racism and other organizations were also at the park to celebrate America's newest federal holiday. (NATE SANFORD)
