The Suburb Toolkit

Many suburbs are reckoning with their past histories of exclusion and injustice.  The residue of these histories can be thick. 

In my research on LA suburbs, I found that many communities still have some homework to do, when it comes to creating inclusive, welcoming communities for all people. To help that process along, I work with suburban municipalities in LA to raise awareness about their histories of exclusion.  I give lectures on how the "tools of exclusion" worked in the past, and how a new “Suburb Toolkit” can start to undo those past practices. 
 
The "Suburb Toolkit" includes steps that communities can take to promote greater inclusion and equity not just locally but across the metro area.  It comes from a place that sees diversity as a strength for promoting different perspectives, cultural richness, and opportunities for all people.

I am putting together an advisory group to help promote this initiative, in consultation with University of Michigan Professor Stephen Berrey, director of the Sundown Towns Project.

Read more about this effort in La Canada-Flintridge, here and here.

For more information, contact me at: becky.nicolaides@outlook.com.