Indigenous Caucus Chair Calls for WV Democratic Party to Reject Affirmative Action Plan
Says plan is discriminatory and harmful to BIPOC communities.
As the Chair of the Indigenous Caucus of the West Virginia Democratic Party, I am calling for the WVDP Executive Committee to reject the Affirmative Action plan that is on the agenda for this week's meeting of the Democratic Party’s governing body. As a person who has worked tirelessly to advance the causes and rights of BIPOC communities in WV, I am disappointed with the flawed, discriminatory, and harmful Affirmative Action Plan that the Planning Subcommittee of the WVDP Affirmative Action Committee (AAC) has drafted.
The Affirmative Action plan Is a document that outlines the goals and strategies of the WVDP to increase the representation and participation of marginalized groups in the party’s activities and leadership. The plan is supposed to reflect the principles and values of Affirmative Action, which aim to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in decision-making processes and outcomes.
However, the plan was written without any input or representation from the Black or Indigenous Caucuses, who were excluded from the subcommittee that drafted the plan and denied a seat at the table. This is a clear violation of the spirit and purpose of Affirmative Action, which requires consultation and collaboration with the groups that are affected by the plan. The lack of diversity in the Planning Subcommittee mirrors the lack of diversity that caused an outcry in June 2021, when the WVDP put forward a draft affirmative action plan that was written without BIPOC input.
In addition to the lack of diversity, the plan is full of inaccuracies, omissions, and insults that demonstrate the cultural and racial insensitivity of the Planning Subcommittee. For example, the plan states that “indigenous people/Native Americans make up less than 0.5% of WV Democrats and there are no federally recognized tribes in WV. However, there are WV Democrats that have indigenous/Native American ancestry and therefore, this plan will include a representative goal of at least one.” This statement is offensive and problematic for several reasons.
First, it implies that there are no indigenous people or native americans in WV who are registered with federally recognized tribes, which is not true. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, there are 574 Indian tribes that are legally recognized by the United States. Some of these tribes have members who live in WV or have ancestral ties to the land. Second, it ignores the history and diversity of the historic tribes that were most closely associated with Western Virginia, such as the Shawnee, Delaware, Cherokee, Seneca, Tuscarawas, Susquehannock, and Mingo. Third, it sets a very low and arbitrary goal of having only one representative for indigenous people/Native Americans, which does not reflect the needs of our group.
Another example of the Planning Subcommittee’s disrespect and negligence is the way they treated the goals of the Black Caucus. The plan literally XXXXed out the goals of the Black Caucus, leaving blank spaces where their plans and strategies should have been. This shows that the Planning Subcommittee did not consult with the Black Caucus or include their input in the plan. It also shows that the subcommittee did not care about the needs and interests of the Black community in WV, who face systemic racism and oppression on a daily basis. The plan should have respected and supported the goals of the Black Caucus, which aim to empower and uplift the Black community in WV.
Not only did the subcommittee fail to acknowledge and appreciate the work being done by the Black and Indigenous Caucuses, but they also gave detailed plans from other caucuses whose members were represented in the subcommittee. This disparity is a blatant show of disrespect and indicates a total disregard for the contributions and achievements of these caucuses, who have been working tirelessly to advance the causes and rights of BIPOC communities in WV. Any affirmative action plan the WVDP adopts should not only recognize their work, but also incorporate their suggestions and feedback on how to improve the Affirmative Action initiative.
I urge the WVDP Executive Committee to reject this plan and insist that a new one be drafted with the full participation of representatives of the Black and Indigenous Caucuses. It is also imperative that the Planning Subcommittee of the AAC be held accountable for their discriminatory actions and apologize for their mistakes. Minorities shouldn’t be forced to accept a plan that excludes, silences, or harms us.