Article by Gretchen Chambers.
The League of Women Voters is committed to Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as vital to our purpose to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. DEI policy also promotes informed, caring and culturally enriched communities in which everyone can participate and thrive. That Ellensburg has committed to DEI as articulated in Chapter 9 of its Comprehensive Plan is good for all of us, our civic culture and future prosperity as a community.
Ellensburg has been a place of diverse peoples since its founding. Ancestors of the Yakama nations lived here, finding the area rich in resources. Starting in the mid-19th century Black, Chinese, Jewish, Latino, Japanese, Italian, Eastern European, and other groups came to Ellensburg and nearby for work on the railroad, in mines, timber, local businesses, and on farms and orchards, many establishing businesses and farms of their own. Religious communities settled here to worship and live freely. In 1908, an African Methodist Episcopal Church was on Main Street.
Today, the city continues to diversify. Close to 25% of our population is Latino and people of color. Central Washington University attracts a student body and faculty representing many races, backgrounds, religions, and identities. Ellensburg’s diversity contributes varied perspectives and experiences to the cultural, intellectual and economic wealth of our community.
The City of Ellensburg Comprehensive Plan defines DEI goals, policies and programs to safeguard this wealth through ensuring that Ellensburg residents have the rights and civic support they need to live and participate in our community. These policies are valuable and necessary because it is our reality that community members—people of color, religious groups, people with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others—still feel invisible, excluded, and experience negative behaviors and sometimes overt rejection and discrimination.
DEI is not a zero-sum policy. It does not subtract from one group to give to another. Its aim is to ensure that rights and opportunities are available to all and promote welcoming and inclusive attitudes in civic culture for the participation and enrichment of all.
Examples of DEI goals in the Comprehensive Plan include:
- Use a wide variety of media and information distribution methods to reach more people.
- Partner with local health and social services to identify strategies for making their services accessible by all means of transportation.
- Provide opportunities for healthy activity in safe and accessible public spaces for all residents.
- Encourage cultural sharing.
To continue as an inclusive, productive, and enriching community for all its residents, Ellensburg must continue to be guided by DEI policy. The DEI chapter in the Ellensburg Comprehensive Plan is currently being challenged in its entirety. In this context I am reminded of a particular part of the LWV oath:
These times require that we remain thoughtful and earnest rather than reactionary and divisive. We reject any emotion or ploy that seeks to overwhelm us or turn us against our neighbor...
This article co-published by Ellensburg Daily Record Newspaper August 9, 2025. Gretchen Chambers is retired from a varied job career (which included landscaping, health care, and more) and is now working with her husband to thin and protect their 70 acres of forest around their home near Lookout Mountain. She is a member of the Kittitas County League of Women Voters.