Racism

Juneau picks finalists for systemic racism review committee

Alaska

Juneau picks finalists for systemic racism review committee

Published

10 months ago

on

January 12, 2024

By

News Room

Share

More than 400 people attended a rally in Juneau on the 11th day of protests against police violence and systemic racism following the death of George Floyd in late May. After marching from Marine Park to the roundabout on Douglas Island, demonstrators threw hundreds of flowers into Gastineau Channel on June 6, 2020. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/KTOO)

Six people have been chosen to lead the City and Borough of Juneau’s new systemic racism review committee. The Juneau Assembly picked the final members on Thursday.

The committee will review proposed laws and advise the assembly if they include a policy or implication that is racist.

This comes eight months after the Assembly approved the creation of the committee following local protests inspired by nationwide anti-racist demonstrations.

Out of 16 applicants, six people were chosen by the Human Resources Committee:

David Russell-Jensen and Kelly Patterson for three-year terms.
Grace Lee, Lisa Worl and Gail Dabaluz for two-year terms.
Dominic Branson and Carla Casulucan for one-year terms.

The motion to approve the committee passed unanimously, with a 7-2 vote. In a separate motion, assembly members Michelle Hale and Greg Smith objected to the start date.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the committee was approved unanimously by the Juneau Assembly and assembly members Michelle Hale and Greg Smith objected to a separate motion.