Governor Terry McAuliffe today signed Executive Order Number 69, creating the Commonwealth Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“In the wake of the tragic events in Charlottesville, it is important for the people of Virginia to have an honest discussion about what we can do to combat hatred and violence and continue our work building a Commonwealth that is open and welcoming to everyone,” said Governor McAuliffe. “The white supremacists and Klansmen who descended upon Charlottesville do not represent the values of the vast majority of Virginians, and the problems of white supremacy, religious intolerance, discrimination against LGBT Virginians, and other forms of hatred and violence are not unique to this Commonwealth. But those events should be a wakeup call for every citizen about the need to work together constructively to examine the origins of racism, discrimination and radicalization and what steps we can take to drive those pernicious forces from our Commonwealth and our country.”
Created in the wake of the violent white supremacist events on August 11th and 12th in Charlottesville, the commission will be charged with assessing how hatred and discrimination against racial minorities, religious groups and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals led to those tragic events.
The commission will identify policy changes that can be made at the state level to make Virginia more open and inclusive to people from every walk of life, as well as steps the federal government can take to support state efforts to combat intolerance and expand opportunity for all. It will also examine how people become radicalized and what steps can be taken to prevent political violence in the future.
The commission’s membership and first meeting will be announced soon.
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