Kevin Chavous
A Mayor for every neighborhood

Racial Relations

"Racism is real. Growing up in Indiana, I faced it everyday. As mayor, we have to make sure that we fund those entities in the government that deal with racism. If you file a discrimination complaint, it shouldn't sit in the office for two, three, four years. We also need to do what the control board has not: follow our laws dealing with small and disadvantaged businesses. We are going to make sure that our local small and disadvantaged business get their fair share."

Most important is that we all acknowledge there a racial division within Washington, DC. However, I believe it is extremely important for all of us to embrace our sameness and commonalties, rather than accentuates our differences.

The common bonds shared by all communities will close the gaps I believe are at the heart of the racial division. Those common bonds include education for our children, healthcare, economic development/employment, public safety and the general well being of all citizens. By working together toward satisfactory responses to these issues, I believe we can erase the division and move forward to a new millennium as one city.

During "My First 100 Day" as Mayor, I will utilize models such as the Jewish/Black Dialogue to call our citizens together. Through that model, we will celebrate the richness of our diversity.

Diversity

"I was raised in Indiana, went to a small college there and really hadn't a due about how exciting it can be to live and work with people from a variety of backgrounds. Moving to DC — falling in love with DC — changed all that. The District is a mirror image of the demographic changes taking place in the United States. The mix of talents, skills and expressions of men and women from many ethnic and racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, physical capabilities, and who knows what other perspectives, is our strength and fuels our creative energies.

This diversity is also is one of our biggest challenges. Respect and fairness have got to be our guiding principles. And effective cross-cultural communication skills must be prized. Working together, we will be powerful.