It’s good that racial disparity in Springfield has become an issue in the campaign for mayor. Rarely is the subject discussed so openly as it was during Monday’s mayoral candidate forum sponsored by Faith Coalition for the Common Good. But now that information is coming to the surface, Springfield must correct injustices. That may not be so difficult. For example, Mayor Jim Langfelder admitted that minority hiring within the fire department – only 5 percent of 218 firefighters are minorities – is not what it should be. That’s because “candidates often come from surrounding rural areas and are white,” the mayor said. Well, mayor, what are we doing to get candidates who are people of color? –Fletcher Farrar, editor and CEO
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2019.
