The City of Canton Cultivating a Culture of Inclusion

When I was considering a run for Canton City Council, I received overwhelming support. But every now and then, I'd run into what amounted to this message: Who do you think you are? You were not born here. Once or twice that message extended to include: Plus, you're a woman — an outspoken woman.

These experiences were rare, but because I've had them and others throughout my life, it is also not difficult for me to listen to and learn from people who have experiences in which they feel unwelcome, unheard, or unsafe based on their gender, skin color, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

I'm fortunate to have been elected to City Council and to serve with incredible councilmembers and a mayor, all of whom are committed to ensuring Canton is truly a place where everyone is welcome, a place where we work to reduce the discriminatory experiences residents may face.

To that end, the City of Canton recently established a Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. The mission of this citizen group is to facilitate dialogue and enhance understanding, trust, respect, and representation, creating a culture of inclusion in our community that is welcoming to all residents.

Task Force member Carmen Slaughter hopes the group goes beyond the important goals of celebrating and promoting diversity.

"I hope it will serve as a springboard to create more opportunities for the City of Canton to establish initiatives that will foster meaningful and impactful engagement with all citizens of our beloved community," says Slaughter.

Seeing that all citizens are given a voice in any situation is a priority for Task Force Chair Carlos T. Hill.

"Ask any Canton resident, and they love this idea of 'love where you live,'" Hill explains. "The acronym 'PRIDE' can be Promoting Respect, Inclusion, and Diversity for Everyone in Canton. We are told that representation matters. The Task Force is representation on a level that takes serious vision."

Members appointed to the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force by Canton City Council and the mayor are Lorraine Aragon, Tiffany Bird, Carlos T. Hill, Shannon Rankins, Paty Reveles, Carmen Slaughter, and Kathy Strom.

Mapping the Way To Inclusion
One of the tenets within the City of Canton's newly approved Roadmap for Success is "celebrating the diversity of our community." Residents can view the measurable goals and ideas for encouraging economic, cultural, and social diversity in Canton at CantonGa.gov. Residents can also provide feedback on this tenet and others at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..