We are All the Same – So Concentrate on Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk
by Toniette H. Duncan
Whenever the need for diversity of members on the Council or township Boards to
represent the diversity of Teaneck residents is brought up during Good and Welfare, the
topic appears to put many councilmembers on the defensive. Councilman Kaplan
wants us to believe that the lack of diverse representation is due to a lack of interest.
According to Councilman Kaplan, the residents who apply are not minorities (with
women being including in the definition of minorities). Councilman Kaplan has gone so
far as to challenge Councilwoman Romney Rice regarding her efforts, (if any, he
implied), to recruit minorities to serve on the Boards. Shouldn't the diversity of members on our boards be the responsibility of the entire Council?
According to Mayor Dunleavy, we must stop identifying people by any type of
difference and concentrate on “walking the walk and talking the talk”. What does he
mean by that phrase? He means, so he says, that we must realize that we are all
Teaneck-ians, and that we are all the same.
However, it appears that if we are all the same, a Teaneck-ian, it is only in theory, in conversation, and surely only for the convenience of the Council to distract us from discussing the percentage or number of minorities who are members of a Board. For Mayor Dunleavy, as we are all Teaneck-ians, there is no need to concern ourselves with the diversity of members serving on boards and commissions.
Hmmm? Interesting thought, right? Well, if we are all the same in Teaneck, then why must we fight against anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim, anti-Black Lives Matter, anti-Asian and anti-LGBTQ?
Perhaps this is a major reason why we need to have a diverse representation on our boards and Council so that all of our voices and opinions are heard and counted.
For Mayor Dunleavy there is no need for diverse representation. All members of boards and commissions are Teaneck-ians.
How can we all be the same when Deputy Mayor Schwartz took the time to read the
names of every Black, Hispanic or Asian person that is a Board member? And, if we are
all the same, why was Deputy Mayor Schwartz so strongly against reappointing Denise
Belcher as a member of the Planning Board? Oh yes, remember, it was because she
ran against him to be elected as a Council member…. not because she is a Black
woman who is interested in providing a service to her community.
The Council wears a false face. There is no interest or desire to have diversity
represented on the township’s Boards or on the Council. This is surely represented by
their lack of voting to elect the only Black female Councilwoman (who happened to win
the greatest number of votes) to serve as the Mayor or as a Deputy Mayor when they
had the opportunity to do so. So much for walking the walk and talking the talk…
