Last month, Sightline Senior Researcher Kristin Eberhard published a piece that looked at the makeup of 20 Oregon city councils, 20 county councils and 20 school boards and how well they reflect the communities they represent. Using data taken from the US Census Bureau, Oregon school districts, local court jurisdictions’ websites, and even some cold calls, it revealed a striking disparity between the makeup of the population and local elected governing bodies. Of the 60 Oregon councils and school boards, all but two underrepresent people of color.
Portland TV station KATU picked up on the piece and produced a report on its local newscast last month, with Kristin as a featured presence. Among her comments:
“The school board that’s making all these decisions about the student body that’s majority students of color doesn’t share a life experience with them,” Kristin said.
You can watch the entire report in the embedded video below:
