Making Sure Everyone Is Included in City Plans

BY LAUREN JOHNSON

Canton is one of the fastest growing cities in Cherokee County, with a diverse population of residents. The city’s mayor and council knew diversity and inclusion would be an important component when creating the Roadmap for Success. They kept in the forefront that diversity can come in many forms — cultures, ages, ethnicities, abilities, etc. — and inclusion is providing a way for ALL to experience what Canton has to offer, while also giving opportunities to celebrate those groups.

“The City Council adopted a roadmap to focus and measure our progress toward common goals,” said Will Carlan, City Councilor, Ward 2. “The council recognized opportunities to make progress toward the goal of a city whose residents are respected, celebrated and engaged, regardless of their race, religion, nationality, ethnicity or sexual orientation. You should feel welcome and supported in Canton because you exist — not because of what you can provide to the community at large.”

After the Roadmap was adopted in 2021, the city wasted no time setting goals, making plans and driving actionable results for each tenet. Projects that were already underway for celebrating diversity included: establishing a Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and a Public Safety Citizens Advisory Board; developing a new city website; creating a Marietta Road community initiative and Sunnyside community campaign; installing free public WiFi in all city parks, and launching CanTeen.

CanTeen, a high school leadership organization and an active engagement outreach initiative to high school students, was the vision of Canton Mayor Bill Grant. “As mayor, one of my primary goals is to more actively engage our city’s youth to incorporate their vision, hopes and dreams for the future,” he said. “This is imperative in growing future leaders and having our youth return to Canton once their secondary education is completed.”

Organized by Cherokee High School classmates Laney Cline, Sophia Melbourne and Kenzie Rodriguez, CanTeen recently hosted a successful Teen Job Fair, with close to 30 businesses and organizations represented and more than 100 teenage job seekers. (For more details, turn to Page 16.) A second Teen Job Fair is already being discussed for this fall.

An event also returning this fall is the Multicultural Festival. Developed through a partnership with the city, Canton Police Department and Best United Ministry, the