Yesterday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) joined with the Spokane NAACP President Phillip Tyler for a “Peaceful Communities Roundtable” in Spokane, WA. This listening session took place as the result of the troubling racist events that occurred in Spokane at the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Center this last fall. Following these events, Rep. McMorris Rodgers shared with Phil Tyler her desire to do more to bring our community together and address these terrible events.

In a statement released today by the Spokane NAACP, President Phil Tyler said, “Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers promised me that when she returned to Spokane we would work together to address the acts and help create the community “we” wanted. She showed up and followed through on her promise and I appreciate that.”

The 90-minute roundtable included numerous members from the Spokane Community representing various religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, who described the event as a success. Focusing the conversation on the three key issues of poverty, racism, and divisiveness, the group pledged to meet again.

Rep. McMorris Rodgers released the following statement after the roundtable:

“First, I want to say thank you to the Spokane NAACP for holding this listening session today, and to everyone in our community who attended and shared their thoughts. I am especially thankful for the leadership and vision Phil Tyler brings to the organization. It’s people like Phil who bring change to our communities because he is willing to do the hard work of bringing everyone to the table to focus on the core beliefs that unite us all.

“More needs to be done to address racial division in America, and I believe that although we all come from different backgrounds, cultures, and races, we are all united in our goal to make our community stronger, safer, and more prosperous for everyone.”

As Rep. McMorris Rodgers has said, she’s committed to continuing these conversations so that everyone in Eastern Washington, no matter their background or walk of life, can unite together under shared core values and create real change and progress in our community.

###