The Clayton Conundrum

Kelvin Westbrook and his wife Valerie Bell moved to Clayton a dozen years ago with their three children, then middle and high school age. They were among the first African Americans to move into Clayton Gardens, tearing down a modest home and building a spacious new one. They found the amenities outstanding.

And yet, Bell and Westbrook  say they still feel like outsiders in their community. They know other African Americans, living or working in Clayton, who do as well. The Bell-Westbrook experience poses both a dilemma and an opportunity for Clayton, one of the most well-resourced and progressive communities in our region. Clayton has formed a Community Equity Commission. If the commissioners and the community can muster the will and find the way to successfully address Clayton's race relations challenges, they can serve as a model for the region, maybe even the nation. 

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