CHEYENNE, Wyo. — More than a hundred people filled the Cottonwood Room at the Laramie County Library on Oct. 5 to hear how community leaders are taking steps to improve racial and ethnic relations in the capital city.
The event was put on by library staff and Braver Angels of Laramie County, an organization aiming to bridge community divisions by holding public workshops, debates, discussions and public presentations.
The panelist included a mix of city, health, education, business and religious leaders, including Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins; Rep. Dan Zwonitzer; Cheyenne Chief of Police Mark Francisco; Judge Ronn Jeffrey; Laramie County School District 1 Violence Prevention Facilitator Chris Zimny; Director of Community Health and Analysis at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Amy Spieker; Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce President Dale Steenbergen; Pastor Stephen Latham; Pastor Nathan Winters; Rabbi Moshe Halfon; Pastor Tom Perea; and Col. Johnny Galbert, Commander of the 90th Missile Wing.
After the panelists introduced themselves and their areas of work, audience members wrote down questions, which were then relayed by a moderator. The panelists spoke on a variety of topics, including what existing measures were in place to promote diversity and what resources were available for the county’s Spanish-speaking communities.
When asked how city, law enforcement and education organizations were planning to make Laramie County more inclusive and equitable, Mayor Collins said the city is actively seeking out and hiring qualified individuals who are “representative of all our communities.”
Chief Francisco said the police department is dedicated to transparency, and one of the ways it does so is by publishing an annual report of its activities. Officers are also actively being trained to respect and value others.
“I’m trying to instill that culture here, and frankly many people have it,” Francisco said during the panel. “You as an individual don’t need to earn my respect; you have it from the moment you speak.”
At LCSD1, Zimny said speakers are occasionally invited to educate both staff and student groups on issues of bias. The school is also promoting inclusivity through its social studies curriculum, he said, making sure students have access to primary sources that help them understand the reality of different time periods.
Religious leaders on the panel then mentioned that interfaith activities can create a positive impact on race relations.
Pastor Peresa from Restoration Fellowship in Cheyenne said different places of worship should be intentional about “reaching out out to one another.” Pastor Latham, current president of the local NAACP, added that cultural and religious organizations should invite outsiders to their festivities. Community members can better understand one another, he said, when they take the time to seek and listen to different viewpoints.
“I see hope in the schools and see hope in the healthcare. … I see hope all over the place,” he said during the panel.
Col. Galbert was asked how race relations at F.E. Warren Air Force base compared to other bases. Galbert said for the most part, he’s had a “good experience.” He clarified that all Airmen are taught to value diversity, but their number-one goal is to focus on their job.
“We don’t play politics,” Galbert said during the panel. “We embrace each other, we embrace diversity and avoid the other things going on around society.”
Attendees were also curious to know how Cheyenne was planning to accommodate its Spanish-speaking population. The county has a 15.3% Hispanic population, and 5.7% of households between 2017 and 2021 spoke a language other than English at home.
Steenbergen said he isn’t sure what steps the Chamber of Commerce will take, but acknowledges that it is a growing concern nationwide.
“[Spanish speakers] are a growing population in this country, and we need to make them a growing part of this nation and figure out how to do it as well as anyone else,” he said during the panel.
At the Cheyenne Regional Hospital, Spiker said signage was updated to include both English and Spanish instructions. Front desk staff at the Women’s and Children’s clinic are also learning basic Spanish to help everyone in need, she said.
Zimny added that LCSD1 is actively encouraging students applying for the Wyoming’s Hathaway Scholarship Program, which has a foreign language requirement, and the state’s bilingual seal of literacy, which is an award given by the Wyoming Department of Education in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in English and one or more additional languages by graduation.
