Raul Marquez will add much needed diversity to the Salem-Keizer school board

Raul Marquez. David Salinas. Remember those names when you fill out your ballot for the May 21 Special District Election where three board members of the Salem-Keizer School District will be elected.

Then, vote for Marquez and Salinas! 

Last Saturday I got to hear Raul Marquez speak and answer questions at a house party hosted by Salem city councilor Tom Andersen and his wife, Jessica Maxwell. 

David Salinas and Raul Marquez

He's a really impressive young man.

This photo of Salinas and Marquez was shared on Facebook by Councilor Andersen. Salinas couldn't make the house party due to a family emergency. From what I've heard about Salinas, I'm confident that he'll also be an excellent addition to the seven-member school board.

A big reason why was brought up by Marquez: "No one on the school board looks like me. Yet over 50% of the students are people of color."

Here's what the current Salem-Keizer school board looks like.

Electing Marquez and Salinas will add some much-needed diversity to the Salem-Keizer School Board. Wiser decisions are made when a group is composed of people with varying backgrounds and experiences. 

At the house party Marquez spoke of his low-income upbringing. Enjoying music, he had to rent an instrument during his time at McKay High School because his family couldn't afford to buy one. He said that it wasn't the highest quality instrument, not surprisingly.

Impressively, Marquez led a successful campaign to raise $400,000 for a homeless youth shelter, Taylor's House. Here's excerpts from a Salem Reporter story:

Taylor’s House is Salem’s newest shelter, a home for teens and young people between 11 and 18 who are homeless or in foster care and don’t have another place to go. Employees work with teens on completing high school or a GED, finding work and resolving family problems.

...Taylor’s House opened in December [2018], less than a year after then-high school student Raul Marquez presented the idea to the United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley’s board and asked for their support.

Marquez walked out of that meeting with a commitment of $100,000, and quickly raised an additional $300,000, including $200,000 from the Legislature, to buy and renovate the small blue house in a residential neighborhood just north of downtown.

Raul Marquez now is a Willamette University student. He told us house party guests, "I know how to listen and act collaboratively with others."

Sounds like perfect qualifications for the first young Latino Salem-Keizer school board member.

Comments

[Norm Baxter]

I hope Salem can overcome its systemic racism to elect one or both of these candidates. In the last school board election, a highly qualified Hispanic candidate was defeated by a candidate whose only qualification was being white. We can do better than that!

[Skyline]

Sorry.
But I refuse to base my vote on race or color.
Shame on you for suggesting that.
I'll look at qualifications.

[Jim Scheppke]

Glad that Skyline is going to look at qualifications, because Raul and David, and Chuck Lee in District 6, are clearly the most qualified candidates for our school board. Here are their qualifications, in summary:

In 2018, as a senior at McKay High School, Raul raised over $400,000 to fund Taylor's House, Salem's first homeless youth shelter. Today he is a freshman at Willamette University studying political science. He has served as an intern for Senator Jeff Merkley and for State Representative Diego Hernandez. He is a member of the Board of the Mid-Willamette Valley United Way.

David is an electrician, a Project Manager for Cherry City Electric. He came up the hard way and had to quit school to support his family. But with the help of some dedicated mentors he attended Chemeketa Community College, earned his GED and apprenticed to learn a trade. Today he is an active parent with four children in Salem-Keizer schools. He recently served on the Salem-Keizer School District Boundary Task Force.

Chuck Lee has worked as a teacher, principal and school administrator for over 35 years. He is the Founder and President of the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC), Salem's nationally renowned technical education program, and President Emeritus of Blanchet Catholic School. He is a former Keizer City Councilor and is serving in his third term on the Salem-Keizer School District Board.

These are three superbly qualified candidates!

[tucson]

I agree with Skyline. Don't like racism? Then forget about it. No thoughts about diversity or equal representation of COLOR. Just see people. An American is an American. Melanin is a pigment. Some Americans have more melanin and some have less.

Here's an issue: Some candidates are taller and some are shorter. I've noticed a preference for taller candidates. I want more diversity. Vote short!!!

Sarcasm aside.. Look, I get it. You think the Latino community should be more represented. As the Latino community grows so will the number of candidates and thus more melanin enhanced people will be on school boards. Chill out. Don't worry. it will happen of its own accord. If not this time, maybe the next.

One of the primary reasons Obama was elected was because of his enhanced melanin. "Isn't it nice we have this articulate black man in office now!" Ironically racial division and disharmony have have increased as a result of his policies. He promised more unity and instead was one of the most divisive presidents in history.. one of the Great Founders of identity politics.