Langley is working toward becoming an anti-racist city.

Kennedy Horstman, one of the members of the Dismantling Systemic Racism working group, gave an annual status report during the Langley City Council meeting on Tuesday. Irene Vernon is the chairperson of the committee but was not able to give the presentation.

At the end of last year, the committee designated focus areas and came up with an action plan. The priority areas are learning, affordable housing, climate action, community well being and city policies, procedures and planning. The status update was based on those categories.

In the community well-being category, the group recommended the removal of imitation totem poles in Seawall park.

“We had really great participation and support for the selection of the new police chief,” Horstman said.

Vernon developed the selection questions and participated in the oral examination for the hiring process.

Another member, Chris Byrne, is sitting on the affordable housing ad hoc committee.

“Their work resulted in the Coles Valley recommendation,” Horstman said.

The group also formally recommended an approach to the holiday of Juneteenth that emphasized “celebration and education,” Horstman said.

For the learning category, the committee has developed a six-week, self-paced learning program “with the intent that it will support city leaders in establishing a shared understanding of anti-racism,” Horstman said. The program is in the process of being professionally reviewed in order to offer it to city council, the mayor and director-level staff in September.

The committee also gave a formal recommendation about standard language to be included in job descriptions, interviews and recruitment materials.

In the future, the committee members plan to “continue to support and identify next steps around education regarding removal of Seawall poles,” Horstman said.

The committee would also like to identify how to support community safety, in light of increasing gun violence, and to continue ongoing formal engagement with the climate action commission, as well as the affordable housing initiative.

Councilmember Harolynne Bobis described the work the committee does as “hard to get done” and described those on the committee as “poster children for allies.”