DOVER, Del.- Two city councilmen want to address concerns about racism in the city, and they're inviting community members to a meeting about it Wednesday night.
Councilmen Brian Lewis and Roy Sudler Jr. organized the event. It will start at 6 p.m. at Dover City Hall.
Councilman Lewis, who represents the 2nd district, tells WBOC he has received "multiple concerns from citizens who feel they are being targeted because of their race and ethnicity."
Although Dover is home to the historically black university, Delaware State, and recent U.S. Census data shows an almost even split between the city's black and white populations, some community members said racial inequality is a growing problem.
"The city really needs to understand that racism, prejudice and discrimination are still there and they need to figure out a way to address it," said Lachelle Paul, who runs the community advocacy network 'Divided We Fall."
Paul claims she's heard several cases of racial profiling within the city's public services. Her suggestion is more training for Dover employees.
"Diversity and inclusion training is definitely a big factor that needs to be implemented," Paul said.
Lewis said this is exactly why an open forum on race relations is needed. He's been passing around a flyer which states the town hall meeting will address “Kent County constituent’s well-being and how it relates to systematic biases in the capital of Delaware.”
The flyer also includes a QR code which is linked to a survey. Lewis said the collected data will help revitalize Dover's Human Relations Commission.
"We want Dover Human Relations to have more authority than it has in the past," he explained. "So that when complaints come in from citizens they can be whole heartedly addressed."
Paul hopes the meeting means more than just a conversation.
"It's time for action," she stated. "We need actual solutions not just talks about the problem we already know exists."
Councilman Lewis said the race relations meeting has potential to turn into a monthly event, if other councilmembers are on board.
An updated version of this story can be found here.