City of Wausau. MWC file graphic
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A fairly new City of Wausau committee has changed its name.
The Mayor’s Welcoming and Inclusivity Committee was formed by former Mayor Robert Mielke in 2019 to help address resident concerns. The committee name was decided by the city with the understanding that the committee would choose its name once it began meeting.
After over a year as an official committee, a new name has been decided on by the members. The committee has changed its name to the Liberation and Freedom Committee following two meetings of discussion.
Committee Chair Blake Opal-Wahosky wasn’t able to be at the meeting in person but gave a statement to Mayor Katie Rosenberg to present to the council. In the statement, Opal-Wahosky describes why the committee chose to re-brand itself as the Liberation and Freedom Committee.
“After further review, our committee members decided upon the words liberation and freedom for its positive word choice and identifying the intention of the committee’s purpose. The committee is currently undertaking a strategic planning process. Below is an update on the committee’s approved mission statement and objectives.”
Most members of the council approved of the new name without any comment. District 7 Alder Lisa Rasmussen was slightly concerned that the name change didn’t reflect the scope of what the committee is trying to achieve in the city.
“The original vision for the committee was that it would think of ways and propose initiatives that would make Wausau a more welcoming community for everybody. For people, for businesses, for new residents, for residents that are already here. It wasn’t even about race necessarily.
“It was about how do we make Wausau an attractive place where everybody wants to come and live and be. And how do we remove barriers to that and make it so that when people come to Wausau as a new resident, they don’t feel and aren’t treated like an outsider, regardless of who they are or what they look like.”
With the statement from Opal-Wahosky and further explanation from the committee’s council liaison, District 4 Alder Tom Neal, the name change was approved unanimously. The newly branded Liberation and Freedom Committee will hold it’s next meeting on September 2nd.
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