Keeping educated and skilled workers from leaving the Alabama Gulf coast is an ongoing concern. Efforts are underway at the state, regional and local levels to attract and hold onto these workers. Surveys of those leaving Alabama for other parts of the U.S. cite a range of complaints as reasons for looking elsewhere to work and live. The Alabama Public Radio news team will examine problems and search for solutions, here and elsewhere. The state of Kansas made national headlines when voters resoundingly rejected a ballot item restricting abortion. This result occurs while Topeka, like the Alabama Gulf coast, tries to manage its conservative image that workers may find unacceptable.
Ahead of Juneteenth and Pride Month celebrations in June, the Greater Topeka Partnership is encouraging local businesses to promote inclusivity and show support for historically marginalized groups.
The partnership on Wednesday announced its new Inclusive Topeka campaign, which is designed to build on prior commitments to promote diversity and inclusion and provide local businesses a way to publicly display their support for such efforts. Last fall, the Visit Topeka board of directors voted to adopt a written statement, committing our organization to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in how we operate, said Visit Topeka president Sean Dixon. Now that we ve begun to reopen and welcome visitors back to Topeka, we re thrilled to take this as an opportunity to invite our attractions, our restaurants and our retailers to join us in our commitment.