During the April Agenda Prep meeting last night, Borough Council unanimously endorsed a motion to include the following statement into the recorded minutes.

Statement:

Indiana Borough strives to be a welcoming community within Indiana County. This means to embrace principles which celebrate diversity, equality and inclusion. It also means to keep the public aware of the adverse effects of racial discrimination; and do all we can to ensure it is clear hate has no place in our community. For these reasons, we share the sentiments of Indiana County Commissioners, Sunoco, and Rep. Jeff Pyle in condemning the hateful language displayed on a privately-owned billboard along Route 422 in neighboring Armstrong County.

Spreading hateful language does not foster healthy conversation, nor does it consider the incalculable emotional damage to those it is aimed at. As home to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, our borough has a significant student population. Each student brings their own unique culture and backstories into our community. These same students eventually move on from our community and leave to go make the world a better place. It is our responsibility to ensure their right to live free of prejudice or discrimination while part of our community; and to highlight the importance of choosing love over hate.