Due to budget cuts by the City of Sioux City, a long-running multicultural fair planned for this weekend could be the last.
The Sioux City Human Rights Commission hosts the event, “Faces of Siouxland,” which showcases music, dance, food and art from African, Asian, Native American and Hispanic cultures.
Commission Executive Director Karen Mackey says the city council recently voted to slash almost 40-percent of the funding requested for next fiscal year.
“A wonderful event for 34 years. It’s been a great run, but if we actually do lose $140,000, we can barely afford staff,” she says. “We won’t be able to afford doing an event like that.”
The free multicultural fair takes place at the Sioux City Convention Center Sunday from noon until 4 PM with a focus on showcasing the metro area’s diversity.
“It matters a lot to many people in this community. It’s really the one time that you see just how diverse we are,” Mackey says. “We tend to live in our little silos and often they look like us, but on that one day, you’re seeing a lot of different people.”
In addition to hosting the festival, the primary role of the Sioux City Human Rights Commission is to help investigate claims of discrimination in the workplace and with housing.
“As long as we’re still available to fully investigate cases in a timely manner, that’s my focus,” she says, “so that’s more important than hosting this event, and perhaps someone else will take it up.”
Mackey says she plans to take a pay cut, in addition to reducing the hours for the commission’s four other employees. She believes city officials wanted to force her to retire.
Mackey hopes the city council will reinstate the budget before it is certified for the new fiscal year.
(By Sheila Brummer, Iowa Public Radio)