A Bexley Where You Belong
One Bexley is our shared commitment to becoming a community where everyone truly belongs
We acknowledge that Bexley’s story includes chapters shaped by exclusion and inequity, and we believe that facing our history with clarity and care is how we create a better community for everyone. One Bexley is a space for learning, honest conversation, and shared experiences that help us understand where we’ve come from and where we want to go.
Through learning, conversation, and community-wide events, One Bexley is working to nurture a culture where inclusion is the norm, diversity is celebrated, and all of us have the opportunity to thrive.
Our Mission:
We are committed to building a community free from racism, prejudice, and exclusion, where every individual is valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. One Bexley will achieve this through education, discussions, and community-wide programming that acknowledges historical injustices and fosters a culture of belonging.
The Work of Welcoming
Moving from Tight-Knit to Truly Inclusive
Bexley has no shortage of merits for prospective community members. Pick any real estate website or report and you’ll find that our homes sell faster and for more money than nearly any other suburb in the region. Ask our residents and they too will be happy to report they love Bexley—citing their annual neighborhood block party, elementary school PTO camaraderie, or the rec program they took last week.
But is all actually well in Mayberry?
Bexley is completely surrounded by the City of Columbus and while Columbus’ population is over 40% non-White (Black, Asian, Hispanic, multiracial, etc.), Bexley’s non-White population is barely 20%. That contrast didn’t happen by accident–and it didn’t disappear when discriminatory policies were repealed.
There are no lingering zoning, deed restrictions, or lending practices on the books to blame. The culprit? Once policies were undone, we left too much of the needed change to chance.
This is where One Bexley steps in: to take decisive action.
Four reasons why racism continues to negatively impact Bexley and why we must unite to actively fight for inclusion:
Limited opportunities to move to Bexley.
Central Ohio continues to grow and diversify, and yet, we’re not seeing our Black community grow in Bexley. We’re not alone in this: many affluent inner-ring suburbs remain homogenous due to the lingering impacts of longstanding housing patterns, high home prices, and low turnover (not to mention all of our off-market sales).
Multigenerational homeownership and sustained norms.
Bexley prides itself on how many of our young residents return to Bexley to start a family, often moving into their childhood home, or buying a neighbor’s residence. But this multigenerational residency can carry unspoken social norms and unintentionally define who belongs here and what they look like.
Less overt but ever present.
Racism is so much more than a “big city” problem, but why is it often conceived of in that way? Because Bexley has relatively fewer overt racist incidents, there is less focus on the more subtle forms of bias and discrimination. Put another way: because we feel an absence of conflict, we may not feel the need to address the harm being done.
Protecting the character of our community vs. proving it.
To be welcoming to all types of people, we need more housing—yet with every new multi-family development comes an onslaught of pushback: often claiming that property values, Bexley’s #1 school rankings, or our neighborhood character will be lost to the change in question. These narratives unfairly amplify resistance to inclusive housing, programming, and policy changes that would help Bexley actively welcome more people of all backgrounds.
The Team Behind the Dream
Meet the One Bexley Project Steering Committee
The One Bexley Steering Committee is the team responsible for guiding the One Bexley initiative. Its members include the executive heads of the City of Bexley and Bexley Public Library with support from Bexley City Schools, in addition to community appointees. The committee is supported by consulting Program Coordinators Lachandra Baker and Steven Shapiro.
Current members include:
Mayor Ben Kessler
(Vice Chair)
Megan Meyer
City of Bexley
Dr. Jason Fine
School District
Dr. Stephen Lewis
School District
Kumi Walker
Member at Large
Dr. Jonathan Baker
Member at Large
La Baker
Consultant
Steven Shapiro
Consultant
Zach Parish
Library
Ben Heckman
(Chair) Library
Cecil Gouke
(Secretary) Member at Large
Bryan Drewry
Chamber