Residents in the Lewiston and Grangeville areas of north-central Idaho have launched a grassroots initiative to promote an inclusionary message through billboards. Inspired by the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, a nonprofit organization based in Boise, the community aims to spread the sentiment that “Everyone is Welcome Here.” This initiative follows a controversy at the West Ada School District in Meridian, where similar messages faced opposition.
Norma Staaf, a resident of Grangeville, spearheaded the project after purchasing one of the Wassmuth Center’s yard signs last summer. “I thought, ‘Wow, that would make a good billboard,’” she recalled, emphasizing the message’s significance. The Wassmuth Center, founded in 1996 and named after the late Bill Wassmuth from nearby Greencreek, focuses on promoting respect for human dignity and diversity.
In a display of community collaboration, Staaf initially raised funds with friends and neighbors to place a billboard in Grangeville featuring the Wassmuth Center’s imagery. The billboard, which was displayed for four weeks along U.S. Highway 95, received immediate support from local residents. Staaf noted, “I was just hoping for a positive message in our community.”
Following the success of the Grangeville billboard, Staaf sought to expand the project to Lewiston. With additional financial contributions from supporters in nearby towns such as Moscow and Genesee, she secured a second billboard on a video display near the Lewiston Tribune office along D Street. The Grangeville billboard has since been taken down, but the Lewiston billboard will remain active for at least three months due to continued funding.
The initiative has sparked a wave of similar projects throughout Idaho. A billboard has already been erected in Coeur d’Alene, and plans for additional billboards are underway in the Treasure Valley and central Idaho. Staaf expressed her amazement at the broad appeal of the message, stating, “I’ve been amazed at how many people this message has resonated with across the state, and even with people in other states.”
The “Everyone is Welcome Here” message gained national attention following a controversy involving Lewis and Clark Middle School teacher Sarah Inama. Inama faced pressure to remove two posters from her classroom that were deemed noncompliant with school policies on content neutrality. Her refusal to comply resulted in her resignation, and she has since accepted a teaching position at East Junior High School in the Boise School District for the current academic year.
Community members like Staaf believe that promoting messages of inclusion does not require extensive resources. “It can just be a few friends having a message or having some kind of action to spread a good message,” she said, highlighting the potential impact of grassroots efforts in fostering positive community dialogue.
This initiative not only showcases the power of local activism but also reinforces the importance of inclusion in schools and communities across the nation. The collaborative spirit of residents in north-central Idaho serves as a reminder that small actions can lead to significant change.
