John Cox: Promise of equity shines through at economic summit

Oct. 30—Back-to-back economic conferences were a lot to take last week in downtown Bakersfield: four days of presentations and networking with no shortage of dramatic twists.

Mercifully, there were moments along the way that broke up the intensity of discussions about new and sometimes contentious opportunities in Kern County's growing renewable energy sector.

Perhaps none of those moments was more memorable, or better representative of the spirit of the events, than a four-woman conversation that took place on stage Friday morning at the California Economic Summit about an hour before the surprise appearance of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Four Kern County natives, all successful leaders in their own right, shared stories of growing up humbly, never suspecting one day they would command influence in the fields of business, education and labor.

But there they were, in front of hundreds of policymakers from around the state, describing a side of Kern visitors often do not see — the county as a land of opportunity, or at the least, the promise of one.

Local businesswoman Raji Brar, a first-generation Punjabi-Sikh American born and raised in Central Valley farm camps, shared a story from the day before, when the summit opened with a welcome message from speakers of three languages: English, Spanish and Punjabi.

She and her brother were backstage at the time, full-grown adults jumping up and down, Brar said.

"We felt so seen," she recalled. "Oh my God they're speaking Punjabi!"

Her family develops, owns and operates a chain of convenience stores and franchises. A priority for the family is to keep the door of opportunity open so others might also succeed, she said.

Now as a recognized leader in the community, Brar said she pushes for the same values of inclusion and diversity. If a community is to survive and thrive economically and socially, she said, "you have to take everybody with you."