June 28, 2022
City Council
DATE: June 28, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Councilmember Demnlus Johnson
Subject:
Richmond Community Foundation has Established an
Equity for Black Women & Girls Initiative.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The financial impact includes assigning staff to serve as a liaison to the initiative.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
Adopted Resolution 93-18 on December 4, 2018.
Adopted Resolution 102-14 on December 2, 2014.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
In October 2020, Dr. Cynthia LeBlanc, RCF Connects’
Board Chair recommended that the organization's
recently adopted equity statement be actualized through a board initiative to address equity for Black women and girls in Contra Costa County.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a report from the Richmond Community
Foundation (RCF) on the Equity for Black Women and
Girls Initiative - Councilmember Demnlus Johnson (510-
620-6861).
DISCUSSION:
RCF Connects is a leading motivator in Contra Costa County in the field of philanthropy and community change. Its mission is to mobilize the power of connection to build AGENDA
REPORT
June 28, 2022
healthy, thriving communities through five focus areas: Restoring Neighborhoods, Health, Community Growth, Quality Education, and Public Safety.
RCF Connects defines equity as the opportunity for all communities, and each of their members, to flourish, achieve, and attain their maximum power and potential – irrespective of their racial composition and starting place in life. Equity embodies qualities of fairness, justice, and freedom from bias and discrimination. As its core mission, RCF Connects seeks systemic change that eliminates policies, practices, and attitudes that are root causes of inequity.
RCF Connects issued a Request for Proposal in January 2021 for the Equity for Black Women and Girls Initiative. The scope of the work included:
A study to include interviews and focus groups to explore the needs of and current supports or Black women and girls in Contra Costa County. A position paper with recommendations supporting equity for Black women and girls in Contra Costa County.
The contract was awarded to Coach to Discover (C2D), a local, Black female-owned consulting firm.
Data Collection
East and west county were selected as geographic areas of focus due to the significant and increasing presence of Black/African Americans in these regions. Contra Costa County is home to 1,165,927 residents, 9.5% of whom identify as Black/African American. Between 2010 and 2020 the percentage of Black/African American residents increased by 4.7% in the County. Black/African American residents decreased in west county (Pinole by 14.5%, Richmond by 19%, and San Pablo by 12.9%) during this period. Their numbers increased significantly in east county (Antioch 36.5%, Brentwood,
32.3%, Pittsburgh by 15.7%). (2020 Census, State Redistricting Data (Public Law 94- 171) Summary File, U.S. Census Bureau, August 2021).
The design team consulted Black women and girls across age, occupation, income, and education, to learn about their lived experiences in Contra Costa County. The team also consulted representatives of organizations that fund human services programming in Contra Costa County regarding their organization’s intentions to center the needs of Black women and girls in their current and future funding priorities.
Key Findings
Funders that support programming in Contra Costa County do not currently prioritize funding for services exclusively for Black women and girls.
June 28, 2022
Call to Action
RCF Connects and its board of directors are recommended to initiate and secure funding for:
Grant Funding and Technical Assistance Program.
Black Women and Girls Incubator Program (new and existing business enterprises).
Convening Black-led organizations and other organizations that serve Black people in Contra Costa County to inventory services for Black women and girls. Lead an ongoing task force on Black women and girls to partner on implementing these recommendations.
Create and fund a permanent position within RCF Connects, staffed by a Black woman, to support fulfillment of the goals of the Equity for Black Women and Girls Initiative.
I support this initiative and want to be a part of improving equity for Black women and girls. Black women are one of the most unprotected and disrespected groups in our society, and I want to help create solutions to the barriers that have been plaguing Black women and girls. To that end, I request that staff collaborate with RCF Connect to support this initiative and identify programs that are aligned with its mission.
In response to the recommendations in the RCF Connects presentation, I support their request to work with the Richmond Government Alliance on Race and Equity Team as well as assigning a liaison to support the initiative.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 - RCF Connects Report on Equity for Black Women and Girls.
Attachment 2 - RCF Connects Equity for Black Women and Girls Presentation Slide Deck