City of Sacramento
Racial Equity Committee Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2026-00586 3/3/2026
Update on Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity (SCORE) Initiative File ID: 2026-00586
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive, comment, and provide direction.
Contact: Aimée Zenzele Barnes, Diversity & Equity Manager, (916) 808-1174, [email protected], Office of Diversity & Equity, Department of Human Resources Presenter: Aimée Zenzele Barnes, Diversity & Equity Manager, (916) 808-1174, [email protected], Office of Diversity & Equity, Department of Human Resources; Racial Equity Alliance Representative
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Draft SCORE 2025 Strategy and Work Plan v. 10
3-History of SCORE
4-SCORE Update PowerPoint
5-REA Presentation
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: This presentation provides an update on the Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity (SCORE) Initiative and the work of the Racial Equity Alliance (REA). The REA submitted recommendations on the Draft SCORE 2025 Strategy and Work Plan presented at the July 1, 2025, Racial Equity Committee (REC) meeting to City staff in October 2025. The Office of Diversity & Equity (ODE) has provided ongoing consultation in response to recommendations. Recommended changes have been included for review in Attachment 2. ODE received feedback from Council Members at the January 20 REC meeting to provide further clarity on the timeline for the Draft SCORE 2025 Strategy and Work Plan.
The REA and ODE met on February 4, 2026, to plan for the virtual February 24, 2026, Community Leaders Forum where the following was discussed:
File ID: 2026-00586 3/3/2026
· Draft agenda and meeting logistics for the Community Leader Forum on February 24th. · Content, ideas for PowerPoint, breakout session, and notetaking for feedback. · Co-facilitation by REA and ODE.
In addition, several objectives were identified:
· Provide updates on process.
· Encourage participation at the March 3, 2026, Racial Equity Committee Meeting. · Open communication about the SCORE Workplan.
· Encourage participation to join the REA.
· Provide clarity and information that the REA City affiliated.
On February 9, 2026, members of REA, Assistant City Manager, Milstein, and Diversity & Equity Manager, Barnes, meet to discuss input received and revising Draft SCORE 2025 Strategy and Work Plan on February 9, 2026, to prepare the draft for the February 24, 2026, virtual Community Leader Forum.
Key discussion points included:
· Compensation - commitment and type given current budget limitations. · Shared power and co-governance - need to build capacity and have shared definition for all partners.
· Ordinance-agreement to move development of ordinance language to Phase 2 of the Draft SCORE 2025 Strategy and Work Plan.
· Alignment and clarity-written definitions and concrete examples to support continued discussion and alignment.
· Supporting Engagement of City Manager Smith’s participation at the Community Leader Forum and other meetings.
· Add a discussion to the upcoming Trio meetings or other designated meetings to define key terms such as shared power and co-governance, with the goal of sharing agreed-upon definitions at the March 3, 2026, REC and incorporating them into the Draft SCORE 2025 Strategy and Work Plan as annotations.
Recommendations, insights, and input on the Draft SCORE 2025 Strategy and Work Plan from the scheduled virtual Community Leader Review Forum on February 24, 2026, will be provided at the REC meeting.
Policy Considerations: None.
Economic Impacts: Not applicable.
File ID: 2026-00586 3/3/2026
Environmental Considerations: Not applicable.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: None.
Rationale for Recommendation: The Draft SCORE 2025 Strategy and Work Plan is consistent implementation outlined in the SCORE Resolution. The Draft SCORE 2025 Strategy and Work Plan serves as a guiding document that will serve to inform engagement and partnership with the REA in operationalizing and work planning in a collaborative and sustainable manner for the next two to five years.
Financial Considerations: Not applicable.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): No goods or services are being purchased under this report.
Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity (SCORE)
2026 Work Plan
(DRAFT)
Table of Contents
Introduction
Building Equity into City Systems
SCORE Strategy & Workplan Overview
Vision
Phase 1: 2025 Laying the Foundation
Phase 2: Beyond 2027 Institutionalizing Change
Phase 3: Beyond 2029 Scaling and Sustainability
Appendix A: SCORE Contract 2022
Appendix B: A Tool to Support Equitable Table Design 2024 Race Forward Appendix C: RGEAP (link or PDF)
Appendix D: REA/REC Workplan April 2024
Appendix E: REA/REC Community Partner Accountability Report Appendix F: SCORE Resolution 2024-0354
Appendix G: Mandatory DEIB/RE Training for Council, etc. Resolution 2023-0113 Introduction
This work represents an intentional attempt to shift the culture within the City of Sacramento toward equity as an obligation, not a symbol. Transforming Sacramento’s government culture is at the center of this effort. Achieving racial equity requires more than adopting new plans or policies, it demands a deep cultural shift within the City itself, one that centers inclusion, shared power, and meaningful investment in historically disadvantaged communities. This shift calls for all departments, leaders, and careholders to move from compliance to commitment; from transactional engagement to community ownership and accountability; and from individual good intentions to timely, transparent, and measurable practices that demonstrate how decisions avoid repeating historic harm and actively work to reduce inequity and marginalization.
From 2022 onward, the SCORE Initiative has represented this evolving and transformative journey—an ongoing effort to build a government rooted in racial justice, belonging, and systems change. Guided by community leadership, iterative learning, and mutual accountability, the City’s careholders—including the Racial Equity Alliance (REA), Racial Equity Council (REC), Race Forward, the Office of Diversity & Equity (ODE), the Human Resources Department, the Racial Equity Committee, and the City Council—joined together to reimagine governance through deep engagement with communities of color. Rather than relying on a fixed or symbolic framework, the SCORE Workplan is intentionally iterative and grounded in the lived experiences of community members and community leaders who are advancing racial equity work every day, centering the wisdom of those most impacted to drive action and accountability.
Launched in 2022, the SCORE Initiative helped establish the REA and REC as formal yet flexible careholder bodies, dedicated to shaping and advancing Sacramento’s racial equity agenda. At the same time, the City of Sacramento formalized the Racial Equity
Committee as a standing committee to guide, monitor, and sustain this work. Internal capacity building also advanced with the launch of the Race & Gender Equity Action Plan (RGEAP). Recognizing that institutional change requires consistent attention and reflection, continual monitoring and review of progress will be a standing agenda item at every Racial Equity Committee meeting.
Furthermore, ODE will provide annual updates at the first Racial Equity Committee meeting of each calendar year, ensuring transparency, accountability, and shared ownership across all departments.
Throughout 2024, several pivotal actions deepened this foundation. The REA and REC, in collaboration with multiple City departments, hosted a series of community listening sessions, creating spaces for residents to articulate needs, critique existing systems, and co-design solutions. These collective insights directly shaped the City’s Racial Equity Resolution, adopted by City Council on December 3, 2024, establishing a formal commitment to embedding racial justice into decision-making. Shortly before that, on November 20, 2024, representatives from the REA, REC, and City attended the Place-Based Learning Lab on Collaborative Governance at Race Forward’s Facing Race Conference, where they learned to apply the Tool for Equitable Table Design to strengthen shared governance practices.
In January 2025, the REA authored the Community Partner & Accountability Strategy Report, offering strategies and recommendations for sustained action. This workplan reinforces that true accountability must be continuously nurtured, reviewed, and rebuilt over time. As we move forward, the City’s racial equity infrastructure must remain flexible enough to evolve while remaining grounded in the principle that, while we are equals in purpose and dignity, our roles and positionalities differ in how we operationalize equity. Together, this workplan becomes our roadmap for cultural transformation and achieving the goals set out in Resolution 2024-0354.
Racial Equity is:
Closing the gaps in outcomes so that race does not predict one’s success ~ From Resolution 2024-0354 to Operationalize Racial Equity in the City of Sacramento Government
The adoption of Resolution 2024-0354 to operationalize racial equity citywide was a pivotal step, but it is not the final destination.
Resolutions alone do not create equity, only continuous investment, organizing, and iteration can do that. The lessons of 2024 made one thing clear: Sacramento’s racial equity efforts need to evolve in response to changing conditions, shifting power dynamics, and new community insights. The commitment forged in this early phase reflects an ongoing process of learning, accountability, adapting, and action to deepen racial justice efforts over the foreseeable future.
This strategy and workplan is intended to reflect an iterative and ongoing effort, approached not as a fixed or time-bound, but as a living framework to transform the City’s relationship with all communities. It is intended to serve as a record of progress, and challenges, but most importantly, a shared commitment to sustained action and accountability, including a willingness to embrace the discomfort of change in pursuit of a truly equitable Sacramento.
Building Equity into City Systems
In addition to the SCORE strategy and workplan, City departments’ equity initiatives will be aligned and integrated into the Citywide Racial Equity Action Plan called for in the Resolution 2024-0354. The Citywide Racial Equity Action Plan will serve as the greater City of Sacramento’s long-term framework for coordinating, implementing, and measuring efforts to reduce racial inequities beyond 2030.
The chart below describes the different levels at which racial inequities are produced and maintained and clarifies the role SCORE plays in addressing them. While many City initiatives touch multiple levels of inequity, SCORE is intentionally focused on changing institutional systems and decision-making structures, while recognizing that institutional change must be informed by structural context and lived experience.
Levels of Inequity What this means in Practice SCORE’s Role Equity Goal Structural (also
called systemic)
Historic and ongoing systems; across
housing, education, wealth, health,
public safety, economic
development and governance,
shape access, power, and
opportunity long before individual
City decisions are made. These
conditions are rooted in federal
government policies and practices
that have compounded harm for
SCORE does not resolve structural
inequities alone, but ensures City
decisions are grounded in an
understanding of Sacramento’s
racialized history and present-day
disparities. SCORE elevates
community-defined priorities and
prevents City actions from reinforcing
historic harm created by federal level
policies. Through initiatives such as,
SCORE, Black Wealth Blueprint,
Structural Equity Alignment: Ensure
City policies, planning, and
investments are informed by an
explicit understanding of structural
inequities in Sacramento, as
documented through the Citywide
Racial Equity Study and community-
led engagement processes. Ensuring
the processes repeated as needed to
continually be informed by structural
context and lived experience.
communities of color over
generations.
Sacramento Equity Explorer Design
GIS Tool.
Institutional Cross-sectional levels of inequity
refer to how city policies,
procedures, timelines, budget
practices, and decision-making
processes that can unintentionally
exclude communities, limit access,
or reinforce inequitable outcomes.
This includes how decisions are
made, who is involved, and when
community input occurs.
This is SCORE’s primary accountability
level. SCORE exists to change how the
City governs, embedding racial equity
into decision-making, accountability
structures, and cross-departmental
coordination. All plans/equity
initiatives included but limited to-
RGEAP, SCORE, Citywide Racial Equity
Study, REPAIR Landscape Analysis,
Black Wealth Blueprint, SEED GIS
Tool, Citywide Equity Repository,
Community Partner Accountability
Report, Language Access Plan.
Institutional Accountability and
Shared Governance: Embed racial
equity into City governance by
establishing shared accountability
structures, equity-informed decision-
making processes, and community co-
governance with residents
/community (utilizing respectful
practices), practices that shape policy,
budget, and implementation before
decisions are finalized. Ensure the
process itself is equitable (i.e.
Language, accessibility, timing,
compensation as available)
Interpersonal Occurs between individuals. Once
we bring our private beliefs into our
interaction with others, racism,
exclusion, and othering is now in the
SCORE sets expectations for
respectful engagement, shared
power, and accountability in City-
community relationships. SCORE
Equitable City-Community
Partnership: Strengthen City-
community relationships by
establishing clear engagement
interpersonal realm. Day-to-day
interactions between City staff,
elected officials, careholders, and
community members that influence
trust, access, and whether
engagement is meaningful,
extractive, or symbolic.
influences interpersonal dynamics
through structure, training, and
norms, not individual enforcement.
Initiatives include, RGEAP, SCORE,
Developing Equity Leadership
Through Action, mandatory training
for Elected, Council Staff, and
Appointed Officers.
standards, learning opportunities, and
accountability mechanisms that
support transparency, shared
understanding, and trust across
SCORE-related work.
Individual Pre-judgement, bias, or
discrimination based on race,
gender, and other identity
dimensions. Including personal
beliefs, assumptions, and biases that
shape how individuals interpret
power, policy, and responsibility
within City systems.
SCORE does not treat individual
mindset change as an endpoint but
recognizes individual learning as
necessary to support institutional
accountability and systems change.
Initiatives include, RGEAP, SCORE,
DELTA.
Learning that Drives Systems Change:
Support ongoing learning, training
and reflection among City leaders and
careholders as a foundation for
institutional change, not as a
substitute for policy, process, and
structural reform.
Vision: This plan is to continue ongoing work and to advance the development of a Racial Equity Action Plan with a goal to have a draft Citywide Racial Equity Action Plan presented to the Council by the end of 2027.
Phase 1 activities are intentionally sequenced and overlapping. Some goals require early action to establish authority and governance, while others develop over time as evidence, learning, and accountability systems are developed and strengthened.
Timelines reflect this interdependence rather than a linear progression.
SCORE Goal Phase 1 Task Timeline
Structural Equity Alignment ● Host a community leaders forum to review and finalize recommendations on the SCORE Workplan
before finalizing the workplan. Scheduled for Feb. 24,
Feb 2026 – Aug 2027
2026.
● Conduct the Citywide Racial Equity Study (CRES)
documenting Sacramento’s racialized history and
present-day inequities (Require community-led
forums and listening sessions as part of the study
methodology-See Appendix B)
○ Use findings to inform equity indicators,
policy priorities, and investment decisions
● Begin aligning SEED GIS Tool datasets with
community-defined equity priorities as defined in the
citywide racial equity plan. Use this data to visualize inequities and track progress transparently.
Institutional Accountability and Shared
Governance
● Establish a Citywide Racial Equity Implementation
Team (CREIT) with City department representatives
and community careholders of the REA, embedding
community engagement practices as standard
operating procedure.
● Apply Race Forward’s Co-Governance Tool to support
Equitable Table Design to formalize roles,
expectations, and agency relative to decision-making
norms and accountability structures.
● Draft the Citywide Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP)
with community careholders co-authoring key
sections.
Jun 2026- Dec 2027
Equitable City–Community Partnership ● Establish engagement standards addressing language access, accessibility, timing, and compensation, as
available.
Apr 2026 – Dec 2026
● Host interactive workshops for Council, staff, and
careholders on SCORE and community-centered
governance practices. Include reflection on Council
decision-making barriers (e.g., “minds made up”
dynamic) and explore process changes that allow
meaningful community input before decisions are
finalized.
Learning that Drives Systems Change ● Conduct SCORE workshops for City Council, staff, and careholders focused on governance and decision-
making barriers.
● Develop an Equity Evaluation Framework informed
by GARE JELE learnings and existing City equity work.
● Produce annual progress reports integrating
quantitative metrics and community narrative.
Sep 2026 – Dec 2027
Phase 2 focuses on embedding racial equity into the daily operations of City government. Building on the authority, governance structures, and shared understanding established in Phase 1, this phase emphasizes department-level implementation, measurable outcomes, and sustained accountability across policies, programs, and services.
SCORE Goal Phase 2 Task Timeline
Institutional Accountability and Shared
Governance
● Develop and present a racial equity ordinance to City Council to codify accountability and durability.
● Expand the Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP) from the
existing RGEAP into a Citywide Racial Equity Action
Plan covering workforce equity, budgeting,
Jan 2027 – Dec 2027
procurement, contracting, and grantmaking.
● Require all City departments to develop and submit
department-specific equity action plans aligned with
the Citywide REAP.
● Provide guidance, expectations, and accountability
mechanisms for departmental implementation.
Learning that Drives Systems Change ● Conduct citywide racial equity training and capacity- building for City staff and careholders, aligned with
implementation needs rather than standalone
learning.
● Develop department-by-department implementation
and training plans to expand use of equity impact
tools.
● Integrate learning into policy, budget, and program
decision-making.
Jan 2027 – Dec 2027
Structural Equity Alignment ● Launch a Citywide equity dashboard informed by the Citywide Racial Equity Study to support data
collection, benchmarking, and transparency.
● Use dashboard indicators to monitor progress and
inform policy and investment decisions over time.
Sep 2027 – Dec 2027
Equitable City–Community Partnership ● Develop and implement a communication and monitoring strategy that keeps communities
informed of progress, challenges, and changes across
departments.
● Maintain mechanisms for community feedback and
accountability tied to departmental equity work.
Jan 2027 – Dec 2028
Measurement and Reporting (cross-
cutting)
● Produce Annual Progress Reports on the Citywide
Racial Equity Action Plan that integrate quantitative
data, departmental progress, and community
narrative.
● Use reports to assess implementation gaps, capacity
needs, and recommendations for structural
improvement.
Jan 2027 – Mar 2027
Jan 2028 – Mar 2028
In Phase 3, sustaining racial equity requires embedding capacity, investment, and accountability within each core goal, rather than treating them as separate or supplemental efforts.
SCORE Goal Phase 3 Task Timeline
Institutional Accountability and Shared
Governance
● Codify racial equity requirements into City policies, ordinances, administrative regulations, and standard
operating procedures.
● Institutionalize racial equity analysis as a component of policy development, budget proposals, legislative
actions, grants, and contracts (items going through
this process shall not be agendized unless a Racial
Equity Impact and Sustainability Statement
accompanies a Fiscal Statement or any action on
behalf of the City.).
● As budget and resources allows ensure departments
are resourced with staff capacity and authority to
meet ongoing equity requirements.
Jun 2028 – Dec 2029
Structural Equity Alignment ● Conduct a three-year impact assessment informed by the Citywide Racial Equity Study to evaluate
outcomes, gaps, and unintended consequences
Jan 2029 – Dec 2029
● Use findings to refine equity strategies, indicators, and investment priorities over time.
● Align future City investments and resource allocation decisions with identified structural equity priorities, as feasible and subject to available resources.
Learning that Drives Systems Change ● Integrate evaluation findings into continuous improvement processes across departments.
● Update equity tools, guidance, and accountability
frameworks based on assessment results.
● Sustain staff training, technical assistance, and
leadership development as ongoing institutional
functions.
Jan 2029 – Dec 2029
Equitable City–Community Partnership ● Maintain and resource community accountability and co-governance mechanisms tied to long-term equity
outcomes.
● Ensure community careholders are compensated (to
be defined) and supported for continued
participation as funds are available.
● Incorporate community input into refinements to
policies, investments, and implementation strategies.
Jan 2029 – Dec 2029
History of Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity (SCORE) Initiative: December 2024 – Present December 3, 2024 – Racial Equity Committee (REC) Meeting • Mayor and Council passed Resolution to Operationalize Racial Equity unanimously. o Directs the city manager to continue developing racial equity assessment tools to guide policy decisions, build out a citywide Racial Equity Action Plan, develop a proposed budget, and once complete, explore creating a future ordinance. 2025 – First quarter
• January 21 – REC meeting provided overview and history of racial equity work and REC to new committee members.
• January – release of the Community Partnership & Accountability Strategy for Racial Equity report presented by Race Forward and the Racial Equity Alliance (REA). o Developed from community feedback over a series of virtual and in-person listening sessions in July and August 2024.
• February – Office of Diversity & Equity (ODE) and District 8 staff met to discuss Resolution passed in December and follow up, began developing community agreements.
• March 17 – Racial Equity – TRIO Meeting with representatives from D8, REA, City (ODE/Interim City Manager/Director of HR), Race Forward. Discussed REA organizational updates, presentation for upcoming REC meeting, SCORE contract with Race Forward, how departments are using the Budget Equity Tool (BET), and plans for designating implementation team.
• March 18 – REC meeting. Update from REA on SCORE. Timeline and Next steps were identified as needed next steps for implementing deliverables for implementing SCORE resolution 2024-0354 by next REC meeting. ODE and Department of Utilities (DOU) provided update on overview of application of BET on Sacramento Utility Rate Assistance (SURA) and the BET implementation as part of a five-year plan to integrate a racial equity lens into city processes.
2025 – Second quarter
• April 7 - TRIO Meeting. Discussion on Facing Race Convening cohort on co-governance.
Team that attended, including representatives from the community and city staff, provided an overview of the co-governance tool developed by Race Forward and their reflections on participating. The group proposed to continue the conversations at future meetings to more strongly align and make use of the tool. Updates on developing SCORE Work Plan and plans for presenting at next REC meeting. • April 29 – REC Meeting. Update from Urban Forest Plan, Strategy and Workplan introduced, Discussion Regarding City of Sacramento’s Sanctuary City Efforts. • May 12 – TRIO Meeting. Continued conversation on co-governance, focusing on developing a working definition for our team, how we model internally before moving externally, and align with current draft of SCORE Work Plan. Preparation for July REC meeting and June meeting with Mayor.
• May 19 – ODE & REA Meeting. Session included an imagineering practice on co- governance, discussing defining co-governance, what an implementation team could look like, cadence of meetings and planning, an overview of SCORE Strategy & Work Plan, and how we can continue to consult and collaborate as we move forward. • May 20 – City Council meeting. Presentation on Budget Equity Tool application for FY2026/27.
• June 2 – Mayor briefing with City staff representatives (ICM, ODE, Director of HR), Mayoral staff, and D8 staff. Provided history of SCORE and racial equity efforts in the city. • June 16 – TRIO meeting (representative from Mayor’s office included in this and future meetings). Report back from May 19 visioning and planning session, discussing participating in panel discussion for Sacramento County’s T.H.R.I.V.E. Summit, and planning for update at July REC meeting.
2025 – Third quarter
• July 1 – REC Meeting. Update on SCORE Strategy and Workplan Draft – Identifying Resources and Current City Efforts, and Update on Race & Gender Equity Action Plan. • July 21 – TRIO Meeting. Discussion on proposed SCORE timelines around Work Plan adoption and collective capacity. Planning for August meeting to discuss further.
Collective Meeting in August 2025. Continued conversation on Sacramento County T.H.R.I.V.E. Summit panel representation.
• August 18 – Regular check-in prior to REC Meetings established by CM Vang. • August 18 – TRIO Meeting. City staff provided update on T.H.R.I.V.E. Summit Panel planned for October. SCORE discussion centered on the need to extend the adoption timeline for the work plan, requesting continued guidance and consultation of Race Forward, and request for members of REA to participate in review of and panel for an RFP for the city-wide study outlined in the Resolution. • Sept 8 – TRIO Meeting. Cancelling September REC meeting. Continued discussion on SCORE Work Plan and REA recommendations, including plans for updating timeline in Resolution. Update from Mayor’s office on what participation and support of this work from their office looks like moving forward.
• Sept 23 – REC Meeting canceled.
• Sept 4 – Racial Equity Roundtable / Internal City Staff Briefing (rescheduled). • Sept 24 – Regular Check-In Prior to REC Meetings.
2025 – Fourth quarter
• Oct 16 – Presentation Prep with Disability Advisory Committee for December REC meeting.
• Oct 21 – REC Meeting. Update on SCORE Initiative and application of BET on SacPD for FY 26/27; Recommendations for Advancing Disability Inclusion in City Equity Initiatives from Disability Advisory Commission.
• November 10 – TRIO Meeting. Proposed lengthening upcoming TRIO Meeting to discuss REA recommendations on the draft SCORE Work Plan, (Re)Imagine the purpose and focus of TRIO Meetings for 2026 (to be discussed in Dec 2025). Continued conversation on updating resolution language and timeline. Planning of November 17 meeting with REA on providing clarity around work plan.
• November 17 – ODE and REA co-facilitated a meeting to discuss and clarify purpose of SCORE Work Plan, what capacity building is needed, and individual roles in times of change.
• November 24 – ODE and members of REA prepare for December. • December 1 – TRIO Meeting. Included REA recommendations on draft SCORE Work Plan, (Re)Imagining the purpose and focus of TRIO meetings for 2026, discussing Co- governance framework, solidifying definition, and our structure. • December 12 – ODE and members of REA reviewed comments and edits provided by REA to prepare for the January REC meeting.
2026 – First quarter
• January 20 – REC Meeting. Provided an update on Fall 2025 consultations that informed updates to draft of SCORE Strategy and Workplan. February 24 Community Leader Forum input and review on SCORE Strategy and Workplan Draft will be brought with recommendations to March REC Meeting.
• February 9 – ODE and REA prepare content and agenda for February 24 Community Leader Forum.
• February 16-20 – ODE and REA make final edits to SCORE Strategy and Workplan in preparation for Community Leader Forum.
• February 24 – ODE and REA co-facilitate Community Leader Forum.
SCORE Workplan – Finalizing Draft
Racial Equity Committee
March 3, 2026
Office of Diversity & Equity
Human Resources Department
The Starting Point
2 Initial draft:
SCORE Strategy
Workplan
informed by REA
recommendations
Vision: Move from
compliance to
commitment; from
individual intent to
collective
accountability
Guiding principle:
Equity as both
process and
outcome
Why This Work Matters
3 Persistent racial
inequities in housing,
homelessness,
incarceration, and
education.
Resolution 2024-
0354: A mandate for
systemic change.
SCORE Workplan:
Our roadmap for
cultural
transformation.
The Consultation Journey
4 Who we engaged:
City leadership,
Racial Equity
Committee (REC),
D8, Racial Equity
Alliance (REA),
community
careholders in
document review
and Monthly TRIO
Meetings.
How: Community
Leadership Forum
February 24, 2026.
Why: To ensure
edits reflect lived
experience,
practical
implementation,
and careholder
feedback.
At the REC January 21, 2026, Meeting
We learned from the Racial Equity Alliance:
● Emphasize "this is a roadmap".
● Shift language from ‘urgency’ to ‘sustained commitment.’ ● Embed accountability and transparency.
● Break down silos; center human experience.
● Align timelines with capacity and resources.
● Embed the Community & Accountability Report as more integral to process. 5 From the REC January 21, 2026, Meeting
Working with the Racial Equity Alliance:
● Updated draft of the SCORE Workplan.
● Coordinated and prepared facilitation for 2/24/2026 Community Leader Forum.
● Implemented the Community Leadership Forum.
6 From the REC January 21, 2026
Adjusted the Timeline to reflect alignment and identified goals with tactics:
● Phase 1 (2026–2027): Evidence, Learning, and Accountability Systems. ● Phase 2 (2027–2028): Building on the Governance structures and Shared Understanding (2027-2028).
● Phase 3 (2029+): Capacity, Investment, & Accountability to Sustain. 7 Community Leader Review – February 24, 2026
8 Agenda:
• Welcoming & Intros
• Visioning
• Updates
• SCORE Review
• Small Breakout
Discussion
• Wrap Up / Next Steps
Outcomes:
• Provide updates on REAs
work to advance racial equity
since the City of Sacramento
passed the SCORE resolution
on December 3, 2024.
• Review the SCORE Workplan
Draft.
• Outline next steps.
Guiding Questions:
• What is missing from the
SCORE Workplan, or
what do you want added
to the plan?
• Are there things that are
not acknowledged in the
plan that should be?
Community Leader Forum on February 24, 2026
Feedback
Community careholders provided input on the work plan’s clarity, comprehensiveness, and areas needing improvement.
• Clear funding structure.
• Defined community accountability framework and meaningful, compensated participation. • Training residents for civic engagement and advocacy. • Addressing structural barriers (e.g., language access, intersectionality, meeting times, transparency). • Need for relationship and trust building with new local administration. • Recognition of community expertise and the need for ongoing outreach and collaboration. 9 Community Leader Forum on February 24, 2026
Questions Raised
Community careholders raised the following questions:
● Where is the funding and how will it be allocated or sustained? ● How do community organizations, fit into the work plan? ● How will long-term resourcing and infrastructure be ensured? 10 Community Leader Forum on February 24, 2026
Key Considerations
● Where is the funding and how will it be allocated or sustained? ● How do community organizations, fit into the work plan? ● How will long-term resourcing and infrastructure be ensured? 11 Community Leader Forum on February 24, 2026
Key Insights & Learnings
How do you see yourself in the SCORE Workplan?
What is the best way to engage your work/role in the SCORE Workplan?
12 SCORE Workplan
Key Considerations in Approving the Workplan
• Clarity on what the SCORE work plan is/not.
• Importance of setting clear goals and defined action items for strategy and accountability.
• Acknowledge that the work plan may shift based on what emerges = iterative. • Resourcing.
• Community decision making and participation process moving forward. • Grounded in our sustained commitment to Partner.
SCORE Workplan
Recommendation
To approve the SCORE Workplan Draft with
key considerations informing next iterations.
Thank you for
your leadership!
Contact us:
Office of Diversity & Equity
City of Sacramento
915 I St
Sacramento, CA
[email protected]
cityofsacramento.org
15 REC Meeting
March 3, 2026
Sacramento
Racial Equity Alliance
SCORE Work Plan – REA Process
2024: Community Engagement, Training & Policy Wins
● Co-hosted community listening sessions
● Attended training on collaborative governance
(November 20)
● Supported unanimous passage of Resolution 2024-
0354 to operationalize racial equity citywide
(December 3)
2025: Strategy & Recommendations
● Authored the Community Partner & Accountability
Strategy Report (January)
● Recommendations affirmed by the Racial Equity
Committee (July 1)
● Formally submitted recommendations to the draft
SCORE Work Plan (August)
● Began consulting with ODE on work plan alignment
Sacramento
Racial Equity Alliance
SCORE Work Plan – REA Process
2026: SCORE Work Plan Review & Community
Activation
● Draft plan completed (January)
● Co-planned and co-facilitated the Community
Leaders Forum to review the SCORE Work Plan
(February 24)
● Mobilizing community attendance for today’s
hearing
● Advocating for work plan passage, community
leadership compensation, and sustained ODE
investment
2026 Community
Listening Forum
Outcomes
What's missing from the SCORE Work Plan; Community members called for:
● A clear, sustained funding structure (not grant-dependent) ● Expanded language access and culturally diverse outreach ● Trauma-informed approaches across City operations
● Defined community roles in oversight and accountability ● Intentional leadership development so residents can meaningfully participate in budget, policy, and advocacy processes
Community
Listening Forum
Outcomes
What's not acknowledged in the SCORE Work Plan; The work plan needs to:
● Address structural barriers the City itself creates including, ○ Meeting times and agenda timelines that exclude working residents ○ Lack of transparency on consent file development
○ Imbalance of power between low income communities of color, and resourced stakeholders
● Include an intersectional framework
● Address culturally responsive care across all ages, and acknowledgment of incarceration's impacts and the role of Black healing and community wellness
What We Need
From You?
Despite a $62M deficit, REA is pushing a both/and strategy: the city should aggressively pursue foundation/private-sector funding while also providing a concrete, multi-year financial commitment from the city that can help attract foundation and private-sector partnership.
The work plan is designed to move forward without specifying dollar amounts, but REA expects the city to actively help identify and secure resources(as it has with efforts like the $75K Black Wealth Blueprint grant) rather than allowing budget constraints to delay implementation.
The REA advocates that the next budget maintains the current funding levels for the Office of Diversity & Equity as a critical resource to continue this work.
Thank you!
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