1 RACIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION CITY RESOLUTION There is a long and persistent history of discrimination and institutional racism that has created glaring inequities in Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) predominant communities. BIPOC communities are more likely to experience poor health outcomes stemming from impacts of systemic disenfranchisement on generations of their economic stability, education, environment, food, housing, and access to health care systems.
Today, communities nationwide are showing their pain, anger, and calls for action over the senseless acts of police brutality resulting in the deaths of Tony McDade, Elijah McClain, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, among many others. We can no longer ignore how systemic and individual racism continues to increase disparities and create unjust circumstances that disproportionately impact diverse communities. All communities have the right to shape their own present and future. Racial equity, diversity, and meaningful inclusion are means to just, healthy and thriving communities.
There is a growing movement among local governments across the Nation acknowledging their unique position to set goals and build alliances to address and potentially eradicate many forms of racial discrimination by adopting racial justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion resolutions. Across the country, local and state leaders are declaring racism a public health crisis or emergency. These declarations are an important first step in the movement to advance racial equity and justice and must be followed by allocation of resources and strategic action. Visit: https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/health- equity/racism-and-health/racism-declarations to learn more about these efforts as more leaders step up.
T
his resolution serves as a public statement from the City Council to move racial justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion forward to dismantle racial inequities and advance equitable outcomes through establishing accountability and action through community engagement, policy development and implementation.
Pr eamble/Whereas statements must
municipality to pass the resolution. They explain WHY the action in the resolved clauses should be taken.
T he Therefore Resolved clauses of the resolution list what ACTIONS will be taken to solve the problem set up in the Whereas statements.
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An I mplementation Plan to enact your policy goals will encourage accountability and responsiveness, clusion, diversity, and equity.
Your c ity may have additional findings and actions. Please modify this Our dr aft resolution provides a robust menu of policies that will help advance Racial Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in your community.
W e recommend that you choose at least two to three policy goals that your city, town, or county can reasonably work on.
PURPOSE AND INTRODUCTION
HOW TO USE THIS DRAFT RESOLUTION
ATTACHMENT A
2 WHEREAS, race is a social construct with no biological basis; and racism is a social system with multiple dimensions; individual racism that is internalized or interpersonal; systemic racism that is institutional or structural, and is a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks; and
WHEREAS, racism causes persistent discrimination and disproportionate outcomes in many areas of life, including housing, education, employment and criminal justice; and that racism is a systemic force that impacts and causes disproportionately high rates of homelessness, incarceration, poor education, poorer health outcomes, and economic hardships; and
WHEREAS, disproportionately higher rates of chronic disease, mortality, poverty, economic distress, and the adverse effects of health outcomes for African Americans and other racial minorities are widely recognized and documented, yet continue to persist throughout the United States; and
WHEREAS, The American Medical Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Psychological Association have all declared institutional racism an urgent public health issue; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic, the ensuing economic hardship, and recent protests against institutional violence committed against Black communities again highlight the racial injustices and health disparities that have long threatened BIPOC communities; and
WHEREAS, racism and hate have no place in our society, and we must protect the Constitutional rights of every person who lives, works, and learns in our community; and
WHEREAS, we cannot be silent. We urgently must act to stop the racial injustice that harms and anguishes people of color, who are our family, friends, neighbors, and fellow community members; and
WHEREAS, shall not just offer soothing words, but rather also recommit itself not just for today but for tomorrow and all the days to come to work toward economic and social equity with an unwavering and intentional commitment to diversity, kindness, respect, collaboration, accountability and inclusion; and
WHEREAS, we must lead. Each of us, individually and collectively, is responsible for creating and nurturing an anti-racist learning environment where every child is respected and valued for who they are, regardless of their skin color. We must actively acknowledge, address and prevent racial bias; and
WHEREAS, acknowledges the historic role local governments have played in systemically driving and perpetuating societal inequities along racial lines that have resulted in vastly different living and social conditions and access to opportunities; and
WHEREAS, al composure data for your city; x% white, y% black, z% Latinx, et
WHEREAS, support
for and
WHEREAS, strongly rejects and condemns all forms of discrimination and inequities, and stands firm against all who would use violence and ethnic intimidation, whether in law enforcement or RESOLUTION NO. __
COMMITMENT TO RACIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, and INCLUSION
ATTACHMENT A
3 otherwise; and
WHEREAS, racial justice is inclusive of a proactive reinforcement of policies, practices, attitudes, and actions that produce equitable power, access, opportunities, treatment, impacts and outcomes for all; and
WHEREAS, racial equity can only be accomplished when everyone regardless of their race has access to the opportunities necessary to satisfy their essential needs, advance their well-being, and achieve their full potential; and
WHEREAS, racial diversity is valuing individuals and groups without prejudice and by fostering a climate where mutual understanding and respect are intrinsic; and
WHEREAS, inclusion is a value and practice of ensuring that people feel they belong and that their inputs are valued by the whole (group, organization, society, system, etc.), particularly regarding decisions that affect their lives; and
WHEREAS, seeks to lead and/or join efforts to reverse the effects of the inequitable policies, processes, and practices of the past, and recognizes that it has a role to play in understanding and communicating the impacts that planning decisions have on low income families, communities of color and other disadvantaged communities; and
WHEREAS, <add pertinent local conditions and/or current efforts to address systemic racism, racial injustice, racial inequity, racial exclusion in your city
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT condemns racism, racial violence, white supremacy, hate speech, and bigotry in all forms in our community, and stand steadfast in our commitment to foster an inclusive civil environment where every community member is treated with dignity and respect, as well as our commitment to continue fighting for racial justice and human and civil rights for all; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT declares its intent to end racial and social disparities internal to the agency, strengthen the way it engages and convenes to protect and expand community voice and power, and work in partnership with others to close the gap of racial injustice and better serve our communities of color, and in so doing, serve all the people of ; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT stands in solidarity with those working toward a fair and just society, and with those calling for systemic change to eliminate all barriers that reduce opportunity and undermine
meaningfully advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT affirms the importance of culturally responsive practices, services and programs that represent the diversity of our world, and that accurately honor the contributions of historically marginalized communities, we commit to using a racial equity lens for all future services and programs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT authorizes supporting community efforts to amplify issues of racism and engaging actively and authentically with communities of color wherever they live; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT supports looking for, identifying, and capitalizing on opportunities to further advance racial equity through funding projects, programs, and incentives for development of areas identified as having underserved populations; and
ATTACHMENT A
4 the above BE IT RESOLVED THAT statements, in the next section, select your adopt a policy to:
CATEGORY
RACIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSIONIN CITY ADMINISTRATION
AND POLICY GOALS
Create an Employee Racial Equity Advisory taskforce to conduct and implement an internal evaluation of the City Charter as well as all City policies and procedures to prioritize racial equity with specification on how policies translate into anti-racist action towards City employees.
Ensure diversity of race, age, and gender within the city commissions.
Add justice, equity, diversity and inclusion to the objectives and purview of the appropriate city commission to address ways to improve the public health and welfare of all the residents through an equitable lens and identify specific activities to further enhance diversity and principles of equity.
Create a system of reporting progress towards achieving the goals outlined in this resolution and communicating such to the greater community.
Institutionalize racial equity training among all community partners, grantees, vendors and contractors who do business with the city.
Conduct ongoing and enhanced analysis using all available data to understand the complexity of the interconnectedness of societal, environmental and behavioral factors that contribute to the impact of racism on access to those resources that promote good health including good jobs, access to healthy and affordable food and housing, equitable transportation options and excellent public education.
Assess current and proposed ordinances, and internal policies and procedures, as well as their implementation, to ensure racial equity is a core element.
Establish a long-term sustainable funding that will restore and increase the availability of high-quality youth development programming for BIPOC youth and young adults with inclusion of a strategic plan to improve program quality and evaluate the impact and reach.
Create a Racial Equity Community Advisory Committee to conduct and implement an internal evaluation of the City Charter as well as all City policies and procedures to prioritize racial equity with specification on how policies translate into anti-racist action towards constituents, and community members.
Measure the effectiveness of City programming and the return on investment of public dollar allocations in the budget towards advancing racial justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion and report these results annually.
Create a COVID-19 task force to develop an equity plan that outlines detailed objectives and measurable goals in which the City will focus on root causes of the inequities that cause disparities in health outcomes for our residents.
CATEGORY
RACIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND POLICING
Urge, establish, and implement principles of equity and eliminate racial bias in law enforcement procedures, policies, and behaviors in the Public Safety Division.
Assess and revise public safety, and police department policies, procedures to ensure racial equity and transparency are core elements.
Provide anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion training in all public safety employee orientation processes.
ATTACHMENT A
5 Promote public safety service that embrace empathy and compassion, free of implicit bias and racist undertones to mutually advance inclusive justice for all people.
Build and implement a comprehensive public safety system that decentralizes BIPOC over-policing and criminalization and is rooted in the public health approach to keep BIPOC communities disproportionately impacted by community violence safe.
CATEGORY
RACIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
IN THE CITY WORKPLACE
Establish systemic changes in the hiring and recruitment processes, particularly for staff, thus incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion in the city workforce.
Institutionalize hiring practices provide greater opportunities for people of color to be employed to further diversify our workforce.
Institute mandatory racial equity training, implicit bias training, diversity training, and inclusion training for all elected officials, city staff, members of boards, commissions, and committees.
City departments shall develop a plan to collect data regarding racial disparities in department staffing, procurement, contracting, and recipients of government intervention, with the purpose addressing racial disparities
Establish workplace policies and establish processes that prevent behaviors that impede racial and social equities.
CATEGORY
RACIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
IN THE COMMUNITY
Allocate dollars budget to be directed towards small business development, housing, community-based infrastructure, and other amenities to reverse and repair the harm experienced by BIPOC.
Engage and collaborate with organizations that represent underserved neighborhoods, low income communities and communities of color.
Engage historically marginalized communities in identifying problems and solutions and supporting community-driven responses.
Develop direct service programs and services to address the impacts that racism, bias, exclusion, and inequities have had on specific populations as well as programs that empower communities to tackle these systemic barriers.
CATEGORY
LEADING RACIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION EFFORTS
AS AN EXAMPLE
Establish policies to advocate locally and at the state and federal level for relevant policies that improve health in communities of color, and supports local, state, regional, and federal initiatives that advance efforts to dismantle systemic racism.
Approve alliances and partnerships with other organizations that are confronting racism and encourage other local, state, regional and national entities to recognize racism as a public health crisis.
Advocate at the state and federal level for policies and funding opportunities that directly combat systemic racism.
Urge other governmental bodies to declare racism as a public health crisis and to immediately take steps to intentionally address and support methods that will strategically reduce the long-term impact and public health disparities of systemic racism
ATTACHMENT A
6 CATEGORY
IMPLEMENTATION OF RACIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
POLICIES
The head of every department should report back to the City Council regularly regarding steps taken to implement the Resolution, additional steps planned, and any desired actions that would need to be taken by the council.
activities and advise the Council on policies and practices to advance its resolved intentions.
Work with local and regional law enforcement agencies to adopt police reforms to prevent violence on communities of color while ensuring public safety.
Hold community forums to create space for dialogue between the underserved communities in your city and law enforcement agencies.
ATTACHMENT A
7 References & Resources
Systemic Racism & Health: New Infographic & Webinar Recording https://www.nihcm.org/categories/systemic-racism-is-a-public-health-crisis
Across the country, local and state leaders are declaring racism a public health crisis or emergency. https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/health-equity/racism-and-health/racism-declarations
Arrest & Mass Incarceration disproportionately impacting communities of color The Public Policy Institute CA Prison Population report provides information https://www.ppic.org/blog/african-americans-are-notably-overrepresented-in-police-stops/
American Public Health Association (APHA) Statement on Policing (2019) https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy- database/2019/01/29/law-enforcement-violence (includes action steps)
Education
UCLA researchers recently found that California was the most segregated state for Latinos, inequities
in educational opportunities. More than half of the state's black students are concentrated in just 25 of the state's 1,000 school districts.
https://calmatters.org/explainers/achievement-gap-california-explainer-schools-education-disparities- explained/
Housing
Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health & Housing Equity Recently released APHA report demonstrates how structural racism particularly through policies led to the current state of housing inequality in America. http://apha.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zMDU3NDI3JnA9MSZ1PTQwNjIzMDIyMCZsaT0yNTI4ODUy Mg/index.html
Healthcare
California Health Care Foundation--2019 Edition Health Disparities by Race and Ethnicity at:
https://www.chcf.org/publication/2019-edition-health-disparities-by-race/
California Health Care Foundation, Maternity Care Almanac 2019 https://www.chcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/MaternityCareCAAlmanac2019.pdf
Mental
Health: Culture, Ra racial and ethnic minorities have less access to mental health services, are less likely to receive needed care, and are more likely to receive poor quality care when treated.
Income
d income by race when compared to others.
The typical white household has $9.72 in wealth for every $1 that a typical black family has and $8.26 in wealth for every $1 that a typical Latinx family has.
Source: The Racial Wealth Gap: What California Can Do About a Long-Standing Obstacle to Shared Prosperity, California Budget & Policy Center (Dec. 2018), https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/the- racial-wealth-gap-what-california-can-do-about-a-long-standing-obstacle-to-shared-prosperity/
COVID-19 Racial Disparities (As of August 2020)
ATTACHMENT A
8 C alifornia adults who are Black, Latino, or Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander have disproportionately more deaths compared with their population in the state.
B lack people are dying from COVID-19 in numbers that are nearly twice their share of the population.
B lack Americans account for 8.3% of total deaths but make up 6% Ol der adults of color are dying at rates up to 3x their share of the population.
L atinx populations in CA make up almost 60% of positive COVID-19 cases but make up less than 40% of the entire state population.
L atinx communities
population.
Sources: https://update.covid19.ca.gov/
CDPH: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Race-Ethnicity.aspx Di
smantle Structures that Support Racism and Wealth: Structural Racism, Racial Equity Tools F
our Ways Research Can Drive Racial Equity in Education in 2020 and Beyond, Urban Institute CO
VID-19 Racial Health Disparities Highlight Why We Need to Address Structural Racism, Urban Institute
A Public Health Framework for Reducing Health Inequities Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (https://letsgethealthy.ca.gov/sdoh/)
https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/covid-19-racial-health-disparities-highlight-why-we-need-address- structural-racism
Soc
ial Determinants of Health (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/socialdeterminants/index.htm ht
tps://www.census.gov/quickfacts/CA
A He
alth Equity Guide to provide health departments with a set of strategic practices to confront power imbalances and forms of oppression at the root of health inequities. https://healthequityguide.org/
ATTACHMENT A