Recommendation to establish a statewide office of racial equity

RECOMMENDATION TO ESTABLISH A STATEWIDE OFFICE OF RACIAL EQUITY TO ADDRESS RACIAL INEQUITIES ACROSS CALIFORNIA AND ADVANCE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES FOR COMMUNITIES

TO: Members of Governor Newsom’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery FROM: 90+ Organizations that Signed on to Just Recovery Recommendations for Governor Newsom’s Task Force

THE CHALLENGE

People of color, particularly Black people, have experienced centuries of inequality and systemic and institutionalized racism. Decades of underinvestment and unjust systems have left Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities with high levels of poverty and pollution, a lack of quality jobs and education opportunities, outdated and weak critical infrastructure, disproportionately high costs for energy, transportation and basic necessities, and limited access to public services. Moreover, Black and brown communities have long been excluded from policy and funding decision-making processes that can be used to address the injustices they experience and support a transition to healthy communities.

THE SOLUTION

California must establish a statewide Office of Racial Equity. Now more than ever we have to embrace racial equity, which means transforming the behaviors, institutions, and systems that disproportionately harm marginalized communities by increasing access to power, redistributing and providing additional resources, and eliminating barriers to opportunity, in order to empower low-income communities of color to thrive and reach their full potential. Establishing an Office of Racial Equity will help the State practice equity, turning our commitment into actionable equity strategies in our immediate response to the crisis, in our recovery efforts, and as the world reshapes the global economy. We have to make equity real.