Your support is needed NOW! In the wake of the national and local climate addressing racial profiling and immense disparity in the killings of unarmed people of color by law enforcement in the united states, Councilmember Brooks began the new year and renewed election to serving her district and city with calling for an office of Race and Equity within Oakland's city government. It is the government's job to assure equity Government's most basic responsibility is to promote the common good; to ensure all residents have access to the resources they need to thrive - creating laws and programs that protect the health and well-being of all our neighbors and neighborhoods. However, a quick comparison of Oakland neighborhoods shows that the system is not working - that there are two Oaklands.
One is made up of neighborhoods that have seen relatively little public or private investment, where schools and parks are declining, jobs evaporating, and long drives or bus rides are required to complete even the most simple errands, like grocery shopping or going to the bank. These neighborhoods are mostly communities of color. Then there is another Oakland, one made up of neighborhoods that have benefited from years of investment. One where the children have access to better schools and beautiful parks and parents can do their shopping without long drives or bus rides. These areas are mostly white, compared to the rest of the city. Inequity impacts our health and not only how we live but how long we live Residents, community organizations, and government have been working together for decades to bridge this divide - to build One Oakland. Despite the best of intentions, we continue to see unequal outcomes - in health, in education, and employment. The difference in outcomes all adds up to shorter and sicker lives - right now, an African-American child from East Oakland can expect to live 15 fewer years than a White child from the Oakland Hills, only several miles away. Being neutral on race is part of the problem and fuels racist environments The differences in outcomes across places and races can be partially explained by the fact our government systems - and not just the City, the County, School district, and pretty much every government system at all levels in all places - strive to be "race neutral." In other words, the guiding belief is, if polices and programs remain neutral on race, they will do no harm. The problem is, unless our government systems explicitly and proactively aim for racial equity, the system is bound to reinforce existing inequities - the inequities that have been with us since Europeans began colonizing this land. Unequal in is unequal out unless our systems are tasked with leveling the playing field. Department of Race and Equity will save the city and taxpayers money As of 2013 the City of Oakland paid out more than $58,000,000 in settlements for police misconduct cases. Establishing a Department of Race & Equity could have saved us millions of dollars. We need a new approach Albert Einstein once said, "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." In order to get different outcomes, we need a new system - a new way of doing business in the City of Oakland that puts racial equity is at the forefront of every decision no matter how small, every policy including the budget, and every practice. We need the commitment and tools of every department in the City of Oakland to put advancing racial equity at the center of all activities. Improving outcomes for our most vulnerable residents - residents in neighborhoods that have suffered from decades of underinvestment - cannot rest on underfunded and overextended human service programs. It must be the very fabric of the City, integrated into the operations and culture of everything from public works to arts and culture to police. To build One Oakland, the City must join the national movement of governing for racial equity and start using every opportunity to advance racial justice. This is why it is so critical that the Council act decisively on my proposal to create a Department on Race andEquity. The City of Oakland is at a cross-roads: continue to do business as usual and accept the results, or take a stand against inequity and commit to using every daily decision as an opportunity to advance racial equity, deepening the impact of the existing city programs and policies aimed at improving conditions and outcomes for all Oakland residents. The proposed Department on Race and Equity will provide the consistent support needed to move such an ambitious change in the City's systems and culture. We know that there are staff people throughout the City who are working hard to improve outcomes in communities of color. This proposal will bring the full weight of the City behind their work and make it that much more effective. WE NEED YOU! Getting such an ambitious effort like this off the ground will not happen all at once and the resources can be put into place over time. The important thing is for the City to make a commitment now - everything else will flow from there. Additionally, it is essential that the community is engaged in all aspects of this work - from setting the vision and planning to implementation and problem solving. This engagement will not only ensure the work is grounded in our needs and ideas, but help keep up the urgency.
- We need you to endorse establishing a Department of Race and Equity in Oakland. Send your name and the district you live in to dbrooks@oaklandnet.com
- Send out information to your networks
- Personally attend and mobilize your base to upcoming meetings
- Outreach to your council members and ask them for support
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