Dear Community Partner, 
 
Today, people across the city and country remember George Floyd, as May 25 marks one year since he was killed by Minneapolis police officers. The tragedy of George Floyd’s murder, and others like Breonna Taylor, resurfaced memories of other acts of violence and inspired a series of protests, reforms and reparative actions across the country. 
 
Our conversations, our work, and our world has changed from witnessing those 9 minutes and 29 seconds of terror. Since then, our communities have also dealt with the rise in hate violence toward Asian Americans and the devastating impacts of the pandemic on our Latinx and Pacific Islander communities. While some have felt the impacts of deeply rooted injustice for a lifetime, others assessed their own role in perpetuating systemic racism for the first time.  
 
Difficult, but necessary, conversations have brought us closer to a shared understanding of systemic racism as a public health crisis. Through the Framework for Reconciliation, we have acknowledged the existence and long-standing impacts of systemic racism in Long Beach and listened to the lived experiences of our community members. These conversations have catalyzed actions to reconcile the persistent disparities in life outcomes based on race, especially the Black community.
 
The Office of Equity remains committed to learning about and undoing systemic racism in the City of Long Beach, and we have been implementing a number of actions outlined in the Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative: Initial Report. Later this summer, we will provide an update to City Council and community members, however in brief, over the last year, we have: 
 
  • Relocated the Office of Equity to the City Manager’s Office to ensure intersection of equity across all City departments, 
  • Increased capacity in the Office of Equity by adding 2 full-time employees, 
  • Created an inter-departmental Racial Equity Implementation Team,
  • Facilitated at least 40 Racial Equity 101 staff trainings, to establish a foundational understanding of racial equity and systemic racism.

We are also:
  • Developing Departmental Racial Equity Action Plans that include internal and external strategies that hold every City department accountable for achieving measurable results towards racial equity;
  • Incorporating Trauma Informed training to understand the impact of racial trauma and discrimination on individuals, families, and communities;
  • Working to update the Human Relations Commission with an expanded mission and scope that reflects the City’s commitment to equity.
 
In holding up a vision of an equitable Long Beach, our work focuses on continuing to honor the life of George Floyd and countless others who have been harmed by systemic racism. We will never forget the events that have reinforced the urgency of eliminating systemic racism and recognize that the starting point in this country is to begin by dismantling anti-Black practices within institutions and replacing them with those that ensure racial equity for all of us. 

In community,

Long Beach Office of Equity Team

Teresa Chandler
Katie Balderas
Francheska Deras
Shreya Sharan
Alanah Grant

Artwork by Gilda Posada for Just Seeds
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