California
Racial Equity Commission
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WHO WE ARE
Established through Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-16-22, California's Racial Equity Commission is tasked with recommending tools, methodologies and opportunities to advance racial equity and address disparities facing historically underserved and marginalized communities and will provide technical assistance to state and local governments to advance racial equity statewide.
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We hope you'll join us for the Racial Equity Commission Budget Equity Meeting beginning at 1 p.m. next week, Thursday, May 9. You can find the agenda and other meeting information on our meetings’ webpage. Register to tune in online by clicking the button below, or you can join in person in Los Angeles at George & Sakaye Aratani Central Hall in the Japanese American National Museum.
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Check out the Commissioner spotlights below to learn more about our Commission. Then, read on for excerpts from recent news coverage on the Commission:
- The Jennifer Hudson Show hosted Chair Dr. Luke Wood for an interview,
- A CSU Bakersfield student journalist published an article about our last Commission meeting,
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The Governor’s Office quoted Commissioner Traco Matthews in a recent announcement.
Lastly, we share a few highlights of our upcoming Meeting’s agenda.
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Commissioner Candis Bowles |
As General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer at Rising Communities, Candis works across multiple teams to coordinate and manage contractual and compliance aspects of grants. Candis is responsible for principal oversight and strategic leadership of Rising Communities internal operations, including but not limited to the areas of Finance, Human Resources, Administration, and IT. She is lead on negotiating and overseeing all agency internal contracts and supports the C-Suite and Management Team with the execution and implementation of programmatic and external grants/ contracts and participatory grant-making. In addition to leading operations, Candis serves as a catalyst for certain special projects that advance the Rising Communities mission and strategic plan and uses the Rising Communities Model for Social Change to impact health equity.
What are you most excited about for the Racial Equity Commission?
I am most excited about considering the flaws in systems and institutions that create inequity. I am excited for the opportunity to examine deficient policies and operations within the State's agencies as opposed to perceived deficiencies with people of color.
What role do you see yourself playing?
I believe my role is to reimagine California’s government services - past and future - with an equity lens. My task is to listen to the community, the current State agency staff entrusted with making and implementing policies, and the advocates and stakeholders who are invested in this Commission, and to work with all of them to reimagine functional services and systems that produce equitable outcomes. If the system works, it will be honest about the historical lack of resources available to communities of color and ensure that future policies, practices, and systems actually serve people of color well. I believe my role is to keep the focus on race and equity, even when it becomes uncomfortable or inconvenient.
What else would you like to highlight?
The importance of recognizing that people are complex and more than just a racial identity. I hope we have the capacity to handle this complexity and recognize intersections of race and disability, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
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John Kim is the President & CEO of Catalyst California (formerly known as Advancement Project California). Since joining Catalyst California in 2002, John has been lifting the voices and needs of low-income communities of color to transform systems and expand opportunities for all. Through coalition building and by utilizing innovative tools and strategies, he has helped redirect billions of public and private dollars to the most underserved communities. John oversaw the strategic direction and development of RACE COUNTS, a first-of-its-kind initiative that examines racial disparity, performance, and population impact in each of California’s 58 counties. With John’s visionary leadership, RACE COUNTS engaged hundreds of statewide community stakeholders and was featured in The New York Times, CityLab, The Sacramento Bee, and various radio shows.
What are you most excited about for the Racial Equity Commission?
There are a few things I am excited about for the REC: First, that we get to hear from community from around the state. This Commission was, in many ways, the product of community advocacy and it should stay connected to community throughout the process. The second is that we are treading brand new terrain. This will be the first time, in our state’s 170+ year history that we are codifying a statewide framework for Racial Equity and so the potential to break new ground is immensely exciting. And finally, it’s the other Commissioners. I only knew a handful of them before the Commission. But the more I get to know them – the more I’m blown away by their wisdom and commitment.
What role do you see yourself playing?
It is an extraordinary honor to have been considered and appointed to be working alongside such amazing staff and Commissioners. But I do see this appointment as time-limited and that my job is to channel the collective wisdom of my organization, the movement, and communities that I’m a part of. My hope is to contribute my time, skills, and experience to ensure our collective work as Commissioners truly enhances our state government’s capacity to operationalize racial equity.
What else would you like to highlight?
That this is exciting new ground and that all of us should bring our fullest selves to this BUT that this will require real listening and grace from everyone involved. This is a big state, with a lot of moving parts, and so many different perspectives on the tough questions we will be tackling. In the end, I truly believe that the best path forward will be together but that will require grace and engagement from all of us.
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Commissioner Dr. Manuel Pastor |
Dr. Manuel Pastor is a Distinguished Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. He currently directs the Equity Research Institute at USC. Pastor’s research has generally focused on issues of the economic, environmental, and social conditions facing low-income urban communities – and the social movements seeking to change those realities.
What are you most excited about for the Racial Equity Commission?
I think we have a chance to chart a path for the nation, showing how we can use state policy to address racial disparities and create a future that brings voice, well-being, and security to all Californians. And while that goal is lofty, the immediate task to set metrics that can guide state policy in that direction.
What role do you see yourself playing?
I hope to provide guidance on data collection, policy design, and strategic planning to make progress on racial equity. I also hope to insist on urgency – we must get this right to build faith in both government and civic life, and to address the disparities that will hold back economic, social, and environmental progress in our state.
What else would you like to highlight?
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Office of Governor Newsom - “Governor Newsom Announces Partnership between CHP and Bakersfield Police Department to Step Up Efforts to Take Down Crime in the Central Valley”
“'I’m grateful for the Governor’s focused attention on our region. Efforts to improve public safety, address roadway violence, and reduce criminal activity in Bakersfield translate to better health for everyone,’ said California Racial Equity Commissioner Traco Matthews."
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The Runner - “The California Equity Committee makes their first stop in Lamont, California”
“In a school cafeteria at Myrtle Elementary, located in Lamont, California, the Kern County community gathered on March 20, as the California Racial Equity Committee made their first stop to gain information on the equity gaps that Central Valley faces.”
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Jennifer Hudson Show - “How College President Overcame Adversity to Pioneer Groundbreaking Black Honors Initiative”
California Racial Equity Commission Chair and Sacramento State President, Dr. Luke Wood, appeared on the The Jennifer Hudson Show last week to discuss how his upbringing has been a motivating force in his work to help young people facing socio-economic disadvantages –including food and housing insecurity – and his plans to better support Black students at Sacramento State.
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We look forward to more #RacialEquity conversations around budget equity with our commissioners and community covering the agenda items below.
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Public Comment
The Committee will hear public comments.
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Selection of Committee Lead and Committee Overview
Candis Bowles, Commissioner for the Racial Equity Commission will facilitate the selection of the Budget Equity Commission lead. The Committee will then review and discuss its charge as its bylaws.
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Advancing Budget Equity Strategies
A panel and Committee discussion will explore budget equity strategies implemented across various jurisdictions.
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Additional Meeting Information |
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Meeting Information
The Racial Equity Commission (Commission) will host a hybrid meeting, with in-person and remote participation options. Both options will have opportunities for public comment. The Commission remains steadfast in its goals to promote transparency and public participation. To do so, the Commission has arranged multiple options to listen, view, and/or comment during the Commission Meeting. Please note there may be some technical issues during the hybrid Commission meetings.
Instructions for Providing Public Comment:
Public comment is an important part of every Commission meeting, and this hybrid meeting is no exception. If you plan to comment on an agenda item, or on a matter not on the meeting agenda, please follow the instructions below.
To make remote public comment, you will need to connect (online or by phone) to the meeting using Zoom.
To make online public comment: Visit racialequity.opr.ca.gov/meetings and complete the public comment form linked there. You will need to complete a separate form for each item on which you wish to speak. You may complete a form at any time during the meeting. When the public comment period opens for your item and you hear your name in that list, please raise your hand. You can do this by clicking “Raise Hand” under the “participants” menu, which you can find at the bottom of your screen on the Zoom platform, or by pressing *9 if you are joining by phone. The Commission staff member who is facilitating public comment will call on you upon seeing your raised hand. Commission staff will unmute your microphone then your name is called.
To make in-person public comment, please fill out the physical comment card provided during the meeting. Prior to making your comments, please state your name for the record and identify any group or organization you represent.
Timing of Comments:
Public comments will adhere to the length the meeting chair announces during the meeting. Commission staff will share a timer and ask speakers to end when their time is up.
Trouble-shooting technical problems on Zoom:
General Guidelines for Participation in Commission Meetings:
All times indicated and the order of business is approximate and subject to change. Public comment is taken on each agenda item as well as at the end of the meeting. If you wish to speak, please fill out the provided comment card for in-person public comment or use the “Raise Hand” function for remote public comment. Prior to making your comments, please state your name for the record and identify any group or organization you represent. Depending on the number of individuals wishing to address the Commission, the Chair may establish specific time limits on presentations.
The meeting agenda and accompanying action Item materials will be posted on the Racial Equity Commission website at racialequity.opr.ca.gov 10 calendar days prior to the meeting. To receive future notices for the Commission meetings, please sign up for the Racial Equity Commission listserv at racialequity.opr.ca.gov. This meeting will be recorded, and the recording will be posted on the California Racial Equity Commission website 10 days after the meeting.
The Racial Equity Commission will host a hybrid meeting, with in-person and remote participation options. Both options will have opportunities for public comment. The Commission is committed to promote transparency and broad public participation. To do so, the Commission has arranged multiple options to listen, view, and/or comment during the Commission Meeting.
If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to fully participate in this event, please contact Agustin Arreola, Agustin.arreola@opr.ca.gov or at 279-386-2183 as soon as possible to discuss your accessibility needs.
Translation and interpretation services may be provided upon request. To ensure availability of these services, please make your request no later than 14 days prior to the meeting by contacting Agustin Arreola, Agustin.arreola@opr.ca.gov or at 279-386-2183. If you have any questions regarding the process for this public comment period, please contact Agustin Arreola: Agustin.arreola@opr.ca.gov 279-386-2183.
[Spanish] Servicios de accesibilidad adicionales, como traducción de inglés a otros idiomas, pueden hacerse disponibles si usted los pide. Para asegurar la disponibilidad de estos servicios, por favor haga su petición 14 días antes del taller público, a Agustin Arreola: Agustin.arreola@opr.ca.gov 279-386-2183
[Tagalog] Pagsasalin at pagpapaliwanag ay maaring ipakiusap (karagdagan sa Espanyol). Upang masiguro na mayroon ang mga serbisyong inaalok, mangyaring makipagugnayan kay Agustin Arreola, Agustin.arreola@opr.ca.gov or at 279-386-2183 sa loob ng 14 araw ng paggawa.
[Punjabi] ਬੇਨਤੀ ਕਰਨ ‘ਤੇ ਅਨੁਵਾਦ ਅਤੇ ਵਵਆਵਿਆ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ (ਸਪੈਵਨਸ਼ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ) ਪਰਦਾਨ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਜਾ ਸਕਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ। ਇਹਨਾਂ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਦੀ ਉਪਲਬਧਤਾ ਨ ੂੰ ਯਕੀਨੀ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਲਈ, ਵਕਰਪਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਮੀਵ ੂੰਗ ਤੋਂ 14 ਵਦਨ ਪਵਹਲਾਂ Agustin Arreola, Agustin.arreola@opr.ca.gov or at 279-386-2183. ‘ਤੇ ਲੋਇਸ ਵਕਮ ਨਾਲ ਸੂੰਪਰਕ ਕਰਕੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਬੇਨਤੀ ਕਰੋ।
[Vietnamese] Có thể cung cấp các dịch vụ biên dịch và phiên dịch (ngoài tiếng Tây Ban Nha) theo yêu cầu. Để đảm bảo việc có thể cung cấp các dịch vụ này, quý vị vui lòng đưa ra yêu cầu không trễ hơn mười bờn ngày làm việc trước ngày hội thảo bằng cách liên hệ với Agustin Arreola, Agustin.arreola@opr.ca.gov or at 279-386-2183.
Contact
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Contact Us
1400 Tenth Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 322-2318
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