Racial Equity Initiative
In late 2019 , San Francisco Public Works launched a Racial Equity Initiative . The first action was to gather a 12-person , multiracial working group – one that represented all divisions and many job classes – that would lead the work toward becoming an anti-racist organization .
In fall 2020 , the Public Works Racial Equity Working Group did extensive outreach to gather experiences and ideas on how race and racism affect us individually and as a department . About 400 Public Works employees — or about a quarter of the total workforce — participated . It took time and courage to step into these difficult but necessary conversations . The Racial Equity Action Plan is rooted in these voices .
We know that discussions on race and racism are difficult and that each of us comes to antiracist work with very different experiences , knowledge and vulnerabilities . With this Racial Equity Action Plan , we seek to build bridges so that together we can cement a lasting organizational transformation – change that brings equity to our workplace and the services we provide .
Inspecting our Foundation
In 2022 , as part of our Racial Equity Action Plan , we delved into our Public Works history and looked at it through a racial equity lens . In studying our history , we hope to learn from past actions and bring to light how Public Works can be more proactive in promoting racial equity in its policies , programs and services .
This special report looks at a handful of major moments in our history that have impacted communities – both positively and negatively . Read the report
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