JOINT LETTER FROM DIRECTOR , EXECUTIVE TEAM AND RACIAL EQUITY WORKING GROUP
Racial Equity Action Plan . For us at San Francisco Public Works , those four words are loaded : Loaded with relief , excitement , trepidation , unease , anger , hope . Loaded with the weight of history .
We know discussions on race and racism are difficult and that each of us comes to anti-racist work with very different experiences , knowledge and vulnerabilities . With this action plan , we seek to build bridges so that together we can cement lasting organizational transformation – change that brings equity to our workplace and in the services we provide .
True change cannot be either top-down or bottom-up : it must be the collective work between the staff and the leadership team – where all voices are heard and valued – and where together we forge priorities , identify root causes and seek solutions .
In summer 2019 , Public Works began its Racial Equity Initiative by forming a multiracial 12-member Racial Equity Working Group , drawn from staff from our four divisions , to guide and advance the department ’ s work around racial justice . At the same time , the mayor and the Board of Supervisors approved legislation creating the City ’ s Office of Racial Equity and stipulated that each City department develop a Racial Equity Action Plan that aims “ to enact institutional and structural change to achieve Racial Equity .”
Provided with a framework by the Office of Racial Equity , the Racial Equity Working Group took the lead , making sure the
Action Plan reflected the voices and experiences of as many employees as possible . Through a series of surveys , workshops , staff meetings and listening circles , some 400 employees , or about a quarter of the workforce , weighed in . Concerted effort was made to include and elevate the voices of our BIPOC ( Black , indigenous and people of color ) employees , who carry the weight of racism and racist policies .
As the Action Plan took shape , there were debates over what should and shouldn ’ t be included , and how data should be presented . Words matter . Numbers matter . There were debates over charts and over language , over what are facts , over context and perception . Was the information accurate ? Was it fair ? Do we focus just on what Public Works can control ? Or do we address the centuries-long wrongs of institutional racism larger than us ? Do we wait for answers or do we move forward now with urgency and fervor ? Who will make those decisions ?
The process has been very difficult , raw and at times emotionally exhausting . And that ’ s exactly how we expected it to be .
Confronting racism is one of the biggest challenges of our time . Constructing a new anti-racist foundation for our 121-year-old department will not happen overnight and it will not be smooth . Not only must we overcome bureaucratic hurdles , but also deeply personal ones .
We take on this challenge , not just because City law requires us to , but because we at Public Works believe it is the right thing to
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