The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and seven non-profit partners hosted more than 500 area leaders for the virtual Race, Equity & the Future of Greater Washington Regional Summit on June 11.
Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND) Executive Director Heather Raspberry facilitated the discussion with five area government equity officers, who spoke to the racial equity challenges that persist in the region and beyond, the professions, policies, and procedures that have contributed, and the work the region must do to address this.
VIDEO: Race, Equity & the Future of Greater Washington Regional Summit
The summit speakers included:
- Dr. C. Anneta Arno, D.C. Department of Health Office of Health Equity Director;
- Karla Bruce, Fairfax County Government Chief Equity Officer;
- Kerriann Peart, MPH, Prince George's County Office of the County Executive, Senior Advisor for Health, Human Services, and Education;
- Jaqueline Tucker, City of Alexandria Chief Equity Officer;
- Tiffany Ward, Montgomery County Government Chief Equity Officer;
The summit was hosted in partnership with the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, Building Bridges Across the River, Center for Nonprofit Advancement, Greater Washington Community Foundation, Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers, Leadership Greater Washington, and United Way of the National Capital Area.
“The term systemic racism is not something we were talking about before,” said Jaqueline Tucker, City of Alexandria Chief Equity Officer. “We really thought racism was an individual kind of hate and bigotry, and now what we’re seeing is that people are aware that it’s not just police, it’s not just our education system, it’s not just transportation, it’s not just our built environment, it’s all of those things that have racism inherently built into them since the founding of our country, and our policies and procedures upheld them for the duration of that time.”
Tucker and Ward will also speak to the COG Board of Directors at its upcoming July 8 meeting focused on equity. They will provide insights about their experiences working in local government in the City of Alexandria and Montgomery County respectively to address racial equity.
In addition, COG's Advancing Racial Equity Cohort convened a virtual panel of thought leaders from the philanthropic community on June 11 to foster collaboration with local governments on a shared vision of a more equitable region.
MORE: COG's work to advance racial equity