Officials on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors unanimously affirmed racial equity as a fundamental COG value at its July meeting.
The resolution acknowledged the history of racism in the country, recognized that racial inequities have been institutionalized in policies and practices of governments among other sectors, and committed COG to an intentional focus on equity moving forward, actively opposing racism, and being anti-racist.
The Board affirms that our work together as the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments will be anti-racist and will advance equity; and
The Board affirms that Equity will be woven into COG’s Region Forward Vision to ensure a more prosperous, accessible, livable, sustainable, and equitable future for all area residents and throughout COG’s analyses, operations, procurement, programs, and priorities.
COG Board Chair Derrick L. Davis, Prince George's County Council Member, said that the board began the year with the intent to focus on the intersection of transportation, land-use, and housing.
"I'm reminded that [housing and land use]...have structural racism embedded throughout them," said Davis, who noted that the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities and the death of George Floyd are again bringing these challenges to light.
Tia Taylor Williams, American Public Health Association (APHA) Centers for Public Health Policy and School, Health, and Education Director, briefed the board about COVID-19 equity implications.
Davis said he was proud to be part of a region that is ready to respond, "not just with lip service," but with action.
"I think there are so many opportunities for us to take this from a transformative, rhetorical moment, to a real meaningful, substantive moment as we create the type of changes that will hopefully lead our country," said COG Board Vice Chair Christian Dorsey, Arlington County Board Member.
"For me, as an African American...we recognize...we've reached the point where we can have an honest dialogue about racism and about the disparities and difficulties of being Black in America," said COG Board Vice Chair Robert C. White, Jr., District of Columbia Councilmember. "We're really starting to wrap our arms around this moment in making a collective commitment to move forward..."
"As a new member of this board, I'm just blown away," said Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey. "You all have afforded me the opportunity to be a part of something that is pinnacle and transforming, and we are the ones for such a time as this."
Learning from efforts in progress
Officials from Montgomery County and the City of Alexandria briefed the board about their efforts at the local level to address issues of racial equity.
Nancy Navarro, Montgomery County Council Member, spoke about the county's sweeping Racial Equity and Social Justice Act. The act was signed into law late in 2019, and requires all county legislative and budget measures to be analyzed for an equity impact. It also created a government equity office, among other actions.
According to Montgomery County Chief Equity Officer Tiffany Ward, recent events have many asking what they can do, but she is also imploring people to ask first what they can learn.
"I really want us to stop and think, and really get a knowledge base of the history of this country, and how policies have set us up to be where we are today, so we can have a really informed way of dismantling those policies and those practices," said Ward.
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson shared that most recently the city passed a resolution condemning systemic racism and calling for enhanced civilian oversight of policing.
"Our goal is to normalize, operationalize, and organize," said the city's Chief Equity Officer Jaqueline Tucker, who explained that the city must work on building a shared understanding of and vocabulary for racial and social equity, leverage racial equity tools to interrupt biases, and organize to hold the city accountable in its equity efforts.
"Racial equity, to me, is really how do we bring the people back to government, really hear their voices, and really serve people," said Tucker.
These efforts in Montgomery County and Alexandria land among many other efforts in the region.
For example, Arlington County announced the appointment of a new Chief Equity Officer, Samia Byrd, who coordinates the county's work with COG's Racial Equity Cohort.
Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey shared that her board, led by Chair Ann Wheeler, has adopted a resolution directing the creation of an equity and inclusion framework in the county.
Loudoun County Supervisor Juli Briskman noted that her colleagues, under the leadership of Chairwoman Phyllis Randall, voted to remove the Confederate statue from the county courthouse grounds. According to Briskman, the county hopes to do more.
"I'm very much looking forward to emulating our friends...that shared their process today," Briskman said.
Racial Equity Cohort
The board was also briefed about COG and the Government Alliance on Race and Equity's (GARE) inaugural Racial Equity Cohort, which will hold its commencement on July 30.
Over the past 10 months, 100 staff members from 11 area jurisdictions examined different areas of government through a racial equity lens and identified projects that work toward more equitable policies and practices.
For example, the Alexandria team for the cohort has focused its efforts on increasing housing production and affordability, the Montgomery team is working on racially equitable hiring, and the Fairfax team wants to ensure the county is a place where all visitors and residents can access and participate in culturally enriching experiences. These are just a few of the many priorities of the group.
A new cohort will begin in early 2021, open to all COG jurisdictions to participate. GARE will also offer continued sessions with the current cohort that will begin in the fall to continue its learning and action plan implementation.
MORE: Racial equity declared a fundamental value of DC-area governments (WTOP)