MOST UPDATED VERSION

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Prepared byKayla O’Regan
Advancing Equity and
Inclusion in Somerville
July 2016
Baseline Report and Initial
Recommendations

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Acknowledgements
Thisdocument is a product of individualresearch and nationalcooperation
intended to reflect thecommitment ofthe Cityof Somerville to reducing
inequityand advancing equityacrossthecommunity.
For their contributionstothisreport, a specialthank you to:
CandaceCooper, DeputyDirector of HumanResources, Somerville
Doug Kress, Director of Health & HumanServices, Somerville
Leanna Barlow, SomerStat
Julie Nelson, Government Allianceon Race and Equity
Elliot Bronstein, SeattleOfficeof Civil Rights
Alison T. Brill, MassachusettsDepartment ofPublic Health
Jessica VasquezTorres, CrossroadsAnti-Racism
Katrina Farren-Eller, Inclusive Dubuque
Ben Duncan, Multnomah CountyChief Diversity& EquityOfficer
Shirronda Almeida, MelKing Institute
For more informationrelated tothisreport, please contact myself or the co-
leads:
CandaceCooper: ccooper@somervillema.gov
Doug Kress: dkress@somervillema.gov
Kayla O’Regan: koregan@somervillema.gov

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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements..........................................................................................................................2
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................4
Introduction: Where Somerville Stands................................................................................................6
Internal Indicators ......................................................................................................................6
External Indicators....................................................................................................................10
In Comparison with our Neighbors.................................................................................................13
Human Resources.............................................................................................................................18
Training .....................................................................................................................................18
Diversifying Workforce.............................................................................................................20
Racial Equity Toolkit......................................................................................................................23
Infrastructure.................................................................................................................................27
Work Plans ......................................................................................................................................31
Networks/Partnerships..................................................................................................................33
Community Engagement...............................................................................................................35
Work of Other Cities ......................................................................................................................39
Boston.........................................................................................................................................39
Seattle.........................................................................................................................................40
Madison (Wisconsin).................................................................................................................42
Portland (Oregon)......................................................................................................................43
Saint Paul...................................................................................................................................43
Recommendations.........................................................................................................................45

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Executive Summary
Somerville has long prided itself on being a diverse community, famous for celebrations
of culture, and for being an accepting community towards all marginalized groups, from
the LGBTQ community to immigrants from all over the world. Despite being
progressive, Somerville is challenged by inequities across the city.
Somerville is ready totake a stand against inequity and foster a community that is a
place where everyone, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, or any other facet
of identity, can thrive. It is the purpose of this report to provide the city’s current status
on equity, and to provide recommendations to city leadership that may help advance
equity in Somerville.
Tocreate this report, intensive research is presented to provide a profile of Somerville at
its current status and compare it to neighboring communities and cities across the
country. Furthermore, in seeking to discover what other cities have done to advance
equity within their own community, I reached out to prominent figures from around the
country that work in the world of diversity and equity and were able to offer hard-
earned advice and material that will aid Somerville as we attempt to follow a similar
path.
What is equity?
Although ‘equality’ and ‘equity’ are often
used interchangeably, the concepts are
actually quite different. As the Government
Alliance on Race and Equityputs it, “Equity
is about fairness, while equality is about
sameness.” The central feature of equity
requires taking into consideration what
opportunities someone may or may not
have based on things like race, gender,
sexual orientation, socioeconomic status,
etc. It requires acknowledging that by
virtue of birth, some people start off ahead
of others.

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The goal of an equity initiative is not simply to close the gaps between, for example,
whites and blacks, but to increase the success of all groups. It is important to keep in
mind that advancing equity benefits everyone, not just those who are being the least
well-served by existing institutions.
Other leaders in equity have advised that rather than addressing inequities across
multiple identity lines at once, some cities have found that it is better tobegin with a
specific focus on racial equity, because what benefits people of color will benefit
everyone. Also, it allows communities to identify successes and obsticals before
expanding the project to include other types of equity, such as: gender, sexual
orientation, religious representation, and multilingualism.
There are many, many steps involved in the fight against inequity. Making a real
difference takes time, commitment, and the awareness that advancing equity will not be
easy. However, there are steps the government can begin to take right away to combat
inequity.
An equity initiative will require the involvement of every city department, although
some departments will have decidedly more responsibility than others. One of the most
important and far-reaching aspects of the initiative is the implementation of an equity
framework by the city leadership. This framework must be used early and often.1 The
Human Resources department will also be heavily involved, working to diversify the city
government’s workforce and establish equity as a core value in hiring.2 The initiative will
require dedication to community engagement, and a plan to collect and measure data as
the initiative is implemented.
Equity will be realized when pieces of a person’s identity (race, gender, disability, etc.)
have no detrimental effect on the distribution of resources, opportunities, and outcomes
for a group of society.3
For a glossary of important equity-related terms, please see Appendix O.
1 See the section beginning on page 22.
2 See the section beginning on page 17.
3 Julie Nelson, AdvancingRacial Equity and Transforming Government: A Resource Guide to Put Ideas
into Action, pg 9.

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Introduction: Where Somerville Stands
Internal Indicators
Community Conversations:
In the fall/winter of 2015, The City hosted a series of community conversation about
race and racism. Attendees had the opportunity to identify and prioritize issues the City
should address. Below is the list in order of importance:
 Address the issue of gentrification
 More education for everyone on what is going on beyond Somerville
 Meet people where they are
 Opportunities for more information on other cultures/learning experience
 Hiring practices (all levels)
 A REAL history lesson (anti-racism curriculum in SPS)
 Diversify community events
 Diversify elected officials, school, City leadership positions
 Mayor meet with community organizations
 Create inclusive/low-income (and extremely low-income) housing to maintain
and continue to diversify the community
 Identify point person to handle reports of racial incidences (non SPD)/create a
safe, drop-in space at City Hall to discuss sensitive issues
 Leadership in city reflect diversity

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If we truly value diversity and wish to advance equity, a major goal of this initiative
should be to create a municipal government which reflects the community. Historically,
people of color and women have been hugely underrepresented in government, and the
same holds true for Somerville.
Non-Union
Staff
Race/Ethnicity
Breakdown
White Black Hispanic Asian Other Total
Dept. Head 96% 2% 2% - - 56
Professional 82% 7% 7% 3% 1% 102
Non-manager 81% 6% 13% - - 16
The tables above show disproportional representation incity employment staff. Most
notable is the statistic that 96% of the city’s department heads are white, despite the fact
that only 74% of Somerville’s population is white. This trend is consistent in each
category. The most diverse employees are found in the police department and at the
non-manager level, which is comprised of all other clerical and administrative workers.

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All categories with the exception of the non-union professional category display gender
imbalance. It is noted that women are in union professional level at a higher
proportion than males. Among department heads, two-thirds are men,while females
comprise 88% of non-manager positions and 95% of union clerical positions. These data
show that females continue to make up the majority of jobs that have traditionally been
viewed as “female dominated fields,” such as secretarial positions, and women have yet
to achieve equal representation as bosses.

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The demographics of Somerville teachers are much closer to reflecting the racial
composition of the community. At the high school level, the majority of the staff are
white and there is a notable underrepresentation of Asians, however the presence of
black and Hispanic staff closely mirrors that of the student population. The overall
district is not dissimilar but depicts a slight disproportionate represention of other
races.
Demographics of
Somerville
Makeup of SHS
Teachers
All district teachers

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ExternalIndicators
It is also important to analyze student achievement to identify disparities connected to
race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or a combination of all of these factors.
MCAS 2015: English Language Arts Grade 10
English Language Learners (ELL)/Former ELL and black students have the highest
percentage of students ranking “needs improvement” or “failing.”. Students with
disabilities and ELL students saw the lowest percent achieving advanced marks. It is
interesting to note that not a single white student failed the ELA MCAS.

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MCAS 2015: Mathematics, Grade 10
Overall, a higher percentage of students have a failing score in mathematics. Similar to
the 2015 ELA chart, ELL/Former ELL students, disabled students, and black students
had the highest percentages of failing/needs improvement grades. The same groups
have the lowest percent of Advanced scores. Additionally as with ELA scores, white and
Asian students outperformed the other groups.

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Although Somerville High is meeting its overall goals or narrowing gaps in performance,
it is notable that the targets were not met for ELL students, students with disabilities,
and black students, while white students performed at nearly 100%.

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In Comparison with our Neighbors
Boston
As the hub of Massachusetts and an intimate neighbor of Somerville, Boston is an
important city to use as a case study due to challenges identified in Greater Boston that
are direct descendants of the example and practices of Boston. Boston has the greatest
inequality in household income out of the 100 largest U.S. cities.4 This extends beyond
Boston proper known as MetroBoston (which includes Somerville), in which white
families have a median net worth of $247,500, while African-American families have a
median net worth of only $8. 5
Under Mayor Walsh, Boston has recognized the need to address the disproportionate
inequality that exists within its borders. The city has taken several steps to advance
equity.6 . Furthermore, the data on Boston may help fill in gaps in data that Somerville
lacks,.
4 Mayor Martin Walsh, “Economic Inclusion and Equity Agenda,” 2016.
5 Ibid.
6 For more information on Boston’s equity work, go to page 37.
Demographics of
Boston
The City of Boston’s workforce is much
more diverse than that of Somerville,
as shown by the following table. There
is still an overrepresentation of whites,
but it is less drastic than that of
Somerville. Boston documents an
overrepresentation of blacks in its
municipal workforce, but a significant
underrepresentation of Hispanics and
Asians.

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Boston appears to have an even distribution of gender which matches its population of
52% women. However, this statistic includes Boston Public Schools employees; when
BPS employees are left out, the gender representation is not as evenly distributed. -
Further, when only full-time employees are included, women make up only 28% of city
employees despite being 50.45% of Boston’s labor workforce.7
8
7 Mayor’s Office of Diversity, “2015 WorkforceReport,” 2015.
8 I included only a sample ofstatistics from Boston’s WorkforceProfile Report,selecting the ones which
are most easily comparableto the table at the beginning ofthis section.

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Similar to Somerville, the public schools are comprised of the most diverse set of
employees. Other Boston City Departments are less diverse,however it is more reflective
of Boston’sdiversity compared to Somerville.
At the leadership level, Boston remains more diverse than Somerville, although there is
a noticeable overrepresentation of whites and all other races are not proportionally
represented.

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Boston compared itself to New York City, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, and the
wealth inequities are greater in Boston than in all of these other cities. Whites are
overrepresented in high-wage jobs, while blacks are overrepresented in low-wage jobs.
This information may have an impact on the perception of Somerville’s changing
demographics. This should be explored further.
A Note on the Data
It is clear that Boston’s data is more comprehensive than Somerville’s. The City has
minimal data, both internal and external, making the process of assessing the city’s
current status more difficult. Toremedy this problem, arecommendation is proposed to
institute new practices of acquiring data.
Boston is preparing to unveil an Employee Engagement Survey with the aim of
discovering how “[they] are doing as an employer in regards to diversity, professional
development, and opportunities for upward mobility.”9 Conducting such a survey in
Somerville would allow for assessing current status in regards to equity, discrimination
and a variety of other issues, but for measuring how employees react to the Equity
Initiative as it develops and continues.
Similarly, Seattle conducts an internal survey every twoyears toassess the progress of
the city and individual departments in operationalizing equity. The survey found that
86% of city employees find value in examining the impact of race at work, and 60% of
employees believe the city is making progress.1 0 Many cities, including Cambridge, have
begun using a biennial employee survey.
For external data, Inclusive Dubuque’s Equity Profile can be seen as an example
ofcommunicating with and involving the community. Toformulate the Equity Profile,
Inclusive Dubuque used a mixture of surveys and community dialogue to gather both
quantitative and qualitative equity data. This process humanizes the idea of equity and
involves the community in fixing the problem, something that is essential to beginning a
project such as this.1 1
Even if similar measures to these are not ultimately adapted, it is absolutely necessary to
begin tracking and measuring changes in data that will reflect any impacts created by
9 Mayor’s Office of Diversity, “2015 WorkforceReport,” 2016.
10 Seattle Office for Civil Rights, “Race and Social Justice Initiative Employee Survey 2012 Summary
Report,” 2013.
11 For more information on the equity profile, please see Appendix A.

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this initiative. Another method of tracking equity metrics has been put forth by GARE,
called the Racial Equity Scorecard.1 2
12 To view the metrics ofthe Racial Equity Scorecard, pleasesee Appendix B.

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Human Resources
Training
Before we can ask city staff to begin including equity in their daily work, employees
must be well-versed in what exactly equity is and why it’s important to their work.
Therefore, training for city staff must be the first step taken.
Luckily, there is no shortage of organizations that would be willing to work with
Somerville in this respect.
 Mel King Institute: Massachusetts-based community development organization;
a representative mentioned that the Somerville Community Corporation is a
member of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development
Corporations and could be a potential host for a training led by the Institute
 People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond: famous for a 2-day workshop called
Undoing Racism, which is the workshop the city of Seattle uses to train its
employees; the People’s Institute will host this workshop from Sept. 22-24th at
Urban Edge: 1542 Columbus Ave, Boston.
 Crossroads Antiracism: Crossroads offers different types of workshops. One is a
“101” type course, a day-long introductory workshop aimed at establishing
cultural competency and understanding racism; these are often tailored to meet
the specific needs of the group. Crossroads also runs more intensive workshops
called Understanding and Analyzing Systemic Racism, which last two and a half
days. Crossroads has previously partnered with different cities across the nation
and would willingly work with Somerville.
 government Alliance on Race and Equity: Alison T. Brill of the Massachusetts
DPH thought it would be a good idea for Somerville to team up with the MA DPH

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to bring GARE out here to run a training for employees of both Somerville and
the DPH.
All of these institutions have solid reputations and are dedicated to the eradication of
inequity. Key components of the training would include the following:
 the definition of individual, institutional and structural racism
 the history of public policies which favor whites
 equity vs. equality
 explicit and implicit bias
 applying an equity lens to policies/practices/programs
When implementing training for city staff, there are otherconsiderations. For example,
will training be better received if it is framed as professional development? Should we
begin with voluntary participants to develop a core of allies before expanding the
training to all employees? Or should we begin the training with department heads and
the leaders of change teams?1 3 Does it make sense to provide the same training as
provided to city staff to agencies receiving City funding?
My research has shown thatthat the most important goal of training is establishing a
common language. “A common language creates a narrative that makes it easier to
communicate the commitment to racial equity, both externally and internally, and it
creates a platform for coordinated work toward equitable outcomes.”1 4 Problems will
certainly arise if different people mean different things when they talk about “equity”—
understandably, it is necessary tohave everyone on the same page before and during the
project.
13 For information on changeteams,see pg 25.
14 Annie E. Casey Foundation, RaceEquity and Inclusion Action Guide: 7 Steps to Advance and Embed
Race Equity and Inclusion in your Organization.

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Leaders also note that the training will be difficult for all those involved. Some white
people may have a hard time believing or understanding some of the things they are
hearing, while simultaneously people of color struggle to watch white people learn about
the racism they have experienced their whole lives. It would be wise to have mechanisms
in place to deal with any strained or upset emotions; for example, the DPH has a list of
employees willing to listen to and talk with anyone who has questions or qualms about
the process.This could be an opportunity to utilize our in-house trauma response
network.
Diversifying Workforce
Although one of the most important points of
equity is creating a city government that reflects
the community, the data above shows that
Somerville is clearly lacking a representative
government. As many employees age and approach
retirement, the city has as opportunity to more
carefully consider diversity as a factor when hiring new employees. When leadership
positions become available, underrepresented groups should be carefully considered for
the promotion.
However, it is important to take into account turnover rates. For union jobs, there is a
turnover rate of about 2%, and for non-union jobs that number is around 12%. This
means that only a handful of jobs become available each year, and that these are often
lower-level jobs because people rise up in the ranks as higher positions vacate.
Therefore, it will take a while to make a significant impact in diversifying the workforce.
Tosee how the city is doing in this practice, look at the new hires each year todiscern
what percentage are diverse candidates and whether that is reflective of the city.
“Internally, by understanding
diverse perspectives, our
staffs become more based in
reality; communications are
richer; and overall morale is
boosted.”

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The Alliance, a local organization of community development organizations committed
to racial equity, cited the following three reasons organizations struggle to hire people of
color:
 Organizations fail to expand network of contacts and advertisement for positions
(i.e only advertise in the Globe or on Monster.com)
 Organizations fail to recognize the disruption, interference and intimidation
caused by structural racism
 Organizations wait until the job is open, rather than cultivating and mentoring
potential candidates of color before openings arise.1 5
Promotion/Recruitment
Toincrease diversity in the city’s workforce, steps must be taken from the very earliest
phases of promotion and recruitment. The city should host career fairs in places that
have previously been untapped, such as universities or lower-income neighborhoods.
Also consider attending Diversity Career Fairs and the Commonwealth Career Fair.
Toattract more people of color and members of other minority groups to apply for a
position, the city should consider where and how we advertise job openings. There is a
long list of groups we could advertise toin order to reach more diverse populations,1 6
but most importantly, Somerville should advertise in newspapers that reach specific
groups, like a Brazilian, Portuguese-language paper or a paper for the African-American
community. And considering the high number of colleges in the area, it may be a good
idea to advertise toethnic studies departments and associations.
Prosessor Linda Hudson of Tufts put forth the idea of looking at experience as “credit”
for college admissions, which would put the application of a person of color into better
perspective and perhaps answer questions about the applicant’s performance and
history. This idea could easily be applied to the hiring process, helping to make up for
the gap that may exist between a white applicant and a person of color due to inequity.
15 The Alliance,Race in Recruitment,Hiring, Retention and Advancement, pg 7 .
16 To view this list, go to Appendix C.

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This also includes analyzing minimum requirements for all position descriptions to
ensure that certain groups are not barred from applying or less likely to receive the job.
For example, ask the question “Does this job really require a Master’s?” Redefining job
descriptions is about emphasizing experience over credentials.17
Hiring
Equity principles should be infused into position descriptions and interview questions.
For example, the city of Tacoma, Washington, asks twenty cultural competence
questions, including questions like “Are you aware of your culture or background? Have
you worked with diverse teams before?”
Ensure that the preliminary review of applications is unbiased; to achieve this, many
cities and companies have begun covering up the applicant’s name and replacing it with
a number to avoid any conscious or subconscious reaction. It makes sense to vet
Somerville residents first as the simplest and most accurate way of creating a
representative workforce.
Another practice implemented by other cities has been a requirement to interview at
least one person of color for a job, which increases the chances of their recruitment to
the position.
One issue that people tend to take with the idea of attempting to diversify a workforce is
that it may lead the city to accept less-qualified candidates simply because of their
identity. But it is important to recall that the candidate is likely “less-qualified” because
they have grown up in a society which favors whites (or men, or straight people, etc.). In
only a little time, the “less-qualified” candidate could quickly be brought up to speed
with just a little extra training to make up for what they may have lacked due to their
identity.1 8
17 For more on editing job descriptions, please see Appendix D.
18 Disclaimer:I refer here only to situations where the candidate almost, but not quite, meets all
requirements for the job. Obviously I do not mean to say that peoplewho are totally unqualifiedshouldbe
hired to diversify the workforce over people who are betterfor the job.

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Racial Equity Toolkit
The Racial Equity Toolkit, developed by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, is
a toolkit for institutions to use to consider equity with every policy and proposal. As
Julie Nelson of GARE said, there are three steps to advancing racial equity:
1. normalizing the conversation about race (which we aim to do through training,
interacting with the community, and recruiting a more diverse workforce)
2. operationalizing (putting all of these ideas into action, which is where the
Toolkit comes in handy)
3. organizing (recognizing the opportunity to transform government; this part is
about infrastructure and work plans, which we will get to next)
A racial equity tool “proactively seeks to
eliminate racial inequities and advance
equity; identifies clear goals, objectives
and measurable outcomes; engages
community in decision-making processes;
identifies who will benefit or be burdened
by a given decision, examines potential
unintended consequences of a decision,
and develops strategies to advance racial
equity and mitigate unintended negative
consequences; and develops mechanisms
for successful implementation and
evaluation of impact.”1 9
How can racialequity toolsbe used by government staff?
 policy analysts integrating racial equity into policy development and
implementation
19 Julie Nelson, Racial Equity Toolkit: An Opportunityto OperationalizeEquity, pg 4.
“Without intentional intervention,
institutions and structures will
continue to perpetuate racial
inequities… Government has the
ability to implement policy change at
multiple levels and across multiple
sectors to drive larger systemic
change.”

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 budget analysis integrating racial equity into budget proposals at the earliest
possible phase
 focus on employees as the ones who must integrate racial equity into routine
How can they be used by elected officials?
 bring contingency between values and practice
 priorities of the jurisdiction, direction to department directors, questions asked
of staff
There are six steps to using a racial equity tool.
Step #1: Proposal
What is the policy, program, practice or budget under consideration? What are the
desired results and outcomes?
Be vigilant in focus on impact→ ask the following questions:
2 0
20 Julie Nelson, AdvancingRacial Equity and Transforming Government: A Resource Guide to Put Ideas
into Action, pg 37.

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Step #2: Data
What is the data? What does the data tell us?
Use the same performance measures indicated in Step #1.
Consider not just quantitative data, but qualitative data.
Step #3: Community Engagement21
How have communities been engaged? Are there opportunities to expand engagement?
It is vital to involve communities who are directly impacted by the topic, and maintain
clear and transparent communication as the policy is implemented.
Ensure appropriate language materials and translators.
Step #4: Analysisand Strategies
Who benefits from or will be burdened by your proposal? What are your strategies for
advancing racial equity or mitigating unintended consequences?
 look at a program/policy as part of a bigger image, not as a solitary event
 expand beyond government and partner with community organizations in order
to have the widest possible impact2 2
 consider complementary strategies that may help reach further areas of the
community or can help undermine the need for a program in the first place
Considering who will be benefited and who will be burdened by a proposal is perhaps
the single most important question we must ask ourselves when attempting to eliminate
racial inequity.
Step#5:Implementation
What is your plan for implementation?
Is your plan:
Realistic? Adequately funded? Adequately resourced with personnel?
21 For more on community engagement, see page33.
22 For more on community partnerships, see page 30.

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Adequately resourced with mechanisms to ensure successful implementation and
enforcement? Adequately resourced to ensure on-going data collection, public
reporting, and community engagement?
Step #6: Accountabilityand Communication
How will you ensure accountability, communication, and evaluate results?
For quicker decisions:
-What are the racial equity impacts of this particular decision?
-Who will benefit from or be burdened by the particular decision?
-Are there strategies tomitigate the unintended consequences?
The Racial Equity Toolkit is comprehensive and easy-to-use, especially for a city just
getting started with this initiative. The City of Madison, Wisconsin, developed its own
version of the Toolkit; so as time goes on, the Toolkit could easily be customized or
altered to specifically fit the needs of Somerville.2 3
For further research, view the Racial Equity Impact Assessment created by the
organization Race Forward in Appendix F, similar to the Toolkit.
23 To view the city ofSeattle’s Racial Equity Toolkit, please view Appendix E.

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“Jurisdictions need to be
committed to the
breadth (all functions)
and depth (throughout
hierarchy) of
institutional
transformation.”
Infrastructure
Somerville needs to build the organizational capacity necessary tocarry out an equity
initiative. While it is critical to have the support and involvement of leadership and
elected officials, the work will spread across every department and will require the
awareness and involvement of employees from top to bottom.
There are a myriad number of ways to create an
infrastructure supportive of the equity initiative. Many
cities have positions dedicated to this work, referred to
as Equity Managers or Diversity Officers—Somerville
has already taken a step in the right direction by
transitioning the job of the ADA Coordinator to
Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
For a good example on how to expand infrastructure so that
every department in the city can be committed to the advancement of equity, look to
Seattle. The very first part of Seattle’s equity initiative was the establishment of
“Change Teams.” Change Teams are committees of employees in each department
who ensure that their respective department keeps its eye on the ball in regards to each
department’s individual goals or work plan. The Change Team also serves as an in-
house resource for the department for when other employees have questions or are
unsure about how to apply equity totheir work.
Members of a change team should be selected based on their commitment to equity and
their leadership ability; the employee’s position, whether a department head or a clerk,
is unimportant. As previously suggested, the change teams might be trained before the
rest of the department or undergo more intensive training in order to have all the
information to serve as better role models.

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As laid out by the city of Portland’s Racial Equity Plan Manual, the function of a change
team will include:
 Project Design- Designing the scope, structure, and timeline of the process
 Project Management- Coordinating the meetings and communications,
producing materials, and submitting deliverables
 Research and Systems Change Analysis- Designing information gathering
instruments and facilitating discussions to solicit qualitative information.
Analyzing your bureau’s systems for burdens on people and communities of
color. Synthesizing information gathered to identify gaps in racial equity best
practices and report on findings and recommendations.
 Strategic Planning- Designing exercise and facilitating discussions to identify
goals, objectives, strategies, actions and measures
 Communications- Communicating with leadership and staff about the purpose of
this process, updates on the process, and being a point of contact for anyone with
questions.
 Racial equity focus- Maintaining a clear focus on racial equity throughout all
stages of the process, working with any resistance that arises, and providing
equity resources for participants who lack the skills needed to meaningfully
participate
The city of Madison, Wisconsin, has a City Racial Equity and Social Justice Core Team
(RESJ), a group of thirty city employees from sixteen departments who meet monthly to
work together towards their overarching goals of Equity in City Operations, Equity in
City Policies and Budgets, and Equity in the Community. The group is broken down into
Community Engagement, Data, Tools, and Training. The job of the RESJ is to research
work on equity done in other cities, recommend certain courses of action to the city
leadership, and determine ways to measure equity impact. RESJ will eventually include
representatives from every department.
Toensure that the work of the equity initiative is consistently being carried out, it is
important to ensure that someone or a group of people will continually be evaluating the
impacts of the initiative and researching new ways to achieve progress. This could come

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in the form of a Core Team like the one in Madison, or it could be more akin to the City’s
Emerging Leaders of St. Paul, Minnesota. This is a six-person team working “todevelop
a portfolio of tools, case studies, and recommendations for deeper and more inclusive
community engagement in city operations and policy-making.”2 4 The Emerging Leaders
then report back to the mayor with their recommendations. Also, the Mayor,
Superintendent, and the leader of Ramsey County meet monthly on education, racial
equity, and youth issues, keeping the city always focused and the leadership always
informed on the issue of equity.
There are many, many ways to institutionalize equity work and build an infrastructure
around it. What’s more is that the various methods can be combined in any way; for
example, Somerville could implement Change Teams at the individual department level,
and also have something like the RESJ. Somerville could rely on that team to carry out
equity research, or incorporate it into the job of the Manager of Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion.
Employee Resource Groups
Employee resource groups are a popular and easy way tounite city employees and
create comfortable spaces for employees to rejoice in their identities. Multnomah
County, Washington, has setup a successful platform of employee resource groups and
methods of encouraging the county’s employees to get involved.
Multnomah County’s employee resource groups are employee-run, county-sponsored
groups that “promote diversity values and efforts of the county while promoting
personal and professional growth for county employees with common interests and
improving retention by providing a stronger sense of community within the county.”2 5
The website further states that the benefits of membership include:
1. celebrate cultural holidays and observances
24 GARE Resource Guide, pg 19.
25 Multnomah County Office ofDiversity and Equity, https://multco.us/diversity-equity/employee-
resource-groups-erg.

30
2. provide an opportunity to work on staff professional development
3. identify barriers to employee engagement and create solutions
4. aid the county with employee recruitment and development, diversity awareness
and strategic planning
5. host events that create opportunities for employees to build stronger workforce
communities by networking and skills sharing
6. sponsor events, seminars, and conferences
Multnomah County has ten employee resource groups: AdAPT (Abled and Disabled
Advocates Partnering Together), Family Advocates of MultCo, MultCo Employees of
Color, Green Team, Immigrants and Refugees, Managers of Color, PRISM (LGBTQ),
Veterans Employee Resource Group, Vital Aging Network (current/retired employees),
and the MultCo Volunteer Program.

31
Work Plans
Formulating a work plan is a vital part of an equity initiative because it contains the
initiative’s ultimate goals and serves as a tangible timeline for the city to work towards.
It makes the most sense for both an overarching work plan for the whole city, and
individual work plans within each department.
These plans should be ambitious, although it is important to keep in mind that the road
will not be smooth and not everything will go as hoped. Because this is the first time any
type of equity plan has been created in Somerville, there will be many opportunities for
reflection and learning and adjustment as necessary.
Once these plans are complete, they should all be made available to the public to retain
the transparency that is so central to any equity initiative. The release of the plan is “a
highly visible statement of the bureau’s intent and commitment to racial equity,”2 6 and
raises awareness about inequity.
Work plans can be formed on a 3-year basis, like the plan of the Race and Social Justice
Initiative of Seattle, or on a 5-year basis, like the city of Portland. Departments should
make annual reports to city leadership, documenting challenges and successes. “The
plan is outcome driven and bureaus are expected to report not just on actions, but also
on the outcomes of those actions.”2 7
The city of Portland recommends using these steps as a loose guide to create a Plan,
tailoring it to the specific needs of the department as needed:
26 Office of Equity and Human Rights, “Racial Equity Plan Manual,” Portland, Oregon,pg 15.
27 Ibid, pg 2.

32
Look at the citywide equity goals as a resource, and then draft a sentence stating the
individual department’s role in achieving the citywide goals.2 8 Create actions to achieve
the objective, and annual performance measures to evaluate progress. It may help to use
a single plan template across all bureaus in order to fairly compare equity work across
all bureaus.2 9
The City of Somerville must identify citywide goals, like Seattle’s shown above. To
develop the 3-year plan, the RSJI conducted 37 listening sessions with city employees
and community members to gauge which issues were most important to the
community.3 0 For more detail on the RSJI plan, see Appendix I. Also view Appendix M
to see the city of Madison’s five year plan.
28 To view the city ofPortland’s equity goals, seeAppendix G.
29 For an example ofa work plan, go to Appendix H.
30 Race and Social JusticeInitiative, “Vision and Strategy 2015-2017,”pg 5.
By 2017, the City of Seattle will:
-ensure racial equity in City programs and
services to make tangible differences in
people’s lives
-work with community based
organizations to support the movement to
end structural racism
-help lead regional and national networks
for racial equity through partnerships with
other governments and institutions, the
private sector and philanthropy

33
Networks/Partnerships
As the equity initiative progresses, it is important to have partners in the community to
help carry out the work. This is called “collective impact,” which is the commitment of
organizations from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social
problem.3 1 Community partnership is helpful to the implementation of racial equity
tools, since they include involving stakeholders.
Here is a list of potential community partners that may be able to assist at different
levels of the project.
 Somerville Community Corporation- somervillecdc.org
 Action for Regional Equity- action4equity.org
 Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations- macdc.org
 Community Action Agency of Somerville- caasomerville.org
 East Somerville Main Streets- eastsomervillemainstreets.org
o Union Square Main Streets- unionsquaremain.org
 Somerville Local First- somervillelocalfirst.org
 Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership- somervillestep.org
 The Career Place
 Boston Alliance for Racial Equity- bostonallianceforracaialequity@gmail.com

34
Example of a Network: Inclusive Dubuque
Inclusive Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa, is a network of community leaders “committed to
supporting an equitable and inclusive culture to meet the economic and cultural needs
of a diverse community.”3 2 The network is made up of representatives from faith, labor,
education, business, nonprofit and government with the stated goal of creating “a
community where people feel respected, valued, and engaged.”3 3
Inclusive Dubuque is comprisedof a long list of different organizations, included here as
an example and perhaps to inspire Somerville as to different connections that can be
made.
Inclusive Dubuque has been able to run different,
important equity projects, including the
aforementioned Equity Profile included in Appendix
A. Something like this Equity Profile would be great
to set up in Somerville as a method for tracking
change and progress, and as a way of involving the
community and maintaining transparency. If
Somerville were to do something like the Equity
Profile, it would be very helpful to have other
organizations to help with data collection and
community outreach.
33 Inclusive Dubuque, “Inclusive Dubuque General Overview.”

35
Community Engagement
There are several strategies directly related toequity work already in practice by other
cities, and these can be combined with existing public engagement tactics to ensure that
the community at large is being properly consulted throughout this initiative. Because
minority groups are the most impacted by inequities in the city and will be the most
benefited by work to alleviate inequity, it is essential to include them in the process and
give them opportunities to provide feedback.
Community engagement should be used at every stage of the process. In the beginning,
hosting personal interviews or small focus groups can help supplement quantitative data
with qualitative data. As the project continues, community engagement can help discern
what changes, if any, should be made to the city’s approach, or how well the efforts are
working.
Seattle’s Inclusive Outreach and Public Engagement Guide identifies six essential
strategies for inclusive engagement.
1. Build personal relationships with target population
 Informal/community driven gatherings that are appropriate to attend
 Connect with the individuals in this community/population
2. Create a welcoming atmosphere
 Hire staff or consultants from the community or that reflect the target
population
 Choose gathering places that are comfortable and that are conducive to the
interactions you want to have
3. Increase accessibility

36
 Selecting the most appropriate and effective communication method to
promote engagement opportunities
 Decrease barriers to attendance or effective communication at events
4. Develop alternative methods for engagement
 Provide opportunities for social interaction and relationship building
 Provide opportunities for community members to give feedback in
photographic, voice recorded, or video formats
5. Maintain a presence within the community
 Attend community driven events and activities (think non-traditional)
 Establish places in the community that people can have sustained,
informal interactions with you
6. Partner with diverse organizations and agencies
 Connect with organizations who are already culturally tied to the target
community or are currently providing services to your target population
 Create a network of services that eliminate gaps or reduce redundancies
for the target population
It is important here to consult the Cultural Competence Continuum, included in
Appendix J, to see which level the city is at in including cultural responsiveness in all its
work. It is also important to evaluate the public engagement to determine its success.
For a list of evaluation criteria, see Appendix K.
Seattle’s guide also includes a public engagement matrix, reproduced below.

37
Type of
Engagement
Goal of Participation
Tools/Activities
Inclusive
Engagement
Techniques
Inform
(required
for all types
of
engagement)
Educate the public about
the rationale for the
project or decision; how it
fits with city goals and
policies; issues being
considered; areas of
choice where public input
is needed
Message to the public: to
keep everyone informed.
-Fact sheets
-Brochures
-Websites
-Open Houses
-Exhibits/displays in
public areas
-Newsletters
(mailed/online)
-Newspaper Articles
Translation of all
key documents.
Interpretation at
events.
Consult
Gather information and
ask for advice from
citizens to better inform
the city’s work on the
project.
Message to the public:
will keep everyone
informed, listen to and
acknowledge concerns and
provide feedback on how
public input influenced
the decision.
-Focus group
-Surveys, interviews,
and questionnaires
-Public Meetings
-Door-to-door
-Workshops and
working sessions
-Deliberative polling
-Internet
(interactive
techniques)
Translation of all
key documents.
Interpretation at
events.
Provision of
Childcare.
Culturally
appropriate food.
Individual meetings
with community
leaders.

38
Collaborate
Create a partnership with
the public (key
stakeholder groups) to
work along with the city in
identifying problems,
generating solutions,
getting reactions to
recommendations and
proposed direction.
will work with the public
to ensure that their
concerns and issues are
directly reflected in the
alternatives developed and
show how public input
influenced the decision.
-Citizen Advisory
Committee/Liaison
Groups
-Visioning
-Consensus building
-Participatory
decision-making
-Charrettes
-Implementation
Committee
Translation of all
key documents.
Interpretation at
events.
Provision of
Childcare.
Culturally
appropriate food.
Individual meetings
with community
leaders.
Shared
Decision-
Making
Decision-makers delegate
decision-making power to
stakeholders or give them
a formal role in making
final recommendations to
be acted upon.
will implement what the
public decides.
-Citizen juries
-Ballots
-Delegated decisions
to specific
representative
citizen body or to
voters
Translation of all
key documents.
Interpretation at
events.
Provision of
Childcare.
Culturally
appropriate food.
Individual meetings
with community
leaders.

39
Work of Other Cities
Boston
Under the leadership of Mayor Marty Walsh, the City of Boston has taken up an
initiative surrounding economic equity. The four main themes of the initiative are
income and employment, wealth creation, business development, and economic
mobility for the community and the next generation. As noted earlier, Boston has the
greatest income inequality of 100 big cities. Listed below are actions Boston has taken to
advance economic equity.
 Professional Pathways: 6-month internship for former court-involved
individuals to re-enter the workforce and experience public service; by employing
these individuals, Boston hopes to set an example for the private sector
 State St. Bank/WINS Foundation: $20 million dollars for five high-performing
non-profits focused on education and career development
 High Skilled Immigrant Task Force: a project of the Office of Workforce
Development and the Office of New Bostonians, the High Skilled Immigrant Task
Force is a group comprised of policy and advocacy experts whowill “address the
underutilization of skilled immigrant professionals”3 4
 Work Smart Boston: free salary negotiation workshops to women in Boston→
women can research comparable salaries, ask for a raise
 Building Pathways: 6-week pre-apprenticeship program for women and people
of color to careers in building trades; guaranteed placement into apprenticeship
program
34 Mayor Marty Walsh, Economic Equity Inclusion Agenda, 2016, pg 7.

40
 New Americans Library Corners: all 24 branches of the BPL; education about
naturalization process and financial empowerment services
 Charlestown Works Center: enrolls 250 public housing residents and connects
them to ESOL, adult basic education, and employment and training services
 CORI Roundtable: representatives of City departments, community advocates,
and re-entry service providers toassist individuals facing barriers to jobs based
on their criminal record; also conducting research on CORI as a barrier to
housing
In addition to the examples above, the City of Boston has a close relationship with My
Brother’s Keeper, an initiative launched by President Obama “to address persistent
opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color”3 5 and to encourage higher rates
of youth success. Boston was one of the first cities to join in this initiative, and since
then the members of My Brother’s Keeper have greatly informed the city’s economic
equity agenda.
Boston released a Workforce Profile Report,whose data is referenced earlier in this
report. By releasing these statistics, Boston showed areas of strengths and weaknesses
and demonstrated a commitment to making improvements wherever they are necessary.
Boston’s statistics were better than Somerville’s, but reflect some
overrepresentation/underrepresentation, and there were significant gaps in pay
between men and women.
Seattle
35 The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/my-brothers-keeper#section-about-my-brothers-
keeper

41
The equity initiative of Seattle is largely handled by the Seattle Race and Social Justice
Initiative hosted within the Office for Civil Rights. The RSJI created the long-term
vision which has been mentioned above.
Community outreach and engagement has been one of the most important facets in
Seattle’s equity initiative. Along the way, Seattle frequently hosted listening sessions to
determine which issues were most important to the community.
As noted, one of Seattle’s first steps was to implement Change Teams. In 2015, Mayor
Murray required departments tocarry out four uses of the toolkit annually; this will
become a part of department director’s performance measures. Each department
submits an annual work plan which is updated online for the viewing of the community.
Further, departments are required to conduct a racial equity analysis of all budget
requests. This means submitting a brief write-up along with the budget proposal,
answering the questions “Did you use the racial equity toolkit? Will there be any impacts
or unintended consequences?” This helps institutionalize the use of the toolkit and
establishes the habit of including equity analysis.
Here are examples of how Seattle has used the tool:
 A Woman’s Right to Breastfeed in Public
The Seattle Women’s Commission and the Seattle Office for Civil Rights worked
together to address barriers women faced when breastfeeding in a public place.
After applying a racial equity analysis to the situation, it became clear that
women of color were more frequently unable to breastfeed their children, largely
because they got around using mass transit and thus had trouble finding private
areas to breastfeed. The low rates of breastfeeding were negatively impacting
communities of color. The city passed an ordinance to include protections for a
woman’s right to breastfeed, which clearly benefited all women but also had a
targeted racial equity goal of increasing health outcomes for people of color.
 Job Assistance Ordinance

42
Seattle applied the Racial Equity Tool to collect demographic information on who
was most likely to face barriers to jobs due to a conviction record and found that
communities of color were more adversely affected due to racial inequities in the
criminal justice system and racial bias in hiring. The city passed an ordinance
regulating the use of criminal records in employment.
Madison (Wisconsin)
After looking at the work of Seattle and Multnomah County, Madison decided it needed
its own customized toolkit. The city created two versions, one for significant decisions
and a fast track version to be used only for low-stakes decisions. Both emphasize the
need for stakeholder involvement.
 Employee Engagement and Equity
guided by a Culture and Engagement Team; aims to discover barriers to equity
and engagement among city staff and promote the goal of making Madison a
prosperous place for all individuals
 “Ban the Box” Initiative
 when interviewing candidates for City positions, the candidate is interviewed by a
diverse oral panel meant to ensure that all viewpoints are considered when
interviewing a candidate and to make the interviewee comfortable
 Public Works Contracting Disparity Study: is there a level playing-field for
minority/women-owned firms when competing for City public works contracts?
 Construction Employment Initiative: prepare low-income and targeted groups
for employment in construction/trades and link them to available jobs

43
Portland (Oregon)
Modeled after Seattle’s RSJI, Portland’s Office of Equity and Human Rights now
oversees both racial and disability equity work for the City. Portland also formed a
Creation Committee, a body of community representatives whohelped shape the
mission for the office. Portland involved the business community, leading discussions
with business leaders of the city, including business leaders of color who shared with
their white colleagues how institutional racism impacts their experiences.
OEHR handles training of City employees, with training soon to be mandatory for all
employees. Several bureaus have hired Equity Managers to drive equity strategies within
individual bureaus.
Below the OEHR is the Citywide Equity Committee, made up of twopeople from every
bureau. They meet once a month with the purpose of connecting each of the bureaus to
equity work and bringing issues from the bureaus to OEHR. The CEC created a tool to
help each bureau develop a 5-year equity plan, describing how the bureau will improve
in six areas: Organizational Commitment, Leadership and Management, Workforce,
Community Access and Partnership, Contracting and Data, and Metrics and Continuous
Quality Improvement.
Portland has also incorporated the equity tool for the city’s budget process; each bureau
used the tool to assess the racial impacts of proposed cuts/additions.
Saint Paul
Saint Paul’s initiative began with a focus on schools and so initially involved
departments serving youth, like Parks, Library and Police. The mayor’s office hosted a

44
series of “Beyond Diversity” sessions with department heads to learn about personal
biases and examine how racial equity issues play out in their current work. The city is
focused on internal operations.
Each department develops annual racial equity plans focused on their own lines of
business. Also, each department is in the process of developing Change Teams. By the
end of 2017, all of Saint Paul’s city employees will have undergone foundational racial
equity training. The city is utilizing a “train-the-trainer” approach to build internal
expertise across all departments. Saint Paul’s police department uses a training
specifically customized for police departments.
The City’s Emerging Leaders, as afore described, are instrumental in shaping equity
policy and programs.

45
Recommendations
1. Commence training for city staff, beginning with department heads and/or
change teams.
 It is necessary to ensure that everyone knows what equity is and why it is
important to their work before attempting to institutionalize equity work.
Also, the city needs to establish a common language, so that everyone
means the same thing when they talk about “equity.”
2. Involve city leadership. Support from the administrationencourages city
employees to be more committed to and serious about the issue. (Other cities
have written that without strong mayoral support, no progress toward a more
equitable community would have been made.)
3. Focus on data, both acquiring data that is better togauge where Somerville is in
regards to inequity and determininga method for tracking changes/measuring
impact over time.
4. Draw up a work plan for a three or five year period to establish overarching goals
that Somerville will pursue. This will serve as a guideline for city departments as
they draw up individualized work plans with specific goals related to their line of
work.
5. Begin implementation of the equity toolkit.
 It is likely too soon to require departments to utilize it, like Seattle does,
since Somerville is in the initial stages of the initiativeemployees will be
gaining an understanding of equity. However, setting the precedent of
using an equity analysis for all budget proposals is a meaningful way of
institutionalizing the practice. Elected officials should begin using the
toolkit when considering a new policy or program for the city.
6. Human Resources must start working towards a more diverse workforce. This
involves every step of the process: job descriptions, promotion, recruitment,
application review, retention.
7. Toexpand the infrastructure beyond change teams, consider beginning Employee
Resource Groups, which have been known to increase a feeling of community and

46
retention among employees. Also consider a higher-level committee or group
made up of representatives from all city departments that will keep all change
teams, and the city in general, on track and serve as a platform for employees to
come together and discuss/share their successes and challenges. (something
similar to Madison’s RESJ)
8. Involve the community throughout the process. Community input and feedback
is absolutely vital to establishing an understanding of inequity in Somerville and
for evaluating the impacts of an equity initiative.
 When gathering data, supplement quantitative with qualitative.
 Ensure that meetings are accessible for all groups. (Will there be a
translator? Will the meeting be held in a place that is difficult for certain
residents to get to?)
9. Consider joining GARE’s Membership Network. GARE’s membership network
offers resources and grants to its members to assist those jurisdictions in their
equity work.3 6
10.Partner with community leaders and organizations. This is not always necessary
but can be helpful at every step of the process; for example, community
organizations can help with the gathering and measuring of data, or serve as
hosts for training sessions, or help the City with the implementation of equitable
policies and practices.
36 For more information on the GAREMembership Network, pleasesee Appendix L.

48
Appendix A
Inclusive Dubuque’s Equity Profile
The Equity Profile includes findings from conversations with nearly 600 dialogue
participants, input from more than 2000 survey responses, and secondary data from
local, state and national sources.
The Equity Profile is broken down into seven categories: Economic Wellbeing, Housing,
Education, Health, Safe Neighborhoods, Transportation, and Arts/Culture. Inclusive
Dubuque hosted community dialogues once each month for seven months, each month
focused on one of the aforementioned categories.
Below is just one snippet of results, taken from the Transportation section. Toview the
equity profile in full, go to inclusivedbq.org

49
Appendix B
Racial Equity Scorecard37
The Racial Equity Scorecard is a project of GARE to develop a model of tracking equity
metrics in a way that facilitates learning across jurisdictions. Eight GARE members are
participating in the pilot project, which includes using custom software for tracking
progress upon shared metrics. The purpose of the scorecard is to not to just collect data,
but use it for achieving results.
Youth Success and Education
Outcome: Equity across race in access and success for children and youth
Indicators: Early education/ K-readiness; Third-grade reading levels; Connection to a
caring adult; on-time graduation rates
Health
Outcome: Equity across race in health and healthy life outcomes—no racial
disproportionality in access to quality health care, health resources, and rates of illness
Indicators: Infant mortality rates; life expectancy
Housing
Outcome: Equity across race in housing—no racial disproportionality in home ownership
and access to safe and affordable rental housing, temporary and transitional housing
Indicators: Housing cost burden by race; home ownership across race/ethnicity
Jobs/Economic Justice
Outcome: Equity across race in employment—no racial disproportionality in access to
living-wage jobs, unemployment, career advancement and barriers to employment
Indicators: Household income; unemployment rates; jurisdiction’s workforce reflects or
exceeds the demographics of the community; jurisdiction contracting or purchasing
reflects or exceeds the demographics of the community
Criminal Justice
Outcome: Equity across race in public safety—nodisproportionality in arrests,
sentencing and incarceration
Indicators: arrest and conviction rates, sentencing and prison population
Commitment to Achieving Racial Equity
Outcome: Increased urgency and commitment to achieving racial equity
Indicators: percent of population who think the government should prioritize addressing
equity gaps in jobs, health, housing, etc.; percent of government employees actively
promoting equity in the workplace
37 This page has been reproduced from the GAREResourceGuide, pg 38.

50
Appendix C
Different Places for Advertising Jobs to Gain Diverse Applic ants
 Professional organizations focused on people of color (e.g. National Association
of Black Accountants)
 Minority executive recruiting firms (e.g. Athas Consultants)
 Colleges and universities with diverse student bodies, including graduate
programs and predominantly minority-attended institutions
 Urban planning and metropolitan studies departments (e.g. Tufts
University)
 Public policy departments (e.g. Gaston Institute, UMass Boston)
 Diversity offices
 Ethnic studies departments and associations (Afro-American Studies
Department, Northeastern University)
 Alumni networks
 Community social service agencies
 Government agencies
 Local houses of worship and religious centers
 Adult education classes
 Civic groups
 Refugee resettlement agencies
 Personal networks
 Job posting sites (especially ones directed at people of color)
 Newspapers (especially those serving diverse communities) 3 8
o Example: Bay State Banner, which serves the African-American
community
www.diversityinc.com,www.communitychangeinc.com, www.diversityjournal.com
38 This list was reproduced from The Alliance’s Race in Recruitment, Hiring, Retention and
Advancement, page 12.

51
Appendix D
Rethinking the Job Description
1. Redefine the necessary qualifications for the position.
 Emphasize competencies, knowledge, and abilities over credentials such as
degrees or specific experience.
 Look for transferable abilities; identify the potential in a candidate. Ask
the question “Is this the kind of person I can train?”
 Omit education requirements except where certification is absolutely
necessary for the job.
 Place value on candidates diverse perspectives, language capacity, and
personal experience.
 Because Somerville has a large population of non-English speakers,
recognize the importance of a second language as a requirement rather
than optional.
 Be sure that the qualifications established for a given position are really
ones needed to do the job and are not just based on a history of
assumptions.
 Check yourself for biases that may unintentionally be ruling out people of
color. Be aware of how this could affect the way you write job descriptions,
as well as how you screen and interview.
2. Be explicit about seeking diverse candidates.
 Include an organizational statement at the top of the job description.
 Post an organizational statement about diversity on your website.3 9
39 This list has been adapted from the one provided in The Alliance Manual, page 9.

52
Appendix E
Seattle’s Racial Equity Toolkit

55
Appendix F
Racial Equity Impact Assessment

57
Appendix G
City of Portland’s Equity Goals

58
Appendix H
St. Paul Library Work Plan
Saint Paul Racial Equity Initiative Work Plan
For the Period January 1 to December 31, 2015
Department: Library Director: Jane Eastwood Date of
Update:
Dec 4, 2016
Desired
Outcome(s)
Key Action(s) Measure(s),Target(s)
and Lead Staff
Due Date(s)
Month/Year
Action(s)
Completed?
Result(s)
Goal 1: End racial disparitieswithinthe City as an organization
Library hiring
process
Increase upward
mobilityfor
workersinlow
wage occupations
Staff use networking
and industrynewsto
researchnewtalent,
buildrecruitingpool.
Sr Team;
communications;
Mgmt Team
Q1, ongoing National
advertising,
extensive
local
networking
LibrarianII pool
__ % candidates
of color. __%
of staff of color
promotedto
librarymgr or
higher.
Recruitand hire to
reflectcommunity
and meetlanguage
needs
Identifylanguage
needsineachbranch.
Branch mgrs
Q1, ongoing Language
maps by
censustract.
Require development
plansfor all
employeesincluding
howtheycan
improve,progress.
Jane,Sr Team: ID
how incorporate into
evaluations. Mgmt
teamimplement.
Q1 In 2016 work
plans.

59
Developtalent
pipeline
Identifyother
opportunitiesforstaff
innon-managerial
positionstogain
experience,skills
Complete diversifying
of Perrie Jones
committee
Jane,Sr Teamas
needed
Tony
Opportu-
nistically
Q1
Hire 1 YJ02 Right
Track staff in 2016
Research1-2 yr
college intern
program (ala Ramsey
Co) usingPerrie Jones
funds.
Continue topromote
PD$$ for3 MCTC
options(more toadd
here?)
Sr Team
Jane,Tony.
Mgrs andSr team
Q1-2
Q 1, 2
Staff dev.
day; ongoing
To be hired
June 2016
Delayedto
‘17 Lack of funds in
2016; explore
fundingby
Friendsfor
2017.
Model racial
equityleadership
Employees
incorporate racial
equitybest
practices.
Continue consistent
internal
communication
aboutracial equity
as our norm
Strengthenracial
equitymessage in
NewEmployee
Orientation,
Jane,Sr Team, RE
Change Team
Tony,Marjorie,Pat
wt Jane
Ongoing,bi-
monthly
Q2
roll-out
Jane
develop
new
module;
Develop1+sessions
for Mgt Team on
PublicService
Directors,Mgmt
Q2-4

60
Racial equity
training,skill
development
managingfromracial
equity perspective.
Racial equity
objectivesinall 2016
branch libraryand
committee plans
Team
Sr Team Dec ’15 Done
Foundationstraining
all newstaff in1st
quarterof start; all
untrainedstaff from
2015 complete Q1
2016
Tony,hiring
managers
Q1,
ongoing
Racial equitytoolkit
trainingfornewRE
assessmentteams
SeniorTeam As needed Toolkit
trainingtobe
offered
quarterly
Customerservice
and racial equity
training– to be
developedif training
corps prioritizes
Regina,TBD
(pendingOKfromRE
LeadershipTeam)
Q2 or later
Goal 2: Racial Equity in CityServicesand Community Engagement
Identifyunder-
represented
communities
for eachlibrary
area.
Librarians
develop&
implement
comm.
Engagement
Use Analyticson
Demand,census
data to indicate
possible
communitiesnot
active intheir
neighborhood
libraries.
Jill &marketingteam Q1
Q2
Develop
examples
Roll out
to Mgmt
Team
Provide PDon
community
Sr Team, Mgmt Team Launch Q1;
plandue endof

61
plans– 2016
Cultivate sense
of “mylibrary”
amongguests
(make library
central to their
lives?)
engagementto
Mgmt Team.
ID organizations,
groupsand meet.ID
intersections,areas
of newor expanded
partnershipor
libraryservice (as
part of Strategic
Direction)
Q2,
implemented
Q2-3
Use above research,
comm.Contacts to
focusesp’lyon
under-represented
communities.
Developcreative,
community-
centered,guest-
drivenwaysto
welcome,engage
and buildownership
of library.
SeniorTeamand RE
Change Team.
IntroQ1 as part
of above
Use Racial
Equity
Assessmentto
examine
services,
practices
Complete guest
pass policy
GuestPass
Committee;Tony,Sr
Team
Q1 completion Done Policyadopted
mid-January.
Strongpositive
feedbackfrom
librarymanagers
re: success
(NEW) Change
practice of limiting
PT staff fromfrom
multiple libraryjobs;
activelypromote
staff working
expandedhoursin
home or other
libraries
Jane,Tony,Mgmt
Team
Q1 start.
Monitor
expandedhrs
for PT staff to
FT
Ongoing

62
Storytimes –assess
for attendance,
racial make-up,
count accuracy. Add
assessmentof time
of day/dayof week
for possible addition
of weekend
storytimes.
Storytime
Committee,Karen
KP,Sr Team with
StaffingStudyTeam
Q1 , ongoing Ongoing
Legacy Funding:
Continue toreview
presenters,
programsfor racial
diversity;diversify
program committee
Legacy Fund/Program
Committee,Jill,Sr
Team
Q1, ongoing Ongoing Work on this
assessmentlead
regional groupto
evaluate its
presenter
portfolio
available to7-
countylibraries
Economicequity:
Update,align
fees/finesforDVDs,
othermaterials.
Expandcontinuous
“read-down’s,”“do-
downs”forall ages
to remove fines.
Needcommittee (B-
K, Teen?) and SR
staff
Managementteam
adoptspolicyof
ongoingvs
intermittentread-
downsforyouth,
permittingmore
youthto clearfines,
getbooks
TBD
Q1 Done “Read-downs”
for youthnow
ongoing;should
resultinmore
youthbeingable
to getjobs.
Banningand
discipline
data/practice:
complete
assessment;
determine next
stepsforpractice
Pat, Karen Analysisdone
Jan ‘16.
Address
differing
implementation
practices
Ongoing Determinedthat
staff don’t
implement
banningpolicyin
similarways.

63
change
(NEW) Expand/align
Cityspanrace,
ethnicitycategories
wt MBK
Marika, relevant
Mgmt Team
members, Jane
Q2, Testrolledout
for Summer
Spark
Establishpractice
where teamscan
launchRE
Assessmentsas
needed;REChange
Team tomonitor
and maysuggest
neededassessments
Racial EquityChange
Team, Sr Team,
Mgmt Team
members
Ongoing
Examine library
“language”for
welcomingand
positive valueto
guests
Needscommitteebut
includespublic
service and
communications
TBD
Immigrant
and refugees
have
improved
access to City
services
Placeholderfor
expandedrole for
cultural liaisons

64
Goal 3: Eliminate race-baseddisparitiesinour communities
Networkforearly
learning
In progress: Possible
partnershipwithSPPN
Early LearningNetwork&
Age 3 screening.
Continue ECFE
relationship
Karen,B-KTeam Q2, 3
Active
collaboration:
Sprockets
Continue RecCheck,
SummerBlastlibrarycard
enrollment.
Ensure accurate data in
Cityspan(see below for
race/ethnicitycategories)
Karen,B-KTeam
Marika, relevantMgmt
Team members
Q1-Q2
Ongoing
Active
collaboration:St.
Paul Community
Learning
Consortium
Continue worktoexpand
NorthstarDigital Literacy
program statewide
Statewide workshops
withConsortium
members
Q 2, 3
Active
collaboration:
Mayors Education/
Youth
LeadershipTeam
ExpandedMEYLT group
(city,county,SPPS) meets
minimum3x peryear;
expandprogram
developmentteam
Jane. Expand
membershiptoinclude
Co Attorney,police
chief,othercity/county
officialsasneeded.
Q 1,
ongoing
Active
collaboration:
GARE
Explore national library
team/actionthrough
GARE or ULC
Jane Q1 or 2

65
Appendix I
RSJI 2015-2017 Work Plan

66
Appendix J
Cultural Competence Continuum
 Cultural destructiveness is characterized by attitudes, policies, structures and
practices within a system or organization that are destructive toa cultural group
 Cultural incapacity is the lack of capacity of systems and organizations to
respond effectively to the needs, interests and preferences of culturally and
linguistically diverse groups. Characteristic include but are not limited to:
institutional or systemic bias; practices that may result in discrimination in
hiring and promotion; disproportionate allocation of resources that may benefit
one cultural group over another; subtle messages that some cultural groups are
neither valued nor welcomed; and lower expectations for some cultural, ethnic,
or racial groups.
 Cultural blindness is an expressed philosophy of viewing and treating all
people as the same. Characteristics of such systems and organizations may
include: policies that and personnel who encourage assimilation; approaches in
the delivery of services and supports that ignore cultural strengths; institutional
attitudes that blame consumers - individuals or families - for their circumstances;
little value placed on training and resource development that facilitate cultural
and linguistic competence; workforce and contract personnel that lack diversity
(race, ethnicity. language, gender, age etc.); and few structures and resources
dedicated to acquiring cultural knowledge.
 Cultural pre-competence is a level of awareness within systems or
organizations of their strengths and areas for growth to respond effectively to
culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Characteristics include but are
not limited to: the system or organization expressly values the delivery of high
quality services and supports to culturally and linguistically diverse populations;
commitment to human and civil rights; hiring practices that support a diverse
workforce; the capacity to conduct asset and needs assessments within diverse
communities; concerted efforts to improve service delivery usually for a specific
racial, ethnic or cultural group; tendency for token representation on governing
boards; and no clear plan for achieving organizational cultural competence.

67
CULTURAL COMPETENCE
Systems and organizations that exemplify cultural competence demonstrate an
acceptance and respect for cultural differences and they:
 Create a mission statement for your organization that articulates principles,
rationale, and values for cultural and linguistic competence in all aspects of the
organization.
 Implement specific policies and procedures that integrate cultural and linguistic
competence into each core function of the organization.
 Identify, use, and/or adapt evidence-based and promising practices that are
culturally and linguistically competent.
 Develop structures and strategies to ensure consumer and community
participation in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of the organization’s core
function.
 Implement policies and procedures to recruit, hire, and maintain a diverse and
culturally and linguistically competent workforce.
 Provide fiscal support, professional development, and incentives for the
improvement of cultural and linguistic competence at the board, program, and
faculty and/or staff levels.
 Dedicate resources for both individual and organizational self-assessment of
cultural and linguistic competence.
 Develop the capacity to collect and analyze data using variables that have
meaningful impact on culturally and linguistically diverse groups.
 Practice principles of community engagement that result in the reciprocal
transfer of knowledge and skills between all collaborators, partners, and key
stakeholders.

68
CULTURAL PROFICIENCY
Systems and organizations hold culture in high esteem, use this a foundation to guide all
of their endeavors, and they:
 Continue to add to the knowledge base within the field of cultural and linguistic
competence by conducting research and developing new treatments,
interventions, and approaches for health and mental care in policy, education,
and the delivery of care.
 Develop organizational philosophy and practices that integrate health and mental
health care.
 Employ faculty and/or staff, consultants, and consumers with expertise in
cultural and linguistic competence in health and mental health care practice,
education, and research.
 Publish and disseminate promising and evidence-based health and mental health
care practices, interventions, training, and education models.
 Support and mentor other organizations as they progress along the cultural
competence continuum.
 Develop and disseminate health and mental health promotion materials that are
adapted to the cultural and linguistic contexts of populations served.
 Actively pursue resource development to continually enhance and expand the
organization’s capacities in cultural and linguistic competence.
 Advocate with, and on behalf of, populations who are traditionally unserved and
underserved.
 Establish and maintain partnerships with diverse constituency groups, which
span the boundaries of the traditional health and mental health care arenas, to
eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health and mental health4 0
40
Adapted from Cross, T., Bazron, B., Dennis, K., & Isaacs, M. (1989). Towards a Culturally Competent
System of Care, Volume 1. Washington, DC: CASSP Technical Assistance Center, Center for Child Health
and Mental Health Policy,Georgetown University Child Development Center

70
Appendix K
Public Engagement Evaluation Criteria

71
41
41 Oregon Metro, Public Engagement Guide, pg 37-38.

72
Appendix L
GARE Membership Network
Core Members are those jurisdictions that have made a commitment to
advancing racial equity across the breadth (all functions) and depth (from
frontline staff to appointed and elected leadership) of their jurisdiction.
This commitment can be demonstrated by development and
implementation of a Racial Equity Work Plan or Strategic Plan,
integration of racial equity into other strategic or operational plans, use of
a Racial Equity Tool in routine decision making, and/or adoption of
legislation that describes the jurisdiction’s commitment.
In addition to being a part of a peer-to-peer Network, Core Members have
access to training and facilitation from GARE and its Technical Assistance
Group (as delineated on an annual basis in the work plan); members-only
resources that support peer-to-peer connections; specific tools, such as the
Racial Equity ScoreCard and Results Based Accountability software; and
support on the development of new policies and implementation of best
practices via issue papers. An Implementation and Innovation Fund is
anticipatedin 2016; only CoreMemberswill haveaccess to grants from this
fund.
Core Members pay annual dues on a sliding scale4 2 , based on number of
employees:
 Less than 1,000 employees = $1,000
 1,001 to4,000 employees = $3,000
 4,001 to 8,000 employees = $6,000
 8,001 to to 14,000 employees = $9,000
 14,001 to20,000 employees = $12,000
 Over 20,000 employees = $15,000
A jurisdiction may become a member at any point during the year; annual
renewal dates will be based on the original date of joining.
Associate Members can participate in group activities related to their
specific department’s focus, as well as other activities on a space-available
basis, but cannot apply for Implementation and Innovation Funding.
2016 Associate Member dues are $1,000.
42 Membership dues determined on an annual basis.

73
Affiliate Members are community based organizations, academic
institutions, philanthropic organizations, and individual people who are
committed to advancing racial equity and transforming government into
an effective and inclusive democracy. Affiliate Members provide
community and cross-institutional support and pressure for government
to proactively tackle racial inequities. Membership dues for Affiliate
Members are on a sliding scale basis.
All members are invited to the GARE Annual Meeting. 4 3
43All information from GARE2016 Membership Organization.

74
Appendix M
City of Madison’s 5-year Plan

75
Appendix N
Minnesota DPH’s Plan for Health Equity

77
Resources/Further Reading
The Alliance. Race in Recruitment, Hiring, Retention and Advancement. Boston: 2008.
Annie E. Casey Foundation. Race Equity and Inclusion Action Guide: 7 Steps to
Advance and Embed Race Equity and Inclusion in your Organization. 2014.
City of Cambridge. “2014 Citizen Telephone Survey.”
City of Madison. “City of Madison Equity Initiatives.”
Cross, T., Bazron, B., Dennis, K., & Isaacs, M. (1989). Towards a Culturally Competent
System of Care, Volume 1. Washington, DC: CASSP Technical Assistance Center,
Center for Child Health and Mental Health Policy, Georgetown University Child
Development Center
Eastwood, Jane. “Saint Paul Racial Equity Initiative Work Plan.” St. Paul, Minnesota:
2015.
Inclusive Dubuque. “Inclusive Dubuque General Overview.”
Massachusetts Department of Education.
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/profiles/student.aspx?orgcode=02740000&orgtypecode=5&
Mayor’s Office of Diversity. “2015 Workforce Report.” Boston: 2016.
Minnesota Department of Public Health. Advancing Health Equity in Minnesota:
Report to the Legislature. February 2014.
Multnomah County Office of Diversity and Equity. https://multco.us/diversity-
equity/employee-resource-groups-erg
National Center for Cultural Competence & Georgetown University Center for Child and
Human Development. “Cultural Competence Continuum.” Washington, DC:
2004.
Nelson, Julie (Government Alliance on Race and Equity). Advancing Racial Equity and
Transforming Government: A Resource Guide to Put Ideas into Action.
Nelson, Julie (GARE). Racial Equity Toolkit: An Opportunity to Operationalize Equity.
Nelson, Julie (GARE). GARE 2016 Membership Organization.
Oregon Metro. Public Engagement Guide. Portland, Oregon: November 2013.

78
Office for Civil Rights. “Race and Social Justice Initiative 2012 Employee Survey
Summary Report.” 2013.
Office of Equity and Human Rights. “Citywide Equity Goals and Strategies.” Portland,
Oregon.
Office of Equity and Human Rights. Racial Equity Plan Manual. Portland, Oregon:
2016.
Race and Social Justice Initiative. Inclusive Outreach and Public Engagement Guide.
Seattle: 2009.
Race and Social Justice Initiative. “Racial Equity Toolkit to Assess Policies, Initiatives,
Programs, and Budget Issues.” Seattle: 2012.
Race and Social Justice Initiative. “Vision and Strategy: 2015-2017.” Seattle: 2015.
Race Forward. “Racial Equity Impact Assessment.” 2009.
Racial Equity and Social Justice Core Team. A Strategic Vision for the Future: City of
Madison Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative. Madison, Wisconsin: 2014.
U.S. Census, census.gov.
Walsh, Martin. “Economic Inclusion and Equity Agenda.” Boston: 2016.
The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/my-brothers-keeper#section-about-my-
brothers-keeper
Inclusive Dubuque: http://inclusivedbq.org/
Mel King Institute: https://melkinginstitute.org/trainings
People’s Institute: http://www.pisab.org/workshops
GARE: http://racialequityalliance.org/

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