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<br /> 1 In the 2019-20 budget, the Orange Board of Commissioners approved funds to support a team
<br /> 2 of Orange County staff to be a part of a GARE North Carolina Learning Community of
<br /> 3 government jurisdiction working to advance racial equity by addressing institution and structural
<br /> 4 racism. Each jurisdiction made a one-year commitment to the learning process.
<br /> 5
<br /> 6 Each jurisdiction received tools and resources, including:
<br /> 7 • A racial equity training curriculum, to equip cohort participants to implement the training
<br /> 8 with other employees;
<br /> 9 • A Racial Equity Tool to use in policy, practice, program and budget decisions;
<br /> 10 • Support to identify and launch pilot projects that demonstrate racial equity outcomes in
<br /> 11 your jurisdiction;
<br /> 12 • A capacity building plan and organizational structure to institutionalize equity within their
<br /> 13 jurisdiction;
<br /> 14 • Example policies and practices that helped advance racial equity; and
<br /> 15 • Support to develop a Racial Equity Action Plan
<br /> 16
<br /> 17 The Orange County team is comprised of fifteen diverse team members. Department Directors
<br /> 18 were asked either to self-select or to select a member of their staff for the team. If through that
<br /> 19 process the team was not filled, then co-leads selected county staff so that there was a diversity
<br /> 20 of members and skills and departments on the team. The members of the team are: Annette
<br /> 21 Moore, (Co-Lead), Human Rights and Relations, Nancy Coston, (Co-Lead), Social Services,
<br /> 22 Brenda Bartholomew, Human Resources, Melvyn Blackwell, Human Rights and Relations, Erica
<br /> 23 Bryant, Child Support Enforcement, Brennan Bouma, Asset Management Services, Diogenes
<br /> 24 DeLosSantos, Information Technology, Desmond Frierson, Criminal Justice Resource, Jennifer
<br /> 25 Galassi, Sherriff's Office, Ashley Hager, Food Council/County Manager's Office, Sarah
<br /> 26 Pickhardt, Emergency Services, Rachel Raper, Board of Elections, Juliet Sheridan, Health,
<br /> 27 Quintana Stewart, Health, Robert Williams, Solid Waste.
<br /> 28
<br /> 29 The One Orange GARE team developed a mission statement: One Orange is a commitment by
<br /> 30 Orange County leaders and staff to uncover and address implicit racial biases in our institution
<br /> 31 to ensure that race can no longer be used to predict life outcomes in our community.
<br /> 32
<br /> 33 GARE Training has been intense. Members of the team have not only had to attend training but
<br /> 34 also had meetings outside of the training, committee meetings, and additional homework. The
<br /> 35 pandemic has been an obstacle in getting both the training and the racial equity plan completed
<br /> 36 in September as we anticipated.
<br /> 37
<br /> 38 In May, with the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protest, awareness of the need for
<br /> 39 racial equity has grown exponentially around the Country. In June, the Health Director, Quintana
<br /> 40 Stewart, declared structural racism a health crisis in Orange County. The Board of County
<br /> 41 Commissioners also passed a resolution condemning the murder of George Floyd and
<br /> 42 committing to dismantling structural and institutional racism in Orange County government and
<br /> 43 throughout Orange County. The Board directed the Department of Human Rights and Relations
<br /> 44 to lead the One Orange Racial Equity Team in developing a Racial Equity Plan using the
<br /> 45 Government Alliance on Race and Equity Model to bring a first draft of the plan back to the
<br /> 46 Board in September 2020.
<br /> 47
<br /> 48 Although the pandemic has impacted the work of the GARE core team, it has also created an
<br /> 49 opportunity for us to reimagine how we move forward, advancing racial equity as a region.
<br /> 50 Instead of looking at racial equity from a jurisdictional position, we believe we should be looking
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