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