Agenda 01-18-22; 6-a - One Orange Countywide Racial Equity Framework

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3 On Orang Countywid Racial Equity Fram work Catalyst For Moving Forward Introduction and Ov rvi w Th oughout the count y, mo e and mo e communities a e committing to advancing acial equity. Many a e pu suing foundation fi st and following the National P actice - no malize, o ganize and ope ationalize the wo k. O ange Countyju isdictions a e also committed to this wo k and that commitment is one of the main easons why we a e membe s of the Gove nment Alliance on Race & Equity (GARE). GARE is a national netwo k of gove nment agencies wo king to advance acial equity. Ove the past decade, a g owing field of p actice has eme ged based on lessons lea ned f om p actitione s, as well as academic expe ts,studying data and listening to the community so that esidents have bette outcomes.GARE b ings togethe gove nments th oughout the count y to p ovide acial equity t aining, acial equity tools, sha ing best p actices, pee -to-pee lea ning, and academic esou ces to help st engthen wo k ac ossju isdictions. As a county and within ou individual ju isdictions,we continue to benefit f om ou involvement. Many people ask, "What is acial equity and why conside ace"? WHAT IS "RACIAL EQUITY"? GARE defines acial equity as "when ace can no longe be used to p edict life outcomes and outcomes fo all g oups a e imp oved." • The diffe ence between acial equity and equality is that equity is about fai ness, while equality is about sameness. • Equity cannot be achieved until eve yone sta is f om a level playing field. • Ac oss all indicato s of success, acial inequities continue to be a facto (e.g., education, housing, c iminal justice,jobs, public inf ast uctu e, and health). Ove the histo y of ou count y, gove nment has c eated and maintained a hie a chy based on ace, of who succeeds, fails, benefits, and bu dened by the laws, policies, and p actices. Inequities a e sustained by histo is legacies, st uctu es, and systems that suppo t these patte ns of exclusion. To achieve acial equity, a fundamental t ansfo mation of gove nment is necessa y. In p io yea s, the gove nment has focused on add essing the symptoms of acial inequity by: • Funding p og ams and se vices that have p oven to be mostly ineffective at add essing uncle lying causes; and • Passing Civil Rights laws, which made acial disc imination illegal, but, afte mo a than 50 yea s, acial inequity continues to exist. Gove nment effo ts, instead of focusing on symptoms of acial inequity, should focus on the policies and institutional st ategies that a e d iving the p oduction of inequities.