Title
To acknowledge racial inequities in the City of Columbus and declare Columbus City Council’s Commitment to advancing racial equity. Recognizing the systemic racism that adversely impacts the lives of residents of Color, Columbus City Council will continue to implement strategies and provide resources to alleviate racial inequities.
Body
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council defines racial equity as when race no longer statistically dictates, determines, or predicts socio-economic status or ability to thrive; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council acknowledges racial inequities brought on by a legacy of systemic racism, unjust practices, and institutional policies implemented over decades by various federal, state and local government entities, helped create the conditions that exist today; including but not limited to, segregation, redlining, inequitable zoning, mass incarceration, and discriminatory hiring practices; and
WHEREAS, Black, Latinx, and other non-white communities most impacted by racial injustice must be heard and centered in the process of reform and transformation; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council recognizes the need for both short and long-term reforms and remedies based on building racial justice, and that these remedies and reforms must consider the breadth of issues and the interconnected relationships between policy areas, including but not limited to budgetary, procurement, public safety, and personnel decisions; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council understands that government is uniquely positioned to address the pervasiveness of systemic racism in our society, and must play a major role in eradicating racial inequity in our society, first by acknowledging systemic inequity, second by confronting the injustice, and third by taking action; and
WHEREAS, equity is a critical factor in individual, family, neighborhood, and community success over a number of metrics - economic, housing, health, education, and access to essential services; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council pledges to demonstrate its commitment to racial equity through socially just policy, investment and future funding decisions, and inclusive practices; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council passed Resolution 095X-2020 in June 2020 declaring racism a public health crisis in acknowledgement that health outcomes are often disproportionately impacted by race; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council has committed to this work by forming an internal Racial Equity Action Team to provide recommendations and next steps for how Council can work to advance anti-racist policy and racial equity in Columbus, and by contracting with the National League of Cities’ Race, Equity and Leadership (REAL) team to train its staff on anti-racism and racial equity; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council has considered and adopted numerous policies to eliminate racial disparities and improve equity across our community, including Reimagining Safety, Housing for All, curbing evictions which disproportionately impact people of color, implementing the disparity study, supporting My Brother’s Keeper and the Commission on Black Girls, and increasing economic opportunities on behalf of working families through the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council supports the City’s Administration in their efforts to advance racial equity with the establishment of the Center for Public Health Innovation to enhance health equity, and the implementation of policies and programs to improve policing, support for minority businesses, youth engagement, and affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council recognizes the need to eliminate disparities based on race, ethnicity, national origin, English language proficiency, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic status, source of income, geographic location of residence, familial status, disability, age, physical and mental illnesses, and other factors; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council is committed to creating a community where all are welcome and treated with empathy, respect, and fairness in a thoughtful way to heal the wounds of our past, reconcile the differences of our present, and build a just future for all of our residents; and
WHEREAS, race and equity will continue to be key priorities internally and in City work externally with partners in government, the private sector, non-profit organizations, education, and with each community member when Columbus City Council seeks community feedback on its legislative decisions; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby declare its commitment to improving the quality of life for all its residents and is committed to honestly and directly strive to create a society where race no longer statistically dictates, determines, or predicts one’s socio-economic status or ability to thrive in our city.