Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with The Ohio State University in support of the Boys and Young Men of Color (BYMOC) Collective.
The Boys & Young Men of Color Collective (The Collective) was established in October 2020 through a partnership between Columbus City Council and The Ohio State University’s (OSU) Todd Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male (BNRC). The Collective serves as an organizing body for collective impact that centers on the lived experiences and perspectives of BYMOC in Columbus, Franklin County.
The Collective works with young people to redress structural racism in programs, organizations, and institutions through BYMOC-led advocacy. The Collective gathers and synthesizes the experiences and perspectives of local BYMOC and key stakeholders. Using this information, the Collective develops and advocates for policy and practice changes that close the gaps BYMOC experience and thus improve the quality life for the whole community.
The Collective will:
• Continue developing BYOMC Collective infrastructure
• Further develop/implement strategic communications/engagement plans
• Introduce the BYMOC Collective to BYMOC through social media, virtual, and in-person events
• Establish relationships with key stakeholders who can support the work financially, in-kind, or with human capital
• Leverage BYMOC and key stakeholder relationships to expand our ongoing collection and synthesis of the lived experience and perspective of BYMOC
• Issue policy and practice briefs/recommendations
• Raise awareness through virtual and in-person mediums such as forums, town halls, and social media
• Partner with like-minded individuals, organizations, and institutions in advocating for change through policy and investment practices
• Refresh BYMOC Collective website
• Develop a community wide BYMOC Collective shared vision, SMART goals, benchmarks, metrics, and multi-year strategic plan
• Begin to collect/disseminate research-informed activities, practices, and policies that engage and support BYMOC
• Publish BYMOC Resource Directory
• BYMOC/Youth political podcast
• BYMOC/Youth political education fellowship
• Publish an annual report that outlines partners, who we’ve heard from, who else we need to hear from, progress to-date, and next steps
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Emergency action is requested in order to avoid any delay in supporting the Boys and Young Men of Color (BYMOC) Collective to redress structural racism in programs, organizations, and institutions.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with The Ohio State University in support of the Boys and Young Men of Color (BYMOC) Collective to closely examine the epidemiological data associated with the ethnic disparity relating to COVID-19; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($350,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, The Boys & Young Men of Color Collective (The Collective) was established in October 2020 through a partnership between Columbus City Council and The Ohio State University’s (OSU) Todd Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male (BNRC); and
WHEREAS, The Boys & Young Men of Color Collective works with young people to redress structural racism in programs, organizations, and institutions through advocacy; and
WHEREAS, in Columbus, Franklin County, BYMOC are overrepresented in the penal system and living below the poverty line; and
WHEREAS, The BYMOC Collective is committed to finding common ground to engage in advocacy efforts to change policy and investment practices that close opportunity gaps for BYMOC and the community-at-large; and
WHEREAS, the concept for the BYMOC Collective was developed in February 2020 and launched on October 11, 2020, with seed funding from the CARES Act; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Clerk in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with The Ohio State University to avoid any delay in initiating this critical work to close opportunity gaps for Columbus young men of color; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with The Ohio State University in support of the Boys and Young Men of Color (BYMOC) Collective.
SECTION 2: That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $350,000.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, to the City Clerk per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3: That the expenditure of $350,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1 of this ordinance, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared an emergency measure and shall take effect and be enforced from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.