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Dallas - Dallas City Council unanimously approved the city’s first Racial Equity Resolution (#210503) on March 24, 2021. This resolution reaffirmed Dallas’ commitment to work towards understanding, addressing, and dismantling racism and show how it affects the delivery of human and social services, economic development, and public safety.
“In an effort to address historic racial disparities in the City of Dallas, I requested a citywide racial equity plan as the inaugural chair of the Workforce, Education and Equity Committee,” said Vice Chair Casey Thomas and Council Member of District 3. “After meeting with the consultants, I am confident that Dallas will be a more equitable city as a result of this important work.”
The Racial Equity Plan (REP), scheduled to be completed and released the summer of 2022 will serve as a framework to establish short, mid, and long-term goals to achieve racial equity in Dallas whereby a person’s race or ethnicity no longer predicts outcomes.
“The Racial Equity Plan is how we, as a city, will walk our talk about equity,” said Chair Jaynie Schultz and Council Member of District 11. “It’s our guidebook for listening and acting to improve the daily lives of our residents through a lens that serves everyone based on their unique needs.” The plan will supplement and work in parallel with the City of Dallas’ Resilient Dallas Strategy, Equity Indicators Report, and Welcoming Dallas Strategic Plan.
The City of Dallas Office of Equity and Inclusion, Equity Division is leading the development of this REP plan, which will be guided by a robust community engagement process, and prioritize areas in Dallas most impacted by racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities. Tailored engagement strategies have been launched, by CoSpero Consulting LLC, the selected vendor, to maximize the participation for residents who are disproportionately impacted by inequities.
CoSpero is a Dallas-based social impact consulting firm committed to creating meaningful systems change by developing a stakeholder-informed strategy. “It's an honor to partner with the City of Dallas in the development of such an important plan," said Managing Partner Harold Hogue of CoSpero. "We believe infusing the lived experiences and perspectives of Dallas community members, especially those who've been historically disregarded, in the REP's creation is one small step towards creating a more just Dallas."
Residents, community organizations, businesses and other stakeholders are encouraged to be a part of the development for the City’s first Racial Equity Plan. Digital and in-person engagement opportunities will take place through February 2022. For more information, visit weareonedallas.org.
“The Racial Equity Plan is a monumental step towards operationalizing equity in the City of Dallas,” said Chief of Equity and Inclusion, Liz Cedillo-Pereira,. “It is a strategy that will identify specific equity goals in each City department and facilitate collaborative solutions to close disparities in the coming years. We are working alongside our policymakers, departments, civic stakeholders, and community members to envision a city where we all thrive as one Dallas.”
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