Investing in Racial Equity

Dear GARE Members, Partners and Allies,

We are living through an uncertain time: a still-raging pandemic that has disproportionately impacted communities of color and deepened inequality; an escalating narrative and political assault on the concept of systemic racism and the work of leaders like you who work tirelessly to dismantle it; pernicious attacks on our democratic infrastructure and values. 

Still, it is also a time ripe with promise, that calls for innovation, and bold action. Following the passage of the American Rescue Plan, GARE network members are poised to enact, test, and iterate toward racial equity at an unprecedented scale. The influx of these flexible federal resources into localities has the potential to respond to the urgency of this moment, and to enable localities to build back better through a racial equity approach. For example, GARE members in Seattle's Equitable Community Initiatives Task Force have helped steer $30 million in investments into BIPOC communities. Using a participatory approach, hosting over 30 weekly meetings convened between December 2020 - June 2021, the process yielded 4 key areas of investment to address systemic racism in business ($7.5M), education ($7.5M), health ($6.2M), and housing ($8.8M). For more information on the process and recommendations, review their powerpoint. This is a wonderful example of how a thoughtful approach to community participation yields strategic investments using ARPA funds as kickstart investment.

As a network of local and regional governments, how we navigate this moment will have an impact on realizing our vision for a multiracial democracy for generations to come. As you know, last month, GARE staff embarked on a program redesign process. Through the remainder of the year, we will continue to offer programming on key topics like the ARPA, the narrative and political attacks on the concept of systemic racism, and more, while also taking time to pause, listen, reflect, learn, and plan into the challenges and opportunities ahead. We are grateful to those members, partners, and allies who have provided candid feedback on our unique strengths and challenges, as well as ideas for how to best serve the evolving needs of this unparalleled movement within government dedicated to systematizing racial equity. We thank you in advance for your continued patience, guidance, dedication, and rigor.

With gratitude,
Gordon Goodwin and Cathy Albisa