Contra Costa Could Get Racial Equity, Social Justice Office

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors could on Tuesday approve forming an Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice to address equity, bias and inclusion in county government and beyond, with an eye toward a county government that uses equity and social justice to inform governing decisions.

The Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, as proposed by County Supervisors John Gioia and Federal Glover, would be part of the County Administrator's office, and would be directly accountable to the Board of Supervisors. Its overarching mission would be to promote equity and eliminate disparities in Contra Costa County - especially within its governmental operations, including budget decisions -- with the initial priority to eliminate structural racism.

The office's main tasks would be to better coordinate, strengthen and expand the county's existing work on equity and inclusion, and to partner with community organizations and leaders, cities and school districts to implement that work.

Gioia, Glover and the other supervisors had a discussion about this concept in June. Gioia and Glover said then that they had been talking with community groups for a while about it, and that these groups, as well as county departments, have already been laying the groundwork for better advancing these social equity concerns. An Office of Racial Justice and Social Equity, Gioia said, would institutionalize the process.

The first municipal Office of Racial Justice and Social Equity was founded in Seattle in 2015, and other cities and counties have since followed suit. Oakland established its Department of Race and Equity in 2016, and San Francisco its Office of Racial Equity in July 2019.

In a separate but related move, the Contra Costa supervisors on Tuesday could also vote to approve a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, and the virtual meeting can be accessed at here.

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