Salem Awarded $80K In MA Grants For Diversity Initiatives

SALEM, MA — Salem will use $80,000 in state grants to further two initiatives in its ongoing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts.

The two $40,000 grants will go toward a DEI Equity Audit and city program to recruit and retain a workforce more representative of Salem's overall population.

"Thanks to Salem's Best Practices Program partnership, these grants will help us address systemic barriers to equitable representation in the city of Salem," said Regina Zaragoza Frey, Salem's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director. "Salem strives to represent the community we serve and reflect its diversity among City staff.

The Equity Audit is planned for the city to examine barriers to equitable representation in city planning, procurement and other municipal projects.

The city's human resources department's recruitment and retention initiative is aimed at developing a model for policies and procedures that help ensure a diverse workforce that mirrors the Salem population.

"These two projects will help us identify the barriers to equitable representation in government processes and remove barriers that perpetuate institutional oppression," Frey said. "This is a significant step in guiding the city's DEI work in years to come."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)