Race and Social Justice Initiative
Program and Key Principles
The City of Seattle is working toward a future where racial equity is achieved. The Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) is a Citywide effort to end institutionalized racism and race-based gaps in City government. Read more about the RSJI ordinance.
Through our work, SDOT aims to end institutional racism, biases, and inequity in our transportation system and workforce. We work equity into all that we do, including safety measures, how we distribute services, affordability, and community engagement. We share the actions that we take towards equity on the City Racial Equity Actions page.
For more information about RSJI, please refer to our City-wide RSJI page, or reach out to DOTRSJI@seattle.gov
The Racial Equity Toolkit
The Racial Equity Toolkit (RET) is used as an opportunity to learn more about how your project, program, or initiative impacts those we serve. We typically recommend that you involve multiple staff in the development of the RET, including project managers. The RET should be used early in planning to find race and social justice issues, and find ways to reduce these risks, in a project. It is a chance to pause and "re-center" work and focus on improving outcomes for all within a project area.
This process can happen many times over the course of a project, focusing on developing a commitment to change and building relationships with impacted communities. This process also helps to avoid unintended consequences that may add to inequality.
You should use a RET when you have:
- A new policy, program, or large major project
- An ongoing program that has not been run through a RET in the previous 5 years
- An existing policy that has not been run through a RET in the previous 5 years
Resources: