RSJI's new Three-Year Plan!
2012-14 plan focuses on community partnerships
The City of Seattle has just released a new 2012-14 RSJI Three-Year Plan that expands the Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) to focus on ending racial inequity in the community. The new plan is the result of an extensive assessment last year involving City employees and people from the community. The City also has just released a 2009-2011 RSJI Accomplishments Report, detailing some of the many ways that RSJI is making a real difference in the lives of Seattle residents, businesses and City government.
The new plan asks all City departments to:
- Continue working internally by applying racial equity to departmental programs and projects.
- Build racial equity into policies and citywide initiatives.
- Partner with other institutions and the community.
Across City government, departments will adopt the same set of strategies:
- Use community-level racial inequity data to drive our strategies and track our progress over time to measure our success.
- Measure progress with the same dedication as we measure problems.
- Strengthen partnerships across institutions and the community.
For more information about the plan, contact . Elliott.Bronstein@seattle.govor call 206-684-4507.
Upcoming events
- Community presentation - "Race: the Power of an Illusion" training:
- Train-the-Trainer" facilitation workshop for "Race: Power of an Illusion" training:
The next community presentation of the City of Seattle's "Race: the Power of an Illusion" training has been scheduled for Saturday, June 2, 9 am to 3 pm at Teen Life Center, 2801 SW Thistle. This free six-hour training is based on the three-part PBS series. It's an opportunity for you to experience the same training that City employees receive as part of the Race and Social Justice Initiative. To register for the June 2 event, e-mail Margaret.Olsen@seattle.gov or call 206-684-8672. Sponsored by the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, Seattle Police Department, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and SEqual (City of Seattle LGBTQ Employees for Equality).
"Race: the Power of an Illusion" training
Saturday, June 2, 9 am to 3 pm
Teen Life Center, 2801 SW Thistle
To register: e-mail Margaret.Olsen@seattle.gov or call 206-684-8672.
Would you like to become a facilitator for "Race: Power of an Illusion" training in your own organization or in the community? We have scheduled a "train-the-trainer" session on Saturday, June 23 from 9 am to 5 pm. To register for this training, e-mail Maria.Rodriguez@seattle.gov or call 206-684-0548.
Imagine a city where…
- Every schoolchild, regardless of language and cultural differences, receives a quality education and feels safe and included.
- Race does not predict how much you earn or your chance of being homeless or going to prison.
- African American, Latinos and Native Americans can expect to live as long as white people.
The Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) is an effort of Seattle City government to realize the vision of racial equity.
The Initiative works within City government and with community leaders to get to the root cause of racial inequity: institutional racism. RSJI is led by the Seattle Office of Civil Rights and an interdepartmental team of City staff. All elected officials in the City of Seattle have endorsed and are promoting RSJI.
Contact us!
RSJI is coordinated by the Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR).
For more information contact:
- Glenn Harris at 206-255-7556, glenn.harris@seattle.gov
- Elliott Bronstein at 206-684-4507, elliott.bronstein@seattle.gov.
New RSJI docs in PDF
Join Us!
Video
RSJI: Working for Racial Equity
in City Government
A video highlighting the work of the Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) featuring the voices of RSJ Community Roundtable members, Mayor Mike McGinn, City employees and RSJI staff on why the work to eliminate racial disparities is critical and how we are working together as government and community to achieve racial equity.
RSJI Information in Translation/English:
| Amharic | Cambodian |
| Chinese | Korean |
| Oromo | Somali |
| Spanish | Tagalog |
| Tigrigna | Vietnamese |
Other RSJI Documents
- Mayor's Executive Order 4/23/10: Outreach to Women and Minority Owned Businesses Mayor McGinn issued Executive Order 2010-5 on April 23, 2010 concerning outreach to women and minority businesses. The Order strengthens the City's commitment utilize women and minority owned businesses, and outlines steps for departments to ensure Citywide accountability.
- City Council Resolution Directing Race and Social Justice Work to Continue
- Full text of the Council's Resolution #31164
- Report 2008: Looking Back, Moving Forward [long report]
- 2008 RSJI Overview (executive summary)
In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. 