Mayor Bowser Invites Residents to Participate in Upcoming Racial Equity Action Plan Engagement Forums

(Washington, DC)  – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that starting July 25, 2022, the Mayor’s Office of Racial Equity (ORE), in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs (MOCA), is hosting five engagement forums to gain ideas and feedback from residents to help shape the District’s first Racial Equity Action Plan, a roadmap for reducing inequities and improving life for all Washingtonians.

“We know that to continue the work of building a more racially equitable DC, we need our entire government working together with the community,” said Mayor Bowser. “The Racial Equity Action Plan will help us turn ideas and theories into action and ensure all aspects of life in DC – from housing to employment to health care and so much more – are focused on equity.”

The development of the Racial Equity Action Plan, which will set the direction for all District Government agencies over the next three years, will be guided by four goals:

1. Ensure DC Government staff understand and are committed to achieving racial equity.
2. Ensure DC Government remains committed to eliminating racial and ethnic inequities.
3. Establish and strengthen meaningful community partnerships. 
4. Highlight DC Government as an equitable employer that engages in racially equitable hiring, promotion, and retention practices. 

“The Mayor’s Office of Racial Equity looks forward to engaging with District residents to better understand what residents want to see in DC’s first Racial Equity Action Plan,” said Dr. Amber Hewitt, the District’s Chief Equity Officer and Director of ORE. “We want residents to be equal partners in the District’s racial equity work, which is to promote policy decisions and programs that create fair opportunities for everyone and address longstanding racial inequities.” 

ORE worked in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs to host both virtual and in person events. Each forum will feature an interactive workshop that will include an introduction to ORE’s work, a presentation on REAP’s outline and goals, and small conversation groups on the plan’s goals and potential measures of racial equity in the District. The upcoming forums are:

• Racial Equity Public Engagement Forum with Mayor’s Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA) to be held from 3 to 5 pm on Monday, July 25, 2022, at Marion Barry Building, 441 4th St., NW, Conference Room 1107. RSVP at tinyurl.com/3va3wv93. 
• Virtual Racial Equity Public Engagement Forum to be held from 6 to 8 pm on Monday, August 1, 2022. RSVP at tinyurl.com/2wpn8pj7. 
• Racial Equity Public Engagement Forum with the Mayor’s Office of Latino Affairs (MOLA) to be held from 10 am to 12 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, at Frank D. Reeves Center, 2000 14th St., NW, Edna Frazier Community Room. RSVP at tinyurl.com/7ftbrhu3.
• Racial Equity Public Engagement Forum with the Mayor’s Office of African Affairs (MOAA) to be held from 6 to 8 pm on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, Frank D. Reeves Center, 2000 14th St., NW, Edna Frazier Community Room. RSVP at tinyurl.com/ywfys8kb. 
• In Person Racial Equity Public Engagement Forum with the Mayor’s Office of African American Affairs (MOAAA) from 6 to 8 pm on Monday, August 8, 2022, at R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center, 2730 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., SE. Please RSVP at the tinyurl.com/mtk9uyv9. 

Established by Mayor Bowser in 2021, the Mayor’s Office of Racial Equity focuses on developing an infrastructure to ensure policy decisions and District programs are evaluated through a racial equity lens. The Office brings together District agencies, residents, and other partners to make meaningful progress toward a more racially equitable city. To learn more, visit ore.dc.gov. 

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