The City of Philadelphia recently launched its Racial Equity Strategy Dashboard, a new accountability tool that will help the city track progress in achieving racial equity and provide a transparent, accessible way for residents to see the steps that are being taken to eliminate racial disparities in all areas of city government.
“We made a promise that racial equity would be at the center of everything this administration does as a government. That commitment stands true as we continue to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture for city employees and beyond,” said Mayor Jim Kenney in a statement. “This dashboard is a crucial tool that will not only hold us accountable for identifying racialized inequities but also assist in the implementation of policies and practices to help correct existing racial disparities.”
In 2020, Kenney signed Executive Order No. 1-20, which mandated that city government embed racial equity as an explicit governing principle and established the City’s Racial Equity Strategy, requiring all departments to create an initial racial equity action plan by the end of 2023. This process requires every city department reporting to the mayor to go through a rigorous cohort process to identify policies and practices that contribute to inequities and develop an action plan to disrupt, mitigate or eliminate those conditions. The dashboard will be updated on an annual basis.
“We appreciate the city departments and offices for their participation and commitment to improving diversity, equity, inclusion and access in our workforce and city services,” said Josie B. H. Pickens, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, in a statement. “The dashboard will serve as a valuable tool to track the city’s progress in advancing racial equity and will give residents clarity into the department’s priority strategies to achieve this goal.”
From Metro Philadelphia
