National Initiative to Address Structural Racism in Cities

National non-profit Living Cities has launched an initiative designed to help U.S. cities address structural racism in municipal policy and practice.

Racial Equity Here will provide technical and advisory support for cities to analyze the impact of government operations on people of color, especially youth. CEO Ben Hecht writes in the launch announcement:

From the inception of our country, government at the local, regional, state and federal level has played a role in creating and maintaining racial inequity. By understanding how municipal operations affect people of color and reproduce inequities, governments can begin to address them in transformative ways.

The first cohort to participate in the program includes Albuquerque, New Mexico; Austin, Texas; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Louisville, Kentucky; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Collaborating with Living Cities on the initiative are the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (part of the Center for Social Inclusion) and the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at the University of California, Berkeley. The group initially convened in response to the 2015 death of Freddie Gray in police custody.