The Covid-19 pandemic has sent public health and economic shockwaves across Los Angeles County particularly felt in historically underserved communities. The pandemic has been a catalyst for recognizing the social illnesses of anti-Black racism that have long plagued the county, including sharp racial gaps in wealth, employment, and digital access, as well as unaffordable housing and homelessness. The acute impact of the crisis on historically underserved communities, particularly Black and Latinx residents, is a feature of the same forces of systemic racism that have marginalized these residents for decades. To stir a new civic conversation and commitment for change, L.A. County believes it must center racial equity and align systems and then hold those systems accountable for more effective delivery. To start, the L.A. County board of supervisors recently adopted a motion to establish an Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Equity Initiative to guide, govern, and drive the county’s commitment to fight systemic racism.
To support this work, the L.A. County Chief Executive Office is partnering with FUSE Executive Fellow Lizzeth Rosales to support the creation of a comprehensive strategic plan for the initiative. The county will set the standard through this plan and become a national leader in anti-racism policy making and program implementation.
