Where We Work

Alameda County is a county in the state of California in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,510,271, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state. Its county seat is Oakland.

The City of Albuquerque will become an inclusive community where equitable success is the norm and race and ethnicity will no longer predict outcomes. Albuquerque is reshaping government by advancing racial equity initiatives. It will reduce systemic barriers and elevate opportunities by interweaving racial equity tools throughout city operations. Every city department will have a functional dashboard continually updated and evolving with relevant data to guide improved race, gender, and disability equity policies. As Albuquerque succeeds, it will create and maintain sustainable equitable outcomes across its diverse community. Albuquerque is a member of the Racial Equity Here cohort.

The Maternal and Child Health Department aims to be a cross section of the community representing the various life stages – parenting, perinatal care, reproductive health, school, faith, transportation, police, economic growth, human services working together toward meaningful change in all the sectors of our county to give every baby born in Allegheny County a chance to celebrate their first birthday. Our goal is that by collaborating we can make incremental changes that will shift the culture, the environment, the systems, the policies and ultimately, health inequities.

Arcata, California is participating in the GARE North Coast cohort.

  Asheville, located in Western North Carolina, is the eleventh largest city in the state with a population of 89,121 (U.S. Census est. July, 2016).  The city government has a history of implementing racial and economic policies and practices which has resulted in racial segregation, disparities in income and education indicators and tense relationships betweenREAD MORE >

Austin is a member of the Racial Equity Here cohort. Racial Equity Here is a national movement of government leaders working to dismantle institutional racism, eliminate racial disparities and improve outcomes for all. Despite the fact that equality and justice are commonly held values in our nation, historically the benefits associated with these values have not been extended to all.

Bay Area Air Quality Management District is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and established the first-ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office in March, 2017.

The City of Bloomington, MN. is a changing community. As local demographics continue to shift, the City acknowledges the importance of taking leadership in advancing racial equity within Bloomington. This will increase the cultural competency of the community and also ensure that local government is diverse and inclusive.

Over the next thirteen years, Boston is projected to have over 700,000 residents, making planning for city housing, transportation, and infrastructure a priority. Central to these priorities is ensuring equitable opportunities for all Boston residents.

The Town of Brookline is committed to embracing the diversity of its community. It recognizes that individuals of color and other marginalized groups face significant barriers regarding equity in housing, employment and other areas that limit their access and opportunities.

Brooklyn Center is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The city is located on the west bank of the Mississippi River on the northwest border of Minneapolis. The population was 30,104 at the 2010 census.

Brooklyn Park participated in the 2016 Minnesota Advancing Racial Equity cohort.

The Department of Housing & Community Development provides leadership, policies and programs to preserve and expand safe and affordable housing opportunities and promote strong communities for all Californians.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is dedicated to optimizing the health and well-being of the people in California.

The Coastal Conservancy strives to benefit all Californians through our projects. There are underserved populations in California (such as disadvantaged communities, people of color, persons with disabilities, tribes, and others) that disproportionally confront barriers to health and wellbeing and face increased vulnerability to environmental issues.

The City of Cedar Rapids is in the emerging stages of our racial equity initiative. While the Police Department has been actively engaged in various equity efforts throughout the community, we have acknowledged the necessity of expanding our equity initiative throughout the entire organization.

CDPH is committed to promoting and improving health by engaging residents, communities and partners in establishing and implementing policies and services that prioritize residents and communities with the greatest need

Leadership and middle management from the City of Ann Arbor have committed to training with GARE to learn more about how we can become aware of where racial inequity exists in the community and what the role government can play in improving or eliminating that inequity.

Berkeley is a city in Northern California on the east side of San Francisco Bay. It’s home to the University of California, Berkeley, birthplace of the 1960s Free Speech Movement.

The City of Charlotte is engaged on several fronts to advance racial equity and opportunities for all. The City’s work aligns to broader community efforts related to the impact of racial segregation on economic opportunity in the city, with the Leading on Opportunity Report including racial equity work as a recommendation for institutions in Charlotte.

As a component of Mayor Michael B. Hancock’s Equity Platform, the Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships (HRCP) is launching a new Race and Social Justice Initiative that will prepare city agencies and employees to identify, evaluate and address the economic and racial impact of new city programs, initiative and policies.

The Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission was the first human or civil rights commission in Iowa, established in 1951. three years later, the civil rights ordinance established a member commission representative of racial, religious, and ethnic groups. In the 1950's, job discrimination and a complaint process were defined. The City of Des Moines has led Iowa, even prior to 1965 Iowa civil rights act passed by the state Legislature. 

Durham is the fifth largest City in the state of North Carolina, with a population of just over 230,000. The City of Durham (COD) operates under a City Council/City Manager form of government and has more than 2,500 employees who are committed to working diligently to make Durham a great place to live, work, and play!READ MORE >

The City of Eagan advanced the racial equity conversation as part of Eagan Forward, a 20 year vision for the community. One of the six strategies identified was "Eagan is a place for all people." As such, a community-led study action team was formed, focused on Eagan being a welcoming and inclusive community.

The City just completed a Diversity Audit of the internal staff workforce as well as an Inclusion Strategy that we will be implementing.

The City worked with a 22-member, Council-appointed task force to develop the Commitment for an Inclusive, Equitable, and Compassionate Community that includes guiding principles for visioning inclusion and equity in Hayward.

Minnetonka strives to be a community where all people have a sense of belonging and potential for success. However, we recognize there is a history of individuals in our country and in our community being impacted by deliberate institutional decisions and historical imbalance.

Under the leadership of Mayor Bill de Blasio, equity has been central to the City’s governing approach.  In 2015, the de Blasio Administration set out its vision for doing this in OneNYC: The Plan for a Strong and Just City.  One of the four Visions in that plan was an “equity” vision, which declared that “New York City will have an inclusive, equitable economy that offers well-paying jobs and opportunities for all New Yorkers to live with dignity and security.” 

The City of Richfield is in the beginning stages of our racial equity initiative. In 2018, we plan to be a part of the 2018 Racial Equity Cohort lead by GARE, in partnership with the League of Minnesota Cities.

Rochester is beginning is racial equity journey.  With the growth the anticipated in the next 20 years, we want to make sure that growth is healthy and equitable.      

The City of Roseville is committed to taking tangible steps to normalize, organize, and operationalize racial equity principles and tools, with an eye toward impactful and sustainable outcomes that create a more equitable community.

Contra Costa County is a county located in the state of California in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,049,025. The county seat is Martinez. The name means "opposite coast" in Spanish.

The Cosumnes Community Services District (CSD) serves an estimated 190,680 south Sacramento County residents in a 157-square mile area. In 2017, the Cosumnes CSD adopted a Commitment to Diversity Policy and issued a RFP for a diversity audit.

As the central and chief policy-making body for the District of Columbia, the Council’s mission is to provide strong, innovative and effective leadership for the benefit of residents across the city.

Culver City, California is participating in the GARE Southern California cohort.

As a large urban school district with an ethnically and racially diverse staff and student enrollment, Dallas ISD is committed to equitable distribution of services and resources.

Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the second-most populous county in Wisconsin.

Denver Arts & Venues’ mission is to amplify Denver’s quality of life and economic vitality through premier public venues, arts and entertainment opportunities. Arts & Venues is the City and County of Denver agency responsible for operating some of the region’s most renowned facilities, including Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, the Denver Performing Arts Complex,READ MORE >

The Department of Equity & Inclusion upholds and reaffirms the City’s position and commitment to equal employment opportunity, and assists in creating and maintaining an inclusive workforce that is free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

The City of Dubuque’s commitment to addressing racial equity has increased as our local population has become more racially and ethnically diverse. As early as 2005, the City Council supported the recommendations of a community member task force...

Duluth is a seaport city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Saint Louis County.

Since 2015, Durham County Government has been a catalyst hosting and co-sponsoring several multi-day training opportunities for leaders across the county representing multiple sectors, focusing on a foundational analysis of racism, its cultural and historical roots. This shared cross-systems understanding will allow us to begin the work of intentionally creating racially equitable organizations and systems. 

Racial injustice has occurred nationally for centuries and has made deep impacts on communities, schools, cities and structures. Edina is making racial equity a goal and will actively evolve their city systems, structures, resources, policies and practices to reflect this commitment. In doing so, they will make Edina a community that embraces all people.

Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The City of Fort Collins is the fourth largest city in Colorado with a population of just over 160,000.  To date, our racial equity initiatives have come in the form of crafting an equity and inclusion strategic focus within the Social Sustainability Department’s overall strategic plan that is in alignment with the City’s objective around diversity. We are also looking to create new strategic objectives in 2018 relative to the City’s overall strategic plan (current one is around promoting diversity)

With rich diversity in race and ethnicity, the county served by the Fourth Judicial District Court also experiences some of the largest gaps in health, employment and economic opportunity by race in the nation.

As home to one of the first suburban Human Rights Commissions in Minnesota, Golden Valley is a culturally strong community with a desire to be the best it can be. The Golden Valley City Council is determined to be proactive in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Grand Rapids works collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to ensure racial justice, equity and inclusion exist in programs, services, policies and facilities.

We at Hennepin County Library believe that access to information is a fundamental right and is essential to an informed society. One of the core missions of the public library is to provide equal access to that information, and to make available valuable resources that would help to benefit the communities we serve.

Addressing racial disparities is core to Hennepin County's mission and practices. Structural and institutional inequities led the Hennepin County Board to adopt a diversity policy in 2013, which established the business case for workforce diversity within the county.

Hopkins is participating in the 2017 Minnesota Advancing Racial Equity cohort, Advanced Implementation track.

Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa. It is the only City of Literature in North America, as awarded by UNESCO in 2008.

The City of Kansas City is looking to expand its internal racial equity work throughout its City departments. Taking the lead in this endeavor is the Kansas City Health Department. Health has a been involved in racial equity work for years, from their work with community organizations to their approach to violence as a Public Health issue.

First launched under Executive Ron Sims in 2008, King County Equity and Social Justice became an integrated part of the County’s work with the countywide strategic plan and ESJ ordinance passed by King County Executive Dow Constantine and the County Council in 2010.

Mayor Sorace is committed to approaching the work in our neighborhoods, and all of City government, through a racial equity lens. More than a bullet point in the strategic plan, there is an understanding that to work through legacy issues of poverty, improve community police interactions, and more, we need to step into the work differently. 

Recently, the Lane County Board of Health approved a Health Equity framework that directs staff to create a plan/build on the existing strategic plan.

The League of Minnesota Cities is participating in the 2017 Minnesota Advancing Racial Equity introductory cohort.

Building on the growing commitment across Long Beach to advance racial equity, The Office of Equity was formally established in January 2017. The Office of Equity is intended to accelerate the City’s vision to end health, social and racial disparities by working to normalize, operationalize and institutionalize policies and practices that can reduce or eliminate disparate outcomes.

Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, is a county in the U.S. state of California. With a population of more than ten million people, it is the most populous county in the United States.

Los Angeles, California is participating in the GARE Southern California cohort.

Louisville is a member of the Racial Equity Here cohort. Racial Equity Here is a national movement of government leaders working to dismantle institutional racism, eliminate racial disparities and improve outcomes for all. Despite the fact that equality and justice are commonly held values in our nation, historically the benefits associated with these values have not been extended to all.

Beginning in 2013, Madison began working on issues of racial equity from the inside out. A focus on racial and health equity started in the Public Health Department, which is the only city-county department in Madison and Dane County.

Mankato is participating in the 2018 Minnesota Advancing Racial Equity cohort.

Maplewood is participating in the 2017 Minnesota Advancing Racial Equity cohort, Advanced Implementation track.

Equity, Economy, Environment and Education (the 4 E’s) have been a top priority for Marin County since 2007. GARE has helped the County accelerate their equity initiatives over the last year.

In September 2016, in response to the demonstrations and civil unrest following the Keith Lamont Scott and Justin Carr shootings, the County Manager announced that Mecklenburg County would examine the County’s operational guidelines, policies, and procedures to ensure equal access to services for every resident who needs them. The examination would also ensure that County employees are treated equitably. Equity is a top priority for Mecklenburg County, and the initiatives around DEI have the full support of leadership.

Merced County’s Department of Public Health has adopted equity as one of its core values and has focused its work on addressing the social determinants of health as the means to advancing health and wellness in the broadest sense for Merced County residents.

Metro works with communities, businesses and residents in the Portland metropolitan area to chart a wise course for the future while protecting the things we love about this place. Metro serves 24 cities and three counties in the Portland, Oregon region.

The Metropolitan Council is the regional policy-making body, planning agency, and provider of essential services for the Twin Cities metropolitan region. The Council's mission is to foster efficient and economic growth for a prosperous region.

The Department of Civil Rights investigates and resolves discrimination complaints and works to prevent discrimination through educational programs that promote voluntary compliance with civil rights laws.

Milwaukee’s racial inequities have existed for as long as Milwaukee has had a measurable African American population. While every American metropolitan area struggles with income inequality, concentrated poverty, unequal incarceration rates, disparate health outcomes, and poor overall quality of life, Milwaukee is unique based on the comprehensive issues experienced by its African American population. GivenREAD MORE >

The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board is developing a shared analysis, building capacity, and implementing tools simultaneously in order to test what works and determine what an agency-wide strategy should look like in their specific context.

Minneapolis is a major city in Minnesota that forms "Twin Cities" with the neighboring state capital of St. Paul. Bisected by the Mississippi River, it's known for its parks and lakes.

Monterey County began working on introducing equity with a public health approach through a Health in All Policies strategy, in 2012. Efforts to broaden the scope of those strategies throughout all County departments continued with building capacity for the formation of the County’s Governing for Racial Equity Initiative in 2016.

Racial equity work in Multnomah County began within the Health Department, where a Health Equity Initiative was launched in 2008. The Initiative formed in response to a report on racial and ethnic health disparities in the county.

Napa County is a county located north of San Pablo Bay in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 136,484. The county seat is the City of Napa.

The City of Northfield strives to improve outreach and engagement to increase racial equity in the Northfield community. In addition, the City wants to build upon existing policies and procedures to ensure they are equitable for the Northfield community.

In October 2016, the City of Oakland launched the Department of Race and Equity. The purpose of this new City of Oakland effort is to help people understand systemic racial disparities and work to change systems in order to make life in Oakland fair and just for everyone.

Ontario’s Anti-Racism Directorate was created in February 2016 by Premier Kathleen Wynne and works to address and prevent systemic racism in government policy, legislation, programs and services.

Ottawa County is located in the state of Michigan. The county is named for the Ottawa Nation.

Pasadena is a city in California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

The City of Philadelphia is committed to building a government that mirrors, throughout its breadth and hierarchy, the diversity of its community, instills principles of racial equity in its policies, and that leverages opportunities for people of color in order to create equitable outcomes for all Philadelphians.

Our social equity journey started around 2013 when many public agencies were considering how to provide services equitably. However, when stakeholder groups approached the Port about equity issues at the Port and in our community, the discussion on equity was elevated. Representatives from those organizations spoke at Commission meetings and at PDX Community Advisory CommitteeREAD MORE >

The Port of Seattle is working to ensure that their policies, practices, and procedures recognize and address social injustice as it impacts the work of the Port. They are clarifying their values and practices with the ultimate goal of increasing equity, diversity and inclusion in their work.

Portland, Oregon’s largest city, sits on the Columbia and Willamette rivers, in the shadow of snow-capped Mount Hood. It’s known for its parks, bridges and bicycle paths, as well as for its eco-friendliness and its microbreweries and coffeehouses. Iconic Washington Park encompasses sites from the formal Japanese Garden to Oregon Zoo and its railway. The city hosts thriving art, theater and music scenes.

The City of Raleigh, North Carolina, first partnered with GARE in 2016 to host racial equity trainings with city leadership staff and elected leaders. The trainings were designed to introduce the concept of equity, help normalize conversations about race, and provide opportunities to learn about ways to incorporate equity into city operations. In addition, elected representatives on city council participated in a half-day equity training session to help understand the historical context of the government’s role in institutional and structural racism and the opportunity for advancing racial equity work.

Ramsey County is participating in the 2017 Minnesota Advancing Racial Equity cohort, Advanced Implementation track.

Red Wing is participating in the 2017 Minnesota Advancing Racial Equity cohort, Advanced Implementation track.

By participating in the 2016 GARE cohort, the City of Richmond set the foundation for making the city more equitable in its internal function and community services.

Sacramento County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,418,788. Its county seat is Sacramento, which has been the state capital of California since 1854.

Sacramento, capital of the U.S. state of California, lies at the confluence of the Sacramento River and American River. The district of Old Sacramento harkens back to the city’s Gold Rush era, with wooden sidewalks and wagon rides. One of several museums in Old Sacramento, the California State Railroad Museum depicts the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, one of the country’s earliest technological feats.

Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota.

According to the 2010 census, Salinas’ population is approximately 75 percent Latino (primarily Mexican/Mexican-American and Central American), 16 percent White, 2 percent African American, 1 percent Native American, and 7 percent Asian and Pacific Islander. The average income is 42K, with one-quarter earning less than 14K annually. Salinas Valley also hosts a booming prison industry, creating two distinct economic engines in agriculture and incarceration.

The City of San Antonio’s Diversity and Inclusion Office (DIO) was launched in 2015 to foster an inclusive culture across the organization, ensure City processes have equitable outcomes, and be a safe place for community members to report discrimination.

San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of California known for its beaches, parks and warm climate.

The San Francisco Planning Department plays a central role in guiding the growth and development in our City. The Department works with other City agencies and the community to help achieve great planning for a great city.

For 2017, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is working to develop and enhance a network of SFPUC staff who are applying a racial equity lens to key bodies of work that will move the agency towards institutionalized changes in how they do business.

The City and County of San Francisco Human Rights Commission provides city departments with specific tools and strategies to utilize when making public policy decisions, strengthening public programs or expending city resources in service to San Francisco’s communities.

The City of San José is eager to learn from other GARE members. Our GARE team is comprised of multiple City departments with team leadership from City Manager’s Office / Office of Immigrant Affairs (OIA). OIA was created in 2015 to help San José become a more welcoming city, especially for the nearly 40% of our 1 million residents born in a foreign country. In the words of Mayor Sam Liccardo, “We are a city of immigrants; this is a critical thread to our DNA … it is our secret sauce.

SCCPHD applied to participate in a year-long training cohort sponsored by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) in order to strengthen and advance their racial and health equity work. The SCCPHD GARE team was comprised of the Health Officer/Public Health Director, Deputy Director, Executive Director, 3 mid-level managers, staff from 3 SCCPHD departments, and a representative from the county-level Office of Cultural Competency. The first cohort began its GARE journey in January 2016 and “they haven’t looked back since.” SCCPHD also signed up to participate in the second GARE 2017 cohort, inviting staff from the Offices of Social Services, Behavioral Health, Probation, and Cultural Competency to join the team.

Santa Monica, California is participating in the GARE Southern California cohort.

Seattle, a city on Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, is surrounded by water, mountains and evergreen forests, and contains thousands of acres of parkland. Washington State’s largest city, it’s home to a large tech industry, with Microsoft and Amazon headquartered in its metropolitan area. The futuristic Space Needle, a 1962 World’s Fair legacy, is its most iconic landmark.

Shoreview wishes to remain a community that is welcoming and inclusive to all, and to maintain their role as a strong and progressive leader in the community. With the support of the City Council, the leadership in the City, an open-minded workforce, and the financial resources to sustain this effort, racial equity will be seen as a priority in their organization and community.

The Solano County Advancing Race Equity Team originally began as a Public Health initiative. In 2017, Dr. Matyas, the Solano County Health Officer and Public Health Deputy Director, learned about the 2016 GARE Learning Cohort and encouraged staff to look into the opportunity.

County of Sonoma is beginning its efforts to develop a comprehensive racial equity initiative. They are excited to implement a commitment to advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion through introducing and promoting community conditions, institutional policies and practices, and investments, which break down racial barriers and endorse experiences of community support. They are also a member of the Northern California 2018 Cohort.

In South Bend, Indiana, the mission of Human Capital and Inclusion is to facilitate a diverse and inclusive city collaborative in our workplace, workforce and community. Through strategic initiatives, we work with other HCI staff, city department leadership, and community organizations to position HCI as one of the most effective organizational units in the countryREAD MORE >

Spokane Regional Health District’s (SRHD) new role will be the Chief Health Strategist for eliminating health  inequities in our region. SRHD will work more effectively and strategically with a broader array of private, public, and community partners to eliminate health inequities, strengthen resilience, and optimize health of all people, truly embodying the Chief Health StrategistREAD MORE >

St. Louis Park participated in the 2016 Minnesota Advancing Racial Equity cohort, and has assembled another team for the introductory 2017 Minnesota cohort, as well as an advanced, implementation team.

The racial equity initiative in St. Anthony has multiple avenues working in concert. In addition to participating in GARE’s Minnesota cohort, they are in the beginning stages of forming a staff committee that will serve as a resource for all city staff on equity education and awareness.

Various departments within the State of Minnesota are participating in the introductory 2017 Minnesota cohort, as well as the advanced, implementation cohort.

Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city in and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States.

Takoma Park joined GARE as a core member in May of 2017. The month before, City Council passed a resolution—which was introduced by Councilmember Jarrett Smith—committing the Council to systematically and deliberately apply a racial equity lens in decision-making.

In July 2015, the URA established a Social Equity Working Group to help integrate these principles throughout the URA’s culture and activities. As the city’s economic development agency, the URA’s role is critical in ensuring that Pittsburgh is truly on a path to an “All-In Pittsburgh.”

Visit Saint Paul is the official convention & visitors bureau for Minnesota's capital city of Saint Paul.

The Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) has committed to a goal of ensuring that ninety percent of children in Washington are ready for kindergarten by 2020, with race and family income no longer predictors of success.

Washtenaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 344,791. The county seat is Ann Arbor. The county was founded in 1822 and organized as a county in 1826.

White Bear Lake is participating in the 2017 Minnesota Advancing Racial Equity introductory cohort.

Woodbury’s rapid growth and increasing diversity provide not only a challenge, but also an opportunity for collaboration and innovation. Since 2005, and especially over the past few years, City of Woodbury staff have been working to develop skills and normalize conversations about inclusion and equity.