Equality

Four Essential Keys to Being a Strong Ally for Racial Justice

COMMENTARY | Everyone can do something to support racial justice. Here’s how to start.

  • By Jennifer R. Farmer

Natural Disasters Are Widening the Health Equity Gap, Now’s the Time to Address It

COMMENTARY | As natural disasters become more frequent and more destructive, the gap in health equity will continue to widen. We must dramatically increase investments in public health infrastructure and put equity at the center of our disaster preparedness and management systems.

  • By Chauncia Willis and Emmie Mediate

To Create A Strong Government Technology Ecosystem, Increase Inclusivity

COMMENTARY | It’s time we did more to support underrepresented entrepreneurs to improve local government services and increase inclusivity.

  • By Anthony Jamison

A City Looks to Incorporate More, and More Diverse, Input Into Its Budget Process

Philadelphia this week announced a participatory budgeting program for a $1 million pot of money, as well as other initiatives geared toward reducing racial inequities with city spending.

  • By Bill Lucia

How Behavioral Science Can Help Future-Proof State and Local Government

COMMENTARY | During a time of upheaval, government agencies can use behavioral science to build a new, citizen-oriented approach to service delivery.

  • By Michael Hallsworth, Brianna Smrke, Rekha Balu and Rebecca Schwartz

1-in-4 Adults Say Household Finances Deteriorated From March to September

New survey data from the Urban Institute presents these and other troubling findings about how many Americans are faring economically as the coronavirus pandemic wears on.

  • By Bill Lucia

Using Measurement to Inform an Equitable, Aligned COVID-19 Recovery

COMMENTARY | While data is a critical tool in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, glaring reporting disparities around race and socioeconomic status remain. Policymakers need to ensure they are using an equitable measurement approach to ensure they are serving the needs of all communities.

  • By Tamika Cowans, Ellen Schultz, Trenita Childers, Tandrea Hilliard and Maliha Ali

Anger Can Build a Better World

COMMENTARY | Black Lives Matter protests are not anti-American, but as American as one can get.

  • By Myisha Cherry, The Atlantic

Cities and Counties Join Lawsuit Challenging Shortened Census Timeline

The Trump administration earlier this month walked back plans to extend the count due to the coronavirus.

  • By Bill Lucia

Establishing Covid-19 Testing Sites for All

COMMENTARY | Racial and socioeconomic inequities continue to be exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Community leaders must engage residents who are most vulnerable to identify equitable response measures.

  • By Oswaldo Mestre

Colorado’s Focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workforce

COMMENTARY | Through ongoing conversations, strategic development and measurable goals, Colorado is working to increase equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the state government workforce.

  • By Kara Veitch

Black Americans, Crucial Workers in Crises, Emerge Worse Off—Not Better

COMMENTARY | Government responses to economic crises have historically set Black Americans back relative to whites.

  • By Calvin Schermerhorn, The Conversation
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Gay and Transgender Workers Protected By Federal Employment Law, Supreme Court Rules

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | Louisiana governor vetoes “critical infrastructure” trespassing bill … Cuomo warns maskless New Yorkers that more lockdown could be coming … Rhode Island AG wants to handle more police misconduct cases.

  • By Laura Maggi and Emma Coleman

Will George Floyd’s Death Actually Change How Cities and States Are Run?

COMMENTARY | Institutionalized racism has been an existential threat to the black community for centuries. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, it’s up to state and local leaders to usher in badly needed systemwide reform to end racial injustices.

  • By Alisha Powell Gillis

As Virus Keeps Kids From Schools, New Figures Show Millions Lack Home Internet

Meanwhile, a California education official this week said it would take at least $500 million to get students there the computers and internet access they need, and asked the private sector to help.

  • By Bill Lucia

Ending 'Acceptable Losses' in Disasters: How Emergency Management Can Help Build More Equitable Communities

COMMENTARY | Disasters disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. The emergency management enterprise can help reverse this trend by prioritizing and investing in equity.

  • By Chauncia Willis

The Other COVID Risks: How Race, Income, ZIP Code Influence Who Lives Or Dies

“This is a failure of American society to take care of the Americans who need help the most,” said one public health expert.

  • By Liz Szabo and Hannah Recht, Kaiser Health News

The Pandemic Will Cleave America in Two

Some will emerge from this crisis disrupted and shaken, but ultimately stable. Others will come out of it with much more lasting scars.

  • By Joe Pinsker, The Atlantic

Transgender Americans Are More Likely to Be Unemployed and Poor

COMMENTARY | A new study found that transgender people had higher rates of poverty and worse health than otherwise comparable individuals who did not identify as transgender.

  • By Christopher Carpenter and Gilbert Gonzales, The Conversation

Don't Move People Out of Distressed Places. Instead, Revitalize Them

A new study shows that place-based policies are key to helping people in distressed cities, where investments should be tailored to local economic conditions.

  • By Richard Florida, CityLab

The Double Whammy: Housing and Income Inequality

New research shows how housing and income inequality reinforce one another, effectively splitting the U.S. into two different economies.

  • By Richard Florida, CityLab