Equity and Social Justice Initiative
"As King County Executive I am committed to implementing our equity and social justice agenda. It is very troubling that race, income and neighborhood are each major predictors of whether we graduate from high school, whether we are more likely to be incarcerated, how healthy we are, and even how long we will live. At a time of economic challenges, when the gaps between rich and poor are widening, we must ensure that our actions and decisions are based on real data. We must make sure that we are focusing our investments where the need is greatest, especially given our limited resources. To guide our reforms of county government, I am working with county staff and residents to develop our county-wide strategic plan, and I will make sure that our principles of equity and social justice are embedded in that plan. We will push forward with the Initiative's major areas of work. First, we will use our equity impact review tools to determine who is impacted negatively and who benefits from our decisions and policies, so that benefits and burdens are fairly shared. Second, each executive department will continue with its specific and concrete commitments to address equity and social justice. And third, King County is improving how we work with communities in order to provide better customer service. This means listening, informing and providing more effective services to all communities – regardless of neighborhood or English proficiency."
-- King County Executive Dow Constantine
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About the Initiative February 2008, King County launched the Equity & Social Justice Initiative, to eliminate long-standing and persistent inequities and social injustices. The goal of the Initiative is for all King County residents to live in communities of opportunity. To reach this goal, all communities must be equipped with the means to provide individuals with access to livable wage, affordable housing, quality education, quality heath care, and safe and vibrant neighborhoods. King County is applying the principles of the equity and social justice in its actions, decisions, and policies. Our Principles
- Identify and address the conditions at the root of inequities
- Actively seek out and promote decisions and policies aimed at equity
- Empower communities
- Work across agencies and departments
- Recognize and honor cultural differences
- Raise and sustain visibility of equity and social justice, and aim for long-term, permanent change
Taking action in King County Policy development and decision-making
King County has committed to ensuring that promoting equity is intentionally considered in the development and implementation of key policies and programs and in funding decisions. To that end, King County developed an Equity Impact Tool, and departments are starting to use this tool. Delivery of county services
In 2008 all executive departments committed to specific actions that promote equity and social justice. For example, Adult & Juvenile Detention and the Department of Community and Human Services revised their methods for providing incarcerated women with assistance about available services in response to an observation that women of color were less aware of services offered. Internal education & communication
Since the start of the initiative, hundreds of King County employees at all levels have participated in dialogues about equity and social justice following a screening of the PBS series “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” The dialogues serve to educate employees about root causes of inequities and to spark discussion about how to address inequities as part of programs, divisions and departments. Community partnerships
King County has committed to supporting capacity building of local organizations and communities and to more effectively listen to and involve community members in creating solutions to inequities. Already over 100 people have been trained to facilitate screenings and dialogues of “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” and over 100 different community groups have been engaged. For information about accomplishments, read the January 2009 Update Report.
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