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Progress on the Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan
Becoming Pro-Equity
Welcome to the public reporting site for King County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan. Combining stories with data, the goal is to give our communities, employees and the public at large an open, honest and robust view of actions we are taking to achieve important outcomes in equity and social justice.
We are not tackling easy-to-fix problems. We are taking bold actions by working with our employees, communities, and partners because the need is urgent, demanding our strongest – and most thoughtful and courageous – efforts.
Strategic Plan Progress
By goals
We will report countywide by the six operational goal areas to see our progress on key internal objectives and metrics, which agencies are contributing in each area, and commitments that need our continued focus.
Coming soon!
Our History
Renaming King County in Honor Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
The Oregon territorial legislature created new counties in 1852 north of the Columbia River in what is now Washington State. It named King County after incumbent vice president at the time, William Rufus de Vane King. King was a slave owner and a strong supporter of the Fugitive Slave Act.
On February 24, 1986, the King County Council passed Motion 6461 recognizing the great contributions and many public service achievements of Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including his persistent and unfailing efforts leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The motion laid the historical foundation for changing the namesake of King County from William Rufus de Vane King to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
After a monumental grassroots community effort in which thousands of King County residents demanded during a six-year period (1999-2005) that the State Legislature and the Governor formally rename the County in Dr. King's honor, the State Legislature (Senate by a vote of 47 to 0 and the House of Representatives by a vote of 64 to 32) passed Chapter 90, Laws of Washington in 2005, legally changing the namesake of our County from Rufus de Vane King to Martin Luther King County. Governor Christine Gregoire signed the legislation into law on April 19, 2005. The law took effect July 24, 2005… Learn about our history and the context.
Root causes of inequities
The United States has a history of programs and movements that have contributed to addressing poverty and well-being, including access to quality jobs, housing, and education, such as the New Deal and the civil rights movement. Despite areas of improvements, deep and historically based chasms by race and class persist today. Evidence of this is the increasing levels of income inequality and systemic racism and bias in government institutions, manifested by the disproportionate number of people of color who are incarcerated.
These trends come at a time when growing evidence shows that robust, sustained economic growth flourishes in places with the least inequality. Also, there is increasing urgency to address inequities, as the growing demographic shift puts the United States on the road to being majority “minority” in less than 30 years. What happens when local government decides that a top priority is addressing issues of racial justice, equity, and opportunity—especially when progress is stalled at the national level? The story of King County, Washington, offers one illustration. Learn more about our journey.
Race and place matter in King County
Although King County has overall better economic, health, and quality of life conditions than the rest of the country and the region benefits from world-class businesses and institutions, these assets mask deep and persistent inequities—sometimes more pronounced than in the rest of the country. Comparing the 10 zip codes with the highest average household incomes to the 10 zip codes with the lowest household incomes, there is a difference of more than $100,000 within King County. In a similar comparison, life expectancy also varies by race by up to 12 years. Why are these differences important? These gaps by race and place are a concern because they correspond to significant differences in opportunity.
Place and race matter in King County, and they are predictors of income and a wide set of outcomes, including life expectancy and education.
Why should this matter to everybody? Inequities hurt everybody— not just people on the lower rungs of the social and economic ladder. Regions and countries with greater economic equality, for example, have more sustained and robust economic growth. Everybody gains from creating a place where all people can lead better lives and contribute their best (Benner and Pastor 2012, author of Just Growth: Inclusion and Prosperity in America’s Metropolitan Regions).
View our Building Equity & Opportunity Infographic to learn more.
King County Equity and Social Justice Initiative Launched in 2008
In early 2008, King County executive Ron Sims launched Equity and Social Justice (ESJ), an initiative to begin to use an equity lens in departments ’ policies and decisions, organizational practices, and engagement with the community. With equity tools that employ qualitative and quantitative data, King County asked of its policies and decisions, who is benefiting and who is not? In governance, who is being engaged and who is not?
And, to create a more prosperous and inclusive region for all, King County government asked how those who have been most disenfranchised—low-income residents, communities of color, and immigrants and refugees—could be prioritized in decisions and practices.
Institutionalizing King County Equity and Social Justice
In 2010, led by King County executive Dow Constantine and the County Council, ESJ became an integrated part of the county’ s work with the approval of the countywide Strategic Plan and ESJ ordinance. The ordinance reaffirmed the commitment to create a more just organization and community by expanding access to “determinants of equity”—those social, physical, and economic conditions necessary for everyone to thrive.
In late 2016, King County, led by the ESJ Office, launched its 2016–22 Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan. This plan was created with input from more than 700 employees and 100 local organizations. The deep engagement with employees and the community provided a body of data, evidence, and practices on how King County could become a more equitable employer, service provider, and regional partner.
Our equity approach and frameworks
King County defines inequities as “[d]ifferences in well-being that disadvantage an individual or group in favor of another; these are systemic, patterned and must be changed. Inequities are caused by past and current decisions, systems of power and privilege, policies, and implementation of those policies.” By contrast, “equity” is seen as a “system of fairness”. “Equity is the full and equal access to opportunities, power and resources so that all people achieve their full potential and thrive. Equity is an ardent journey toward well-being as defined by those most negatively affected.” Moving toward equity thus demands intentional and systemic pro-equity processes, practices, and tools that disrupt the status quo.
Our theory of change and approach in King County rests on three premises:
- Data informed and values driven - Data alone cannot drive practices, but data are central. Universal approaches that apply to a whole population can still result in unacceptable gaps. So, universal outcomes for all are combined with identifying obstacles faced by specific groups, and tailoring strategies with assets to address barriers.
- King County’s Determinants of Equity - The big drivers for people’s health and well-being are not genetics or access to a doctor but instead the social determinants of health. Access to King County’s 14 “determinants of equity” is necessary for all people to thrive and achieve their full potential regardless of race or income.
- Focus upstream - For the greatest impact, King County is focusing “upstream” to address root causes, including structural racism, as well as policies and systems.