Skip to main content

Equity and Inclusion – Key Points

  • Applying an equity and inclusion lens to all areas of decision-making means asking whether we are considering the needs of everyone in our community.
  • Inclusion is about adopting policies that ensure all members of the community (regardless of gender, race, age, ability, or sexual orientation) have the same opportunities to prosper.
  • Making sure everyone is included is an active, continuous process and requires a sustained commitment from local leaders. While the “squeaky wheel” usually gets the attention, we have to reach out to those members of the community that need help but may not be as vocal. Everyone should have a seat at the table. No one should be invisible.
  • The current pandemic has exposed and deepened existing fault lines by disproportionately impacting minority and poor communities in Georgia and beyond.
  • Cities are in an ideal position to lead the charge for equitable, inclusive communities. City leaders are trusted and engaged with their communities.
The Case for Equity and Inclusion in Local Government
  • Context
    • Equity and inclusion are public values in a democratic society. A public-sector workforce that reflects society and where all socioeconomic and other personal characteristics are represented can ensure:
      • that the needs, aspirations and experiences of a wide range of citizens are reflected in decision making and
      • that barriers and gaps in service delivery can be better understood.
    • The Business Case for Equity and Inclusion
      • Research shows that diverse staff working in inclusive environments increase the potential of their organization.
        • Diverse groups focus more on facts, process facts more carefully, and are more innovative
        • Inclusive groups are more likely to share information and participate in decision-making with the promise of positive individual and organizational outcomes such as reduced turnover, greater altruism, and team engagement.
    • Equity and inclusion (or their absence) affect and can be integrated into all aspects of local governance:
      • Legal and organizational infrastructure (ordinances, assessments, offices)
      • Training (for leadership and staff, from customized content to general information webinars)
      • Processes and activities (incl. budgeting, planning, placemaking, data collection and analysis, etc.)
 
  • Current Relevance of the Topic
    • Described as a “pandemic within the pandemic”, COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted minority and poor communities in Georgia and beyond due to several discriminatory and exclusionary factors:
      • denser and lower-income neighborhoods impede social distancing
      • minority status and poverty correlate with underlying medical conditions, lack of access to healthcare, historical distrust towards medical professionals, and lower quality of care (in part based on biases held by health care providers)
      • in addition to public health implications, low-wage workers are bearing the brunt of the economic consequences of the pandemic
    • Equity and inclusion are leadership issues. Avoiding them has a cost, and silence is also a message, especially against the backdrop of public demonstrations against law enforcement in cities.
    • Cities are in an ideal position to lead the charge for equitable, inclusive communities. City leaders are trusted and engaged with their communities.
    • Cities do not have to act on their own. The can practice equity and inclusion in partnership with other governments, civic organizations, nonprofits, faith leaders, educators, and – most importantly – previously disengaged members of the community.
 
  • Terminology
    • Diversity: Psychological, physical, and social differences that occur among any and all individuals, such as race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, economic class, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental and physical ability, and learning styles. Diverse groups, communities or organizations contain a variety of social and cultural characteristics. However, diversity does not address the systematic and institutional deprivation of material or social resources experienced by groups participating in diversity programs.
    • Equity: Fairness and justice, especially pertaining to rights and protection under the law. Equity on any given dimension (such as race) also means that this dimension can no longer be used to predict life outcomes, while outcomes for all groups are improved. There are three forms of equity to consider in local government service delivery:
      • Distributional equity (fair and just distribution of benefits and burdens to all affected parties and communities across the community and organizational landscape)
      • Process equity (inclusive, open, and fair access by all stakeholders to decision processes that impact community and operational outcomes)
      • Cross-generational equity (effects of current actions on the fair and just distribution of benefits and burdens to future generations of communities and employees).
    • Inclusion: The act of creating environments in which any individual or group can feel welcomed, respected, and fully participate. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions for all people.
 

Back to Listing