Our Equity Framework
The Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) is a national membership organization dedicated to advancing equity in jurisdictions across the nation. Montgomery County joined the network in 2019 as a Core Member. This means that our policy direction will align with their directives, and we will adapt to different strategies emerging from the best national practices on advancing equity. GARE recommends a three-pronged approach to systematically reducing and eliminating racial inequities in government: normalizing, organizing, and operationalizing for race.
Normalizing
Institutional racism is like water to a fish. It's a fundamental reality of their existence, but invisible until it's pointed out. Normalizing this issue brings it to the attention of County staff. We must establish a set of shared definitions and normalize their use. Working with race is uncomfortable. Providing support and exposing County Staff to the language of racial equity is one of the most important steps for the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice. Click here for our list of frequently used terms and definitions.
Organizing
No individual department or organization can create racial equity independently. Dismantling something as universal as this requires building relationships across the organization. Montgomery County boasts a diverse workforce and a strong community organizing culture. The Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice aims to foster opportunities for employees to collaborate across departments and sectors, cultivating a learning community that remains grounded in the lived experiences of Montgomery County’s communities of color.
In Organizing, we ensure the work reflects the voice of those most harmed by inequity.
Join the Office of Racial Equity in doing this work - CORE team one pager
Operationalizing
This step brings the other steps together and feeds back into them. In operationalizing, the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice works to advance racial equity within County departments, which involves understanding how their work addresses or mitigates inequities. In operationalizing this, each division will utilize an assessment tool to analyze its current policies, practices, and procedures through an equity lens. From there, each division will develop a Racial Equity Action Plan to address racial inequities and create long-term, equity-focused solutions towards developing equitable, just, and fair programs, initiatives, and opportunities for communities of color.
Read more about GARE’s approach to operationalizing here.
Why Lead the Race?
The Government Alliance for Race and Equity leads with race, with the recognition that the creation and perpetuation of racial inequities has been baked into government, and that racial inequities across all indicators for success are deep and pervasive. We also know that other groups of people are still marginalized, including those based on gender, sexual orientation, ability, and age, to name but a few. Focusing on racial equity provides the opportunity to introduce a framework, tools, and resources that can also be applied to other areas of marginalization. We also seek to acknowledge the history of racialized policies in the US that have contributed to the current condition of advantage and disadvantage in our country.