Welcome to the Office of Equity and Inclusion Dashboard!
There is a lot of talk about equity and inclusion. The purpose of this dashboard is to define equity and inclusion, explain why we’re working through a lens of equity and inclusion, and give an overview of what the Office of Equity and Inclusion does.
Office of Equity and Inclusion Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do we focus on equity and not equality?
Equality is about sameness and might work if the playing field were truly level but we can look at data, as well as, historic and modern-day policies, and see that that’s not the case. Equity, on the other hand, is about creating conditions where all people can participate, prosper, and thrive in our society. We prioritize racial equity because racism exacerbates all other forms of oppression.
What do we do in the Office of Equity and Inclusion?
In the Office of Equity and Inclusion we work to foster a fair and inclusive culture across city government by providing training, consultation and promoting equitable policies, practices, and procedures.
Special notice from the Office of Equity and Inclusion
Our world has been changed by two pandemics. One being COVID-19 and the other being systemic racism which has gained national attention with the murder of George Floyd and the resulting civil unrest. It is the current impact of systemic racism and social inequities that allows COVID-19 to disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, People of Color, not only in North Carolina, but across the country. Why is this? Social inequities such as segregation, poverty, and the impact of chronic health outcomes on communities of color has increased vulnerability to COVID-19. As our social consciousness continues to expand, we recognize the need to address racism and social inequities in every one of our institutions. We focus on equity because equity is about process and outcomes. In order to move forward in a way that truly benefits us all, we must recognize the past and present impacts of social inequities on our most impacted communities to work towards a more equitable future.
Equity Today
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Community Reparations Commission meets Monday, June 27, 2022
The next meeting of the Community Reparations Commission will take place 6:00 p.m. Monday, June 27, 2022 at:
The Buncombe County Government Building
200 College St
First Floor Conference Room
The Commission meeting agenda will be posted as available.
The Community Reparations Commission is empowered to make short, medium, and long-term recommendations that will make significant progress toward repairing […] -
Who’s up this week on What’s Up AVL! – Marcus Kirkman from Equity and Inclusion
What’s Up AVL!
The City of Asheville’s bi-monthly radio show gives the community the chance to take a deep dive with City of Asheville staff and departments.
Learn about different departments and what projects are taking place in your community.
This week, the City of Asheville host Sam Parada sat down with Equity and Inclusion staff member Marcus […] -
City of Asheville announces the Juneteenth Celebration at Pack Square
Come Enjoy Juneteenth festival: Freedom festival.
This event is free and open to the public.
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