On June 16, 2020, of the City of San Jose’s $4.1B annual budget for the 2020-21 year, the City Council voted to allocate $1.5M in one-time funds to develop a new Office for Racial Equity.
As the City of San Jose’s staff works expeditiously to shape a job description to assist in the search for a new Director to lead the City’s efforts on Racial Equity, we recognize that in the middle of a global pandemic, with drastically increasing unemployment and foreclosure rates, that our interdependent community will need to continue to make complex and challenging decisions in the public sphere.
Unequivocally, the members of LEAD Filipino laud the initiative of the San Jose Council in authorizing funds to spur the creation of an Office for Racial Equity. While we believe that the Office for Racial Equity should have a dedicated funding stream to support ongoing – and future – intervention, public safety, wellness, and empowerment efforts in the City of San Jose, this is a solid start.
Here is the letter that our organizers and advisory Board submitted to the City of San Jose staff on recommendations related to the design of the Director role.
