The City of Austin’s Equity Office provides leadership, guidance, and insight on equity to improve the quality of life for Austinites. We work to achieve the vision of making Austin the most livable city in the nation for all.
The Office strives to build and sustain a culture of equity across the city.
This requires tackling tough issues such as institutional racism and implicit bias. Creating a culture of equity will ensure we are meeting the needs of all residents.
Joint Analysis of Racial Profiling
The Equity Office partnered with the Office of Police Oversight and Innovation Office to perform an Analysis of Austin Police Department's Racial Profiling Data.
This analysis shows that not only are Black and LatinX Ausitnites more likely to be pulled over and more likely to be searched by Police than White Austinites, but also that these disparities are getting worse.
You can read the full report here.
The public is also invited to attend A Community Conversation: Race and Policing in Austin, on Saturday, February 22nd from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
You can find more information and register here.
Equity Framework
The Equity Office has built its approach through partnerships with national networks and local promising practices. We believe racial equity requires a cycle of Normalizing, Organizing, and Operationalizing. For details on our work to this point, check out our departmental Equity Dashboards.
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 works to point this out to City staff. We must establish a set of shared definitions and normalize the use of them. Working with race is uncomfortable. Providing support and exposing City Staff to the language of racial equity is one of the most important steps for the Equity Office.
Organizing
No individual department or organization can create racial equity on its own. Dismantling something so universal requires building relationships across the spectrum. The City of Austin has a diverse community organizing culture. The Office must stay grounded in the lived experience of Austin's communities of color. In Organizing, we ensure the work reflects the voice of those most harmed by inequity. Join the Office in working for racial equity here.
Operationalizing
This step brings the other steps together, and feeds back into them. In Operationalizing, the Office works to advance racial equity. With City departments, this means understanding where their work drives or addresses inequity. For special projects, such as the Bond Election Advisory Task Force, this means analyzing the proposals to consult on the impact to equity. Read more about the Equity Office's Programs here.