Equity & Inclusion
Whether we're talking about religion, race, gender identity, ability/disability, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status - EVERYONE deserves a fair shot at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That includes equal access to family-sustaining jobs, access to resources and services, access to community and connection, and access to justice and fair treatment in all spaces. This is not a topic that exists in its own silo - this is a concept that is imbedded in every area of the work we must do to support community growth.
But how?
Building a more equitable and just community doesn't mean just having more visible diversity in the community - seeing more people of color, more people in wheelchairs, more people in hijabs, etc. It means actively, thoughtfully, and intentionally supporting and acknowledging that diversity (visible and invisible) that already exists in the community. When spaces are equitable, accessible, and inclusive, more diversity is naturally drawn to those spaces. But first: We have to make spaces more fair, more just, more equitable, and more inclusive.
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... but what does that mean - in the real world?
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Equity looks like equal access to the tools and resources required to meet our basic needs:
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Housing
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Employment
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Healthcare
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Childcare
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Social services
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Health food
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Mental health services
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Because when we cannot meet our basic needs, we are more likely to experience compounded stressors (and trauma) related to individual prejudice and discrimination, as well systemic barriers and discriminatory policies.
Erie County Council can have a significant impact on some of these issues, barriers, and opportunities for equity and justice.
Erie County Prison systems are one direct, local connection we can make to a much larger, national, systemic issue: Mass incarceration & systemic racism.
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We can check (and change) local county prison policies for prejudicial potential, and punitive perspectives - and encourage trauma-informed policies, restorative justice practices, and an emphasis on rehabilitation.
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That's one small, local way we can confront these large, sometimes overwhelming, national and global issues we confront on a daily basis.
Erie County Human Services is another major way we can address and prevent issues around equity and inclusion.
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We can check (and change) policies that address children & youth, families, adoption, foster care, etc. by ensuring that ethnocentric biases or prejudicial assumptions don't negatively impact some of the most vulnerable or historically targeted and disadvantaged groups in our community.