The way we’ve been doing things has not been working.
Racism, xenophobia and poor quality of life outcomes due to systemic injustice is the plague of our generation and the unfinished business of our democracy.
For Louisville to become a top-tier city, carrying the weight and future of the commonwealth on its shoulders – we must retain and attract diverse talent that will allow us to compete in the 21st century. Our survival is dependent on our willingness to embrace a multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural world that our country is becoming, but we need more than wishful thinking. We must implement reforms to the scale of which today’s challenges persist.
Louisville’s Office of Equity wins are a good start
The Louisville Metro Government Office of Equity is working to build collective power with residents, Black- and Brown-led institutions, civic leaders, grassroots and nonprofits, to educate and empower Louisvillians to become advocates for structural change on behalf of marginalized communities.
Follow Diane Porter’s lead:JCPS board chair was a fierce advocate for Black students
The Racial Equity Ordinance operationalizes and drives accountability through training, program implementation and diverse spending across all Metro Departments. The Non-Disclosure Agreement Ordinance cautions entities seeking to do business with Louisville Metro Government that we will not condone sexual harassment of any kind in the workplace.
The West End Housing Fair promoted homeownership and is developing capacity-building initiatives to support Black entrepreneurship through minority supplier certification, contracting and procurement.
The Office of Equity partnered with the Earth & Spirit Center to facilitate engagement inspired by the Louisville Urban League’s A Path Forward document, provides workshops on having difficult conversations on race, environmental justice tours, and community discussions led by local activists, the NAACP and elected officials to Black and white citizens across the city.
The “Bridging the Divide: The Black six” at the Frazier Museum brought together surviving members, family and the attorney who represented them, to revisit the violent traffic stop police which eventually kicked off days of civil unrest and death after a peaceful rally at 28th & Greenwood in 1968. I encourage you to visit the permanent historic marker our office erected at Metro Hall.
They’re dying and have nowhere to go.Hildegard House helps them die with dignity.
The Office of Equity made possible for 750 JCPS students to visit the commonwealth exhibit at the Frazier History Museum which contains work by and for 27 teachers representing JCPS, surrounding counties, private and parochial schools to earn Professional Development credit to incorporate the work of Kentucky’s first African American Poet Laureate into coursework so that youth learn the literary excellence of Black writers from Kentucky.
Time is up for apathy and inaction. Louisville cannot afford another decade of sister cities passing us by. It must relinquish its impediments of race, gender, sexual orientation, geography and socioeconomic status. From the urban core to outside of the Gene Snyder, the Office of Equity invites you to partner with us to co-create an ecosystem of belonging. Don’t miss this moment.
Joi McAtee is a lifelong Louisvillian who takes tremendous pride in her hometown. Executive Director of the Office of Equity at Louisville Metro Government, Joi is dedicated to uplifting her city by any means necessary – and her work is reflected through her passion for improving equitable outcomes for historically marginalized communities through policy, advocacy and resources. Joi is a proud graduate of the historic Central High School, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville.