Title
Committing to the African American Leadership Forum Five-Point Plan to End Economic Inequality.
Body
WHEREAS, economic inequality between white and African American citizens in the Twin Cities with respect to educational achievement, home ownership, employment and contracting are among the worst in the country; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul is committed to becoming a community where race does not predetermine one’s opportunities in education, employment, contracting or housing; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul is an active partner in significant efforts convened to address racial disparities in the region, including: Everybody In (employment), Generation Next (education), the Minnesota Homeownership Center (housing); and the North Central Minority Supplier Development Council, the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce and the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (contracting); and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul leaders must continue to develop innovative strategies to end economic and employment inequality including those that: support African American entrepreneurs in establishing and growing small businesses, create education to employment pipelines and encourage employers to adopt hiring practices that result in a workforce reflective of our community’s racial diversity; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul , furthermore, must continue to implement its own ambitious racial equity strategy focused on abolishing economic inequality in City employment, contracting and service delivery; and
WHEREAS, as a public agency the City of Saint Paul should foster partnerships with private foundations and businesses to eliminate racial disparities, and
WHEREAS, the African American Leadership Forum (AALF) is a movement of prominent African American leaders in the Twin Cities who have proposed a Five-Point Plan to End Economic Inequality to include:
• The public and private sectors must institute aggressive hiring that reflects the racial diversity of the state, county, cities and school districts;
• African American businesses in Minnesota must be awarded a share of public and private contracts commensurate with their representation among Minnesota businesses;
• The Minnesota Legislature must pass and the Governor sign comprehensive legislation comprised of strategies of both proven and innovative approaches to end economic inequality;
• Minnesota-based philanthropies, private, corporate and community foundations must make investments in the African American community commensurate with our representation in the population;
• Public, private and philanthropic enterprises in partnership with African American organizations must publish an Annual Report Card on the status of efforts to achieve these results;
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the City of Saint Paul supports the work of AALF and commits the City to partner with AALF and other partners in fulfilling the goals identified in AALF’s Five-Point Plan to End Economic Inequality.