Leading with Race Update: An Evaluation of Pandemic Impacts on Progress Toward 2018 Calls to Action

In 2018, the County and partner agencies participated in the Coalition of Communities of Color’s Leading with Race: Research Justice in Washington County report synthesizing the needs, truths, and desires of communities of color in Washington County. The report findings include twenty-six Calls to Action encouraging Washington County stakeholders such as local government, school districts, boards and commissions, and private industry to foster equity and racial justice in Washington County. These Calls to Action, summarized in eight categories, are found on page 15 of the 2018 report. In the six years since the Calls to Action were developed, many things have changed locally, statewide and across the nation in understanding how communities of color interact with government and experienced the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This project aims to evaluate the progress made on the recommendations from the 2018 report and the interruption towards that progress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The final report will present a comprehensive analysis of progress towards the Calls to Action items from 2018 report and provide recommendations for future initiatives that are under the County’s purview.