While Frederick County does indeed have a “Rich History,” it has taken hundreds of years to truly begin to cultivate a “Bright Future” for all residents. Historically, America hasn’t lived up to its promises of liberty or equality. Yet, we press forward to leverage recent shifts in increased public awareness to eliminate disparities experienced by historically oppressed populations to create a more just and equitable society. We recognize that a large part of this movement is giving a voice to those who have been marginalized, while including and inviting everyone to engage about ideals and the reality of our challenges—and to move forward together.
The County has:
- Formally created, through codification, an Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI)
- Created an Equity and Inclusion Commission to be an ongoing community voice
- Created an Immigrant Affairs Commission to be an ongoing community voice
- Evaluated the workplace environment and begun designing efforts to attract and retain a more diverse workforce and establish a culture of inclusion and belonging within County Government
- Expanded minority business outreach and leadership development
- Initiated the process to contract with a company to conduct a Disparity Study
- Had a team of staff and administrators participate in GARE’s (Government Alliance on Race and Equity) 12-month Introductory Learning Cohort
- Initiated a data dashboard project through our partnership with the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE)
- Invested in acknowledging and telling the stories of our history via investments in the African American Resources Cultural Heritage Society’s new Heritage Center