ABOUT THE OFFICE OF RACIAL EQUITY

In July 2019, the Office of Racial Equity (ORE) (Ordinance No 188-19) was created by Supervisors Sandra Lee Fewer and Vallie Brown as a Division of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. In December 2019, Director Shakirah Simley and Senior Policy Advisor Sami Iwata joined the ORE team. ORE was legislated in response to the City’s growing racial disparities as a means to address the history of structural and institutional racism in San Francisco’s delivery of services to the public and our own internal practices and systems. Creating ORE was the result of successful advocacy and organizing by Black City workers, labor leaders, and community members. With the establishment of ORE, San Francisco joins a national movement to address the government’s role in resolving the inequitable outcomes it created. 

The Office of Racial Equity has authority to enact a citywide Racial Equity Framework, to direct Departments of the City and County of San Francisco to develop and implement mandated Racial Equity Action Plans, and to analyze the disparate impacts of pending ordinances, as well as various other policy and reporting functions. In addition, the legislation requires that City departments designate employees as racial equity leaders acting as a liaison to the Office, and requires the Department of Human Resources to assess and prioritize racial equity with the City’s workforce. Lastly, the Office centers racial equity within the City’s budget process, and can make recommendations on funding of departments should certain racial equity metrics not be met.