America is confronted once again by the disturbing reality that deep systemic racism persists throughout our society and economy. The murder of George Floyd has triggered anger, anguish and unrest, igniting calls for change that have swept Connecticut and the nation.

The challenge of this moment invites Connecticut municipal leaders and organizations to engage with their communities on racial equity and to move forward making smart policy decisions that can eliminate racial inequities in all government policies, practices and procedures. We cannot let this moment pass without moving forward.

This page will feature trainings, studies and articles to help Connecticut towns and cities start the process for deeper examinations of bias, how to recognize such bias and begin the process to weed it out of town halls and communities.
 
CCM is excited to be working with the National League of Cities and its Race, Equity And Leadership (REAL) team to determine how best we organize a more intentional strategy to strengthen the capacity and knowledge of municipal leaders across our organizations, who are interested in eliminating racial disparities, healing racial tension and building more equitable communities.

The initiative will help CCM members to engage with their communities on racial equity and to move forward making smart policy decisions that can ensure fairness and eliminate racial inequities in government policies, practices and procedures.

This initiative is a part of what will be CCM’s sustained engagement on inclusion, which will consist of, among other things, periodic free trainings for CCM-member municipal officials, including at CCM’s annual conventions; CCM staff development trainings, and access to consultants for community trainings/conversations.

CCM urges you to have long-needed, tough conversations and take substantial actions to help make Connecticut’s towns and cities the strong example for the nation they have the potential to be.

On Wednesday, August 26, 2020, Leon Andrews, Director of NLC's Race, Equity, and Leadership (REAL) inititiave, joined our podcast, The Municipal Voice, to discuss what equity really means and the role towns and cities play.

CT DEEP Equity and Environmental Justice in Climate Solutions Webinar Series

LinkedIn Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging for All Learning Path (Free through the end of 2020)

National Civic League Webinar Recording: Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity Efforts in Local Government

Free Courses on African-American History from Yale and Stanford: From Emancipation, to the Civil Rights Movement, and Beyond

NLC Webinar: Racial Wealth Divide - November 4, 2020

The Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta, Boston, and Minneapolis present Racism and the Economy: Series kickoff event (Virtual video event) - Wednesday, October 7, 2020, 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET

CCM Communities Advancing Racial Equity Series (CARES)

Cornell University Graduate School - Implicit Bias Resources

Responding to Microaggressions and Bias - This document contains conversation starters and responses to help one address and educate others

University of California, Los Angeles  Equity, Diversity and Inclusion - Implicit Bias

University of California, San Francisco Office of Diversity and Outreach - Unconscious Bias Resources

Bloomberg City Lab: Can Planting Trees Make a City More Equitable?

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: Think Land Policy is Unrelated to Racial Injustice?  Think Again

U.S. News - How Cities Can Fight Inequality and Climate Change at Once

DataHaven’s Report: Towards Health Equity in Connecticut: The Role of Social Inequality and the Impact of COVID-19  “A comprehensive new report that summarizes five broad social determinants of health and discusses how various groups of people are affected by their opportunities in each category. Each section begins with general comparisons of many groups across several indicators, and ends with an example of how those social circumstances relate to a specific health outcome.”

CT Mirror: ‘State of Wellbeing’ survey quantifies racial inequities in both health and economy

Desegregate CT

NLC: Embedding Racial Equity in Housing

Fairfield County’s Center for Housing Opportunity Partners with Urban Institute and Local Organizations to Lead Statewide Study of Affordable and Accessible Housing in Connecticut

CT News Junkie Interview: Old Saybrook Using Deed-restricted Housing to Reduce Economic Disparities

Connecticut Voices for Children Report - Separate & Unequal: The Interactive Effects on Housing and Education Policies on School Segregation in Connecticut "This report examines how residential segregation in Connecticut—and the subsequent educational segregation—persists due to ongoing racial discrimination, current town zoning ordinances, and school district boundaries.  We also explore the role local zoning commissions and boards of education play in the continued segregation of Connecticut’s school districts.  Our goal with this report is to shed light on the ways housing and education intersect to impede and improve opportunity for and investment in Black and Latinx communities.  We hope this report generates reflection, conversation, and action to make Connecticut a more equitable state for all our children and families."

Partnership for Strong Communities Housing Data: Data on housing and affordability for each of Connecticut's 169 towns and cities

Steady Habits: Homeownership matters. So why are so many in CT left behind?

Brookings Institute - How We Rise - Mayors and governors: This is how you tackle racism

Catalyst - Inclusive Leadership: The View From Six Countries

Deloitte University Press: The six signature traits of inclusive leadership

ELGL: Diversity Dashboard - The ELGL Diversity Dashboard is the first ever national data collection on the gender, race, age, and veteran status of local government employees. In 2018 & 2019, the survey collected this information for chief administrative officers and assistant chief administrative officers. In 2020, the survey expanded to include all local government employees.

ELGL: Equity & Justice Resources - These resources have been crowdsourced by ELGL members.

Government Alliance on Race Equity: Advancing Racial Equity and Transforming Government

Harvard Business Review: Adapt Your D&I Efforts to the Reality of the Crisis

Harvard Business Review: How to Be an Inclusive Leader Through a Crisis

Harvard Business Review: The Key to Inclusive Leadership

ICMA: 7 Ways City Leaders Can Address Racial Inequities

ICMA: 6 Ways to Help Identify Gender and Minority Wage Gap Issues

ICMA: Manage This: Promote Inclusivity Through Better Job Descriptions

Public Management: Moments of Change: Leading with Courage and Commitment for Racial and Social Justice 

Human Rights Campaign - Municipal Equality Index: Working Toward a Fully-Inclusive Municipal Workplace

Campaign Zero: Police Use of Force Policy Analysis

The Opportunity Agenda: Creating Fair and Effective Policing Practices

Engaging Leaders Voices: New Visions of Public Safety

Government Alliance on Race Equity: Racial Equity Toolkit

Grassroots Policy Project - Race, Power and Policy: Dismantling Structural Racism workbook

ICMA Equity and Inclusivity Toolkit

Georgia Municipal Association - Equity and Inclusion Toolkit

Michigan Municipal League - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

NLC: The Importance of Voter Engagement During Racial Uprisings and A Global Pandemic

NLC's Race, Equity, and Leadership (REAL) initiative

Advancing Racial Equity in Your City: A Municipal Action Guide

City Profiles

Repository of City Racial Equity Policies and Decisions

The 1619 Project

Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt

Blackballed: The Black Vote and U.S. Democracy by Darryl Pinckney

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood by Peter Moskowitz

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

A Terrible Thing To Waste: Environmental Racism And Its Assault On The American Mind by Harriet A. Washington

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

13th

Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity

Healing Justice

Tipping Point

Race & COVID

COVID: Sacrifice & Resolve

What does COVID say about racial disparities?

Children & Race

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston: Measuring Disparities in Cost and Spending across Connecticut School Districts

WNPR: Racism In The Small Towns And Suburbs Of Connecticut

CT’s extreme inequality poses major obstacle to sustainable ‘inclusive’ growth