Equity & Opportunity – Page 8

Recruiting More Male Teachers of Color

Problem

Having a diverse teaching workforce can help narrow the achievement gap and improve student outcomes, particularly for students of color when they have a demographically similar teacher. The National Center for Educational Statistics’s data shows just a quarter of teachers are male, and there are very few male teachers of color in the classroom. Furthermore, just 7% of teachers are Black, 9% are Hispanic, and 2% are Asian American. Additionally, less than 2% of teachers are American Indian or Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, or of two or more races.

Solution

Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz and Senate Majority Whip Troy Singleton address the widening teacher diversity gap through the partnership between the New Jersey Department of Education and Rowan University’s ‘Men of Color Hope Achievers’ partnership program. This program will recruit underrepresented groups by creating a stable career path in underserved communities. Increasing the number of educators of color in classrooms will have a favorable influence on all students’ academic progress because seeing teachers who look like them keeps students engaged in learning and while also providing role models for students interested in teaching as a career.

Increased Funding for Historical African American Cemeteries

Problem

African American cemeteries contain fundamental stories, landscapes, artwork, and ancestry traces. Regrettably, African American cemeteries suffer from a number of preservation issues, such as challenges from industrial and infrastructural development, neglect, vandalism, damage and degradation, and insufficient legal protection.

Solution

Senator Jennifer McClellan’s bill to protect and preserve historical African American cemeteries will allow the state’s Historical African American Cemeteries and Graves Fund to incorporate cemeteries established prior to 1948, the date the Supreme Court ended racially segregated cemeteries. Previously, only sites dating back prior to 1900 were eligible. This new law will allow these cemeteries to receive funding to care for and restore the land and gravesites. Additionally, this legislation will supply a sufficient amount of grave markers for all African Americans buried in these cemeteries.

Working to Grow Minority-Owned Businesses in Boston

Problem

A report commissioned by the City of Boston revealed disparities in the city’s procurement spending. The report showed that women-owned businesses and businesses owned by people of color were disproportionately underrepresented and only account for 8.5 percent of total contract 2.5 percent of total contract and procurement spending respectively. Only $9.4 million, representing 0.4 percent of total spending, went to black-owned businesses, whereas $18.2 million, representing 0.8 percent, went to Latino-owned businesses. In addition, Asian-American-owned businesses received $22.7 million, or about 1.1 percent.

Solution

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu recently filed a home rule petition that expands access to city contracts for Women and Minority Owned Business Enterprise (WMBEs). In 2020, only 1.2% of the city’s 2.1 billion contracts went to Black and Latinx owned businesses. The mayor’s groundbreaking proposal would significantly reduce barriers for WMBEs and make it easier and cheaper for them to apply. Once approved by the City Council, the petition will be sent to the Massachusetts Legislature and the Governor as part of a larger project aimed at expanding vital minority businesses and wealth-building opportunities. Check out more details on the proposal, which demonstrates Mayor Wu’s continued commitment to equitable economic development and removing barriers for disadvantaged communities.

Commision on Gender Equity

Problem

Women continue to face barriers to achieving equitable outcomes across numerous sectors including their career and healthcare. The American Economic Association found that the additional time mothers take to be home with their child makes them less likely to be promoted, obtain a management position, or acquire a pay raise once their leave has concluded. Moreover, they are at a higher risk of being laid off or demoted. Furthermore, the National Center for Health Statistics found that in 2020, the maternal mortality rate was 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in comparison to 20.1 in 2019. However, black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.

Solution

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced steps to develop a Commission on Gender Equity. A task force will conduct community outreach to help structure a commission that will work to break down barriers that continue to limit opportunities for women in the community. The Commission’s work will build on efforts started during the mayor’s tenure, such as the Healthy Babies Louisville Initiative to decrease maternal and child morbidity, as well as paid parental leave for Louisville Metro Government employees.

Equal Access in Public Transportation

Problem

The United States Environmental Protection Agency identified the transportation sector as one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions and therefore, one of the largest contributors to climate change.

The absence of public transportation in marginalized communities does not allow marginalized individuals to have equal access to economic opportunities, education, and healthcare resources. According to Talk Poverty, in general, individuals from marginalized groups have a lack of access to reliable transportation. Households that earn an annual income of less than $25,000 are virtually nine times as likely to not possess a personal vehicle. Furthermore, 14 percent of households of color do not owe a vehicle in comparison to 6 percent of white households. Additionally, immigrants, despite their race, are far less likely to possess a vehicle.

Solution

Washington: Washington State Senator Marko Liias’ landmark transportation bill, Move Ahead Washington, was signed into law by Governor Inslee. This bill will direct more funding to non-highway transportation such as EV charging stations, hybrid-electric ferries, and free public transit fares for youth. Importantly, the bill contains strong equity provisions and requires at least 35% of the funding to be invested in overburdened and marginalized communities.

ARP: Haverhill MA, Build Generational Wealth Through Homeownership

Problem

Homeownership can lead to intergenerational wealth, yet there is a significant racial gap in homeownership, the Urban Institute found homeownership rates continue to be low among Black and Hispanic households (42% and 48%, respectively, compared to 72% of white households that own a home). Furthermore, they project that the homeownership rate will continue to fall particularly for younger generations.

Solution

Representative Andy Vargas and the state’s Black and Latino Caucus established CommonWealth Builder. CommonWealth Builder is an innovative program that uses $100 million in recovery funds to provide financial incentives for developers to sell to first-time home buyers and help build intergenerational wealth for qualifying families. This program also supports the construction of affordable single-family homes and condos and focuses on driving production in communities of color.

New Future of Work Report in Massachusetts

A new report published by Massachusetts’ Future of Work Commission, which is chaired by NewDEAL Leader Senator Eric Lesser, calls for the state to double the rate at which it is training skilled workers. Lesser authored legislation to create the Commission based on his experience chairing the NewDEAL Forum’s Future of Work policy group, and he hopes the report will serve as a roadmap for his state to adapt and create economic opportunities in a rapidly changing world. Among the main takeaways from the report are the need for more funds for certificate programs and short-term training options, more flexible transportation options for those who are working hybrid or unusual schedules, additional funding for affordable housing stock, and an increased focus on diversity and inclusion in the workforce, including increased language training for immigrants. For more, see the Commission’s final report here.

Better Protections for Victims of Wrongful Conviction

The Georgia House of Representatives unanimously passed NewDEAL Leader Representative Scott Holcomb’s legislation to improve the process for compensating victims of wrongful conviction. Under the bill, a newly created panel of legal experts would review potential wrongful convictions and make a compensation recommendation to a House Committee, replacing the need for a House member to file a special resolution. The measure would have the state pay victims between $50,000 and $100,000 per year spent incarcerated. According to Holcomb, 38 states have a similar system in place for compensating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Clare Gilbert, Executive Director of the Georgia Innocence Project, which works to free the wrongfully convicted, praised the legislation’s passage, saying “This bill does provide some financial security for exonerees to rebuild their lives in freedom.” The legislation will now head to the Senate. Read more here.

ARP: Columbus OH, Invests in Child Care Workers and Families

Problem

Nearly six in 10 children under the age of five participate in some form of child care. However, not all children have equal access to child care facilities. The pandemic exposed and exacerbated pre-existing inequalities. Closures during the pandemic disproportionately impacted non-White families. In April 2021, an estimated 27.5 percent of White families were exposed to child care closures. In contrast, an estimated 37.6 percent of Black families, 40.1 percent of Latino families, and 42.4 percent of Asian families were exposed to child care closures.

Solution

City Council President Shannon Hardin and President Pro Tem Elizabeth Brown, along with Mayor Andrew Ginther, will use $3.5 million from the American Rescue Plan to give bonuses to child care center workers, as well as scholarships to families. The city will put a million dollars towards an outreach campaign that includes a $1,000 signing bonus for new child care workers, helping the industry recruit and retain much-needed staffers. The remaining $2.5 million will be used for up to 250 scholarships for low-income families for child care services

Update

The program has awarded 63 affordability scholarships, which provide families up to $10,000 to access high-quality child care centers, and provided 169 one-time $1,000 signing bonuses for new child care workers.

ARP: Boston MA, Preparing Workers for the Jobs of Tomorrow

Mayor Wu announced more than half a million dollars in American Rescue Plan funding for four organizations to provide training for green and mobility jobs. The city approved a four-fold increase in funding for its green jobs program, increasing the budget from $1 million to $4 million. The majority of that funding – $3 million – comes from the American Rescue Plan. These specific grants will target populations hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, including individuals experiencing homelessness, residents recently released from incarceration, and women and people of color from under-represented neighborhoods. The Mayor’s office plans to have two cohorts per year, gradually increasing the number of participants in each cohort to 60. Cohort participants also receive workplace development training as well as a number of certifications, including from OSHA and conflict and de-escalation training.

Update

In June, Boston launched PowerCorps, a program to train individuals for green jobs that pay a living wage. The six-month training program began with a 21-person cohort. All the participants receive a $550/week stipend as well as work clothing and transportation to job sites. The first cohort achieved a great deal of both meaningful work and professional development: assisted 87 acres of public land by removing 284 bags of invasive material and planted 61 trees and pruning 32; earned three college credits from UMass Mount Ida in Arboriculture; participated in mock interviews and completed 16 hours of financial literacy courses.

All 21 members of the inaugural PowerCorps program graduated in December 2022, and have a new green job or are enrolled in additional job training.

Impact Testimonies:

“The reason I joined PowerCorps was to find out who I was personally and
make an impact on my community.” – Iman T.
“I’m glad I was able to pave the way for other women in forestry. In this
industry where women are underrepresented however, I’m glad I felt
empowered to use my voice. Thank you PowerCorps for allowing me to be
heard.” – Jelaine F.
“I knew that I wanted to find a job that would let me have my hands in the
dirt and benefit this community.” – Tafari W.
“This was the first thing I’ve seen through to completion since high school. I
have to say the experience has been ethereal!” – Erica M.

Recruiting More Male Teachers of Color

Problem

Solution

Increased Funding for Historical African American Cemeteries

Problem

Solution

Working to Grow Minority-Owned Businesses in Boston

Problem

Solution

Commision on Gender Equity

Problem

Solution

Equal Access in Public Transportation

Problem

Solution

ARP: Haverhill MA, Build Generational Wealth Through Homeownership

Problem

Solution

New Future of Work Report in Massachusetts

Better Protections for Victims of Wrongful Conviction

ARP: Columbus OH, Invests in Child Care Workers and Families

Problem

Solution

Update

ARP: Boston MA, Preparing Workers for the Jobs of Tomorrow

Update

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