BOULDER, Colo. — The city of Boulder earlier this week adopted its first-ever racial equity plan, which is meant to help guide the city in its efforts to address systemic and institutional racism through its policies and programs.
"The time is right when the time is right," said Marina LaGrave, who contributed to the city's equity plan.
LaGrave has lived in Boulder for 30 years and works as a teacher within the Boulder Valley School District. She sees the city’s equity plan as a chance for a better future.
"This is an opportunity for the people of color, Black people, to get involved and instead of now react – because we have been reacting – now the door is open. Let’s go in respectfully and let’s start having these conversations," said LaGrave.
"With this plan we now have a commitment towards implementing racial equity tools and instruments to our programs, our policies, our budget and any financial decisions that we make,"said Boulder Equity Program Manager Aimee Kane.
For example, every time the city commits to a new budget, they will have to consider the impacts on communities of color.
Aimee Kane says although this is a starting point, it also forces the city to view several issues through a different lens.
"The plan really serves as a roadmap for our employees and our leadership and serves as that connection point between the pain that is experienced by Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other people of color so that our institution can take action," said Kane.
"I think of Boulder as yes, there is a lot of white privilege, but there is a lot of amazing people too. There’s a lot of white, amazing people wanting to do it right, wanting to get informed and wanting to have this dialogue," said LaGrave.
They see it as a unique plan with the potential to reshape many of the social and institutional injustices people have subject to for decades.
