We stand with the millions of people protesting the brutal murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Sean Monterrosa, Erik Salgado, Ahmaud Arbery, and many other Black and Brown people unjustly killed at the hands of law enforcement and white civilians.
Recent weeks have continued to expose how deeply rooted racism is in our institutions and society. Inequitable policies and practices throughout transportation planning history have contributed to racial segregation, systemic discrimination, and the resulting health, education, and income disparities that we find in San Francisco and throughout our country.
A year and a half ago, we formed a Racial Equity Working Group to help us assess racial biases within our workplace and work programs. The deaths, injustice, and movement building in recent weeks have deepened our commitment to having uncomfortable but critical conversations to increase equity within our own organization and our work. Centering equity will require us to evaluate our culture and management, our hiring and contracting practices, the funding we allocate, and our planning and public engagement efforts.
As we identify imperatives and opportunities for change, we will consult our community and create action plans for structural transformation. We will reflect, listen, and learn together. And we will report out on our progress while seeking public feedback in the weeks and months ahead.
If you have feedback or ideas about our efforts, you can submit them here.
Please also see this statement (PDF) by Transportation Authority Board Chair Aaron Peskin from our agency’s June 9, 2020 board meeting.