At his weekly briefing today, Mayor Stoney introduced the city’s draft Equity Agenda, a foundational document that will serve as the roadmap toward a more inclusive and thriving Richmond.
 
The Equity Agenda offers the city’s definition of equity: the empowerment of communities that have experienced past injustices by removing barriers to access and opportunity. It also acknowledges the harms perpetrated against people of color and other persecuted groups by city government in years past.
 
“Unity cannot come without healing, and healing cannot come without action,” said Mayor Stoney. “This document acknowledges the immense pain the city has caused people of color throughout the course of Richmond’s history, but it also lays the groundwork for the action needed to truly recover from that trauma.”
 
The agenda is comprised of ten broad goals, policy buckets that contain more detailed plans for the city’s future:

1. Addressing and Preventing Health Disparities
2. Housing as a Vaccine for Poverty
3. Ensuring Equitable Transit and Mobility for Residents
4. Building Community Wealth to Combat Inequity
5. Supporting and Caring for our Children and Families
6. Creating Equitable Climate Action and Resilience
7. Reimagining Public Safety
8. Telling the Real History of Richmond
9. Strengthening Community Engagement and Trust
10. Utilizing Economic Development to Create Economic Justice

 
Residents can visit www.rva.gov/rvaequity to learn about recent city initiatives to advance equity and objectives for the future.
 
Mayor Stoney also invited residents to offer feedback on the draft Equity Agenda.
 
“Before we introduce this as a resolution before Richmond City Council, I want to ensure it reflect the city’s vision – that includes yours,” said the mayor.
 
Through March 21, City of Richmond residents can directly comment on the document at www.rva.gov/rvaequity. The Office of Community Wealth Building Community Ambassadors will safely solicit in person feedback through their Community Connectors program.
 
City staff will collate and analyze all comments and questions, draw on common themes, and incorporate the feedback. Not every comment will be reflected word for word in the final Equity Agenda.
 
After the close of the community engagement period, the Equity Agenda will be introduced as a resolution to Richmond City Council.

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