Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Government

• Published in: Journal - American Water Works Association 2011-09, Vol.103 (9), p.114-116
• Main Author: BLAKE, J. PAUL
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Business initiatives; City halls; Civil rights; Civil service; Community capacity building; Conferences; Councils; Customer Service; Customer services; Departments; Employees; Environmental justice; Environmental policy; Government agencies; Government initiatives; Inequality; Institutionalization; Learning activities; Minority & ethnic groups; Minority owned businesses; Municipal governments; Race; Race relations; Racial differences; Racial discrimination; Racism; Seattle, Washington; Simultaneous interpretation; Social justice; Systemic racism; Utility Management; Water Rates; Water utilities; Workforce; Workforce Diversity; Workplace diversity
• ISSN: 0003-150X; 1551-8833
• DOI: 10.1002/j.1551-8833.2011.tb11536.x

This article discusses the city of Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI), coordinated by Seattle's Office for Civil Rights. The initiative is a citywide effort to end institutionalized racism and race‐based disparities in city government and envisions a city in which racial disparities have been eliminated and racial equity achieved. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) created a new Environmental Justice and Service Equity Division to ensure that all utility customers receive equitable services as well as have access to SPU decision‐making processes. The article discusses research by SPU to determine whether service levels were being delivered equitably to ratepayers. Results are discussed along with measures taken by SPU in response to these findings.