Q&A
Concerns about underfunding and lack of empowerment for civil rights and equity agencies
2:47:11
·
8 min
Council Member Williams expresses concern about the historical underfunding and lack of empowerment of civil rights and equity agencies. The speakers discuss the importance of positioning equity work within the mayor's office and address economic deprivation as the root of structural racism.
- Speakers emphasize the need for the equity work to be part of the mayor's office and report to an empowered deputy mayor
- They highlight the importance of addressing economic deprivation as the core of structural racism
- The discussion touches on the true cost of living measure as a crucial tool for addressing economic injustice
- Speakers stress the need for accountability in government and the importance of focusing on underlying structural issues rather than surface-level solutions
Nantasha M. Williams
2:47:11
Thank you.
2:47:13
You know, 1 of the things I've seen in the agencies that this committee has oversight of is, you know, these are the agencies that really have been designed to provide sources and uphold the rights of all.
2:47:31
Right?
2:47:31
Civil and human rights.
2:47:33
And now racial equity, now office of equity and racial justice.
2:47:38
And these have typically been agencies that have been significantly underfunded and also don't necessarily have the prominence.
2:47:49
I like that you use that word.
2:47:51
You know, mentioned, like, being empowered within city government to conduct their work.
2:47:58
And so I don't know if you have any additional thoughts on that.
2:48:01
Because my concern and this is like a future concern because I know there's so standing up their work.
2:48:07
But when I look at EEPC, that has been in existence for some time.
2:48:12
When I look at CCHR, that has also been in existence for some time.
2:48:17
While they are doing a lot of amazing things, their ability to I think do what is intended for them to do at maximum level because we can always do, like, things at minimum level, but to do things at maximum level has really never been achieved.
2:48:35
Mhmm.
2:48:36
And specifically with EEPC, their ability to truly hold agencies accountable and for agencies to respect the work that they're doing, also as something that from my vantage point has not been realized.
2:48:51
And so just wondering, you know, if you have any additional thoughts on because you don't work for the mayor's administration.
2:49:01
And I understand sometimes it's very difficult for individuals who are commissioners who speak frankly on the record about you know, their internal positionality and and voice and influence amongst both within executive level city government but, you know, also trickling down to the smallest agencies we have.
2:49:25
And so, you know, do you think and just a follow-up on that point, do you think that these agencies have been properly prioritized and that the administration, not the folks who testified today, because is.
2:49:39
Although I am looking at them holistically, except for core a little bit because they're independent, know, I understand there's nuance, and I understand that while their intent, commissioner Sherman's intent, It's also impacted by politics.
2:49:56
It's also impacted by priority of the mayor.
2:50:01
And so outside I've been removing, you know, the commissioner and the executive director who's still here.
2:50:09
Do you feel like the administration has properly prioritized execution on the ballot measures that were passed.
Jennifer Jones Austin
2:50:18
So So I'll begin by sharing that I it was critically important that this work be out be done as part of the mayor's office to create this sense and appreciation that this is administration wide.
2:50:35
It is city wide.
2:50:36
It is crosscutting.
2:50:38
Very important that this work and that the leadership of these offices report to a deputy mayor.
2:50:44
That deputy mayor must be empowered to work across city agencies and to have them be accountable to the deputy mayor along with the mayor's office of equity for implementation of said active of all the work related to implementing these measures.
2:51:02
If that deputy mayor is not empowered to move things, and move them at the speed and deliver with deliberation as they need be, then we have a challenge.
2:51:11
Okay.
2:51:12
So that's number 1.
2:51:13
Number 2, I think it's very important for us to never forget that what is at the core of structural racism?
2:51:21
Is economic deprivation.
2:51:24
Racism, misogyny, sexism are all tools that were created.
2:51:29
To perpetuate structural economic deprivation and structural inequity when it comes to power.
2:51:36
And so we have to make sure that as the city moves, to build out these measures, that they're not just looking at it less, so they're like band aid racial equity plans that are put on top of what it agencies and offices are already doing.
2:51:54
An example that I will provide for you is every year we sit around and we talk about what is happening in human resources administration.
2:52:01
In the department of homeless.
2:52:03
We talk about homeless services.
2:52:04
We talk about what the administration of children services is doing or not doing.
2:52:08
And we look at all these agencies as being in place to actually move people beyond poverty and cure their challenges.
2:52:16
The challenges that present in their families and in their households.
2:52:19
When we know good and well that these agencies have been stood up to treat and respond to the problem, but they're not.
2:52:26
They're actually curing the problem.
2:52:27
And curing the problems has to do everything with how do you get at the structural root of the problems, which in many instances is structural economic deprivation.
2:52:36
So if we do not have workforce, right?
2:52:41
The, you know, the office of workforce if I'm in, I might just turn out giving people jobs that pay minimum wage.
2:52:46
But if we own up the city, centered on how we cure economic deprivation, occupation segregation.
2:52:54
And all of the other l's that attend to building true economic security, We talk Jimmy and I about wealth.
2:53:03
You know, I'm not talking about Jeff Bezos as well.
2:53:06
But if we don't work to ensure that people have, and that's why the true cost of living is so critically important to me.
2:53:12
That's a baseline.
2:53:14
If we as a city go on pretending, that we can just do equity by making sure we don't pull as many families apart in ACS, and we're providing them with like basic supports.
2:53:26
But we're not looking at what has caused their challenges in the first place and how it's tied to acute economic deprivation in many instances.
2:53:34
We're not doing real equity work.
2:53:37
And so that was long, but I think you know where I'm going, and it was important that at the that fundamentally, if we're doing real racial equity work in this city, It's not just how many stops we prevent that should that should never have happened.
2:53:56
That's critically important, but we have to tie all of this to underlying structural racism and gender inequities and other that are based in structural economic deprivation and come at it from that frame.
Jimmy Pan
2:54:10
I would agree with that and say that all of the ballot measures are ultimately geared towards that.
2:54:15
Even if it's not apparent on the surface, if you read the preamble, if you look at what the original equity plan is required, if you think about the true cost living, they all speak to that economic security and economic ding any for all families in New York City.
2:54:28
Right?
2:54:28
That's what's at the root of so many of these issues and at the root of so much disinvestment.
2:54:34
So I'd agree and say, of course, that work is extremely difficult, and we've never gotten close to that in this country or in the city.
2:54:42
But that's also why accountability is hard for all government leaders because it would illuminate how much progress we need to make on that compared to how many band needs we've tried to throw on the issue.
2:54:55
So, of course, all accountability agencies independent bodies that are meant to monitor these things are by nature.
2:55:03
They're not gonna be a priority for funding because it actually shines a spotlight.
2:55:06
That's right.
2:55:08
On how we're failing families.
2:55:10
I would just say the council certainly can recognize this issue and perhaps even coordinate some of these bodies at our mantra pubic accountability and also send an example for being held accountable.
2:55:22
You know, my theory is accountability is actually helpful even though it feels very painful.
2:55:26
We all need to be held accountable simple because that's what keeps us on the ball.
2:55:30
And when it comes to an issue that's as deep rooted and as long lasting and as intractable as economic insecurity and economic injustice.
2:55:38
I think we really need to amp that up.
Jennifer Jones Austin
2:55:40
And that's why the true cost of living, a true cost of living.
2:55:44
Is so vital.
2:55:47
Nothing less will do in this moment.