On Monday, August 3, 2020, the Renton City Council approved Resolution No. 4414: Adopt 2021-2026 Business Plan to Strengthen Its Stand Against Racism and In Support of Racial Equity. As residents of this community, we are asking that for this to become a reality that we must move forward with appropriate actions. To continue to be ahead of the curve, we need to ensure that all residents achieve equity in all areas, including: housing, economics, healthcare, hiring, policing, education, criminal justice, and every aspect of people's lives. Our following demands ensure that equity is viewed through the eyes of the community. Equity cannot be achieved in a vacuum; it requires transparency and it requires the involvement of all voices of its residents, particularly those who have been left behind or out.

Renton #Stand4Justice Demands

1 - Create the Equity & Empowerment Commission
2 - Create an Anti-Racist Budget by Directing Revenue to Social Services & Basic Needs
3 - Meet 50% Employment & Contracting for Black People and People of Color 50% target 
4 - RISE – Racial Investment to Secure Equity

Equity & Empowerment Commission

The city council should restore the Advisory Commission on Diversity (Renton Municipal Code: Title II Chapter 7) and rename it to the Equity and Empowerment Commission. The commission should report to the council annually on targets and outcomes for achieving equity in Renton and recommendations to further achieve those targets. The commission’s responsibilities should be expanded to priorities that help guide the city toward more equitable outcomes and reporting on and communicating with government agencies and nonprofits over discrimination, hate crimes, and hate groups.

Create an Anti-Racist Budget

Funds should be used for community-based services, including: basic mental healthcare response & treatment, community training & engagement on social issues, and creating/supporting an anti-racist approach in the city administration, business plan, policies, and budget. Investments in community programs should be created to prevent youth violence and abandon the school to prison pipeline. Case managers should be hired to help deal with addiction and mental health. Finally, our city should move to the “Up Program”, which will reduce court costs and other restrictions which are used to penalize and criminalize BIPOC communities.  

Meet 50% Employment & Contracting for BIPOC

Assess recruitment, employment, and contracting practices to identify barriers for  BIPOC and other historically marginalized communities. Codes and ordinances should be reviewed. Our city employees and contractors should reflect the diversity of our city. Additionally, so should commissions and committees. Citizenship requirements should be replaced with residency requirements, and city class protections should be expanded to include “gender identity and expression”. 

RISE – Racial Investment to Secure Equity

Community Inclusive American Dream Fund to support eradicating social injustices and creating equity for Black communities. This program is to support black homeownership; black-owned businesses; targeted scholarships for education and career guidance, community-based programs that deal specifically with violence prevention, and creating equity to right the historical wrong that has been done to Black communities.