City seeks to hire an equity manager amidst racial discrimination allegations

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The city is looking to hire a Manager of Organizational Performance and Equity to develop racial equity strategies.

The Racial Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee (REDI) shared the draft of the job description during its presentation for the Equity and Empowerment Commissions Thursday, Nov. 17 meeting.

REDI is a committee of volunteers that have been working in the citys internal environment to improve racial equity for nearly two years. It helped the city draft the job description for the Manager of Organizational Performance and Equity position.

Stowe plans to meet with REDI on Monday to discuss the equity manager position further. Stowe didnt want to comment on the equity manager position until after its posted on Nov. 28.

Black city employees report on workplace racism

The decision to fill this position could not be more timely.

Dr. Kathleen Yang-Clayton is a part of the REDI leadership team. She explained that a recent letter from a group of Black city employees outlining racism and discrimination in the workplace added a layer of urgency to creating this position.

Dr. Kathleen Yang-Clayton, Evanston volunteer on the citys Racial Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee and UICs College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Credit: University of Illinois Chicago

We need this position to be able to pay attention to the detail and make sure that the bright Northstar of equity and inclusion is implemented inside the city, Yang-Clayton said.

An anonymous group called the City of Evanston Black Employees Action Group presented a 39-page letter, report and action plan to the city outlining more than 60 examples of alleged racial discrimination through out the citys 11 departments.

The Manager of Organizational Performance and Equity will serve as the citys principal advisor on all topics related to racial equity in the workplace and collaborate with the citys Human Resources Department and the city managers executive leadership team to employ strategies to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment, retention, promotion, and compensation, according to the draft of the position description.

REDI will work with the Manager of Organizational Performance and Equity to create programs and services as well as host events that inch the city closer to achieving its equity goals.

The committee shared the draft of the job description before it was finalized to gather the commissions opinions.

Racial equity is part of everyones job

The report and the job description also inspired a passionate discussion about racial inequality within the city during the EEC meeting with the Commissioners expressing concern about the new managerial role representing all of the citys racial equity work.

My concern remains with making sure that in this job description, we are not giving the city leadership a pass, Co-Chairperson Karla Thomas said. That were not sending a message that it is the principal job of the equity person to come out here and sprinkle equity dust and solve the problem.

Black city employees report racism in the workplace

Commissioner Omar Salem echoed the same sentiment, worrying that other managers will think racial equity isnt part of their jobs.

It really just needs to be part of every single person, especially managers, job, Salem said in reference to racial equity. I worry we make it easy for other managers to disengage.

The Manager of Organizational Performance and Equity works under the direction of the city manager and will be juggling many tasks. They include: Coordinating and administering racial equity training for staff, advising the citys boards and commissions regarding diversity, racial equity and inclusion and reviewing city policies and procedures.

On top of that, the position will establish ways to integrate racial equity into all organizational planning processes and practices, including developing and presenting research, identifying key indicators and performance measures.

The position requires the person hired to have a minimum of five years of racial equity work and a bachelors degree in the following fields: human resources management, organizational development, industrial/organizational psychology, psychology, sociology, social work, business administration or a related field. A combination of education and related work experience is permissible.

Previously, the city had a chief equity officer who worked within the city managers office. Dr. Patricia Efiom held the position from 2017 to when she died in 2020.

Dr. Efiom worked to implement equity in every layer of the city government. She established the citys Equity and Empowerment Commission.

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