Opening Statement of Councilmember David Grosso

B23-0038, the Racial Equity Achieves Real Change Amendment Act of 2020
(REACH) Act and B23-147, the Office for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of
Hearing, Establishment Amendment Act of 2020
Committee on Government Operations
July 15, 2020

Thank you, Chairperson Todd and your staff for the hard work on and for holding a mark-up on
the REACH Act.

I want to voice my strong support for “The Racial Equity Achieves Real Change Amendment
Act of 2020” also known as the REACH Act.

The District of Columbia Government is long overdue for a conversation on breaking down
systemic racism and even longer overdue for action. I believe this measure represents a giant
step in the right direction.

Years and years of structural and institutional racism against Black residents in the District and
across this country have created deep racial disparities in our city: in housing, in health care, in
education, and in our criminal justice system.

Equity is so much more than a buzzword to be thrown around in our conversations about
tackling these disparities. It is a recognition that we do not all start at the same place, and
those starting positions fall largely along racial lines.

Equity recognizes that persistent disparities faced by those who start furthest behind or face
additional barriers will not be solved without targeting opportunities, resources, and supports
to those individuals

We must directly name and work to address racial disparities so that one's racial identity is not
a predictor of their life outcomes.

We don’t have to look hard to see these disparities play out in D.C.

As chairperson of the Committee on Education for the past 5 years, I have seen how explicit
and implicit biases have affected our Black students and students of color and their academic
success.

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The achievement gap between these students and their white peers has persisted and we will
not narrow it until we fully approach our policies through an equity framework.

When we look at the infection rates, death rates, and unemployment numbers of the ongoing
coronavirus public health emergency, it is undeniable that Black residents in our city are
bearing the brunt of this crisis.

These health disparities result from long-standing injustices and make the Black community
much more vulnerable to a highly infectious virus like covid-19.

It is imperative that we do more to recognize the historical legacy and persistence of these
racist systems, policies and institutions and seek justice for our Black and brown communities
by making sure all government policy advances racial equity.

I want to thank Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie for his leadership on and commitment to
addressing racial equity issues.

Last year I was excited to join him as a co-introducer of the bill we’re marking up today.

The changes the bill makes to executive branch operations are necessary. Establishing the
Office of Racial Equity with a Chief Equity Officer, along with the Commission on Racial Equity,
Social Justice and Economic Inclusion as an independent agency will reimagine how the
executive branch considers policy proposals while reducing racial, social, and economic
inequities.

I am especially pleased to see the Council is included in the Committee Print of this bill. By
establishing the Council Equity Assessment Program that will train Council staff on racial
equity and produce racial equity impact statements for legislation, it will force all of us in this
body to reconsider racist policies that reinforce the negative effects of slavery that have proven
to perpetuate income inequality and the marginalization of our Black and brown residents.

It is a positive change in the version we are voting on today to include the Council as part of this
legislation.

The work certainly will not be easy but it is absolutely necessary. I look forward to voting in
favor of the print and committee report before us.

Thank you.
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