Today, as we commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, we also reflect on our first two years as the Council Office of Racial Equity.

First and foremost, we have been honored to do this work with the Black, Indigenous, and other residents of color in the District of Columbia and the Council. As always, we acknowledge the length of this fight and the people who have long strived—and continue to push—for racial equity in the District.

In the past two years, we’ve written 158 Racial Equity Impact Assessments, applying a racial equity lens to topics ranging from land dispositions to the environment and from bereavement leave to damages in civil lawsuits and scholarships for healthcare professionals. Writing a Racial Equity Impact Assessment—or REIA for short—requires decoding the legal language to understand what the bill proposes to do, researching the context and history of the topic, pulling data to understand the relevant racial inequities, seeking the community’s perspective, combing through policy evidence, and crafting a thorough and accessible document to relay how a bill, if passed, will affect Black, Indigenous, and other residents of color in the District of Columbia. Each REIA is a responsibility we do not take lightly.

In addition, we’ve held trainings and “CORE Conversations” with Council staff about topics such as fines and fees and racial equity in hiring, collaborated on research reports, and had the pleasure and privilege of speaking to and learning from residents as well as presenting to local groups, students, and other jurisdictions about our work.

We’ve also grown to be a team of six, each of us contributing to the team’s body of work, approach, and path forward. Below, we share our individual reflections on the past year and what we are looking forward to in our third year:

One of the REIAs that I am most proud of writing this year is for Bill 24-0237, the Clean Hands Certification Equity Amendment Act of 2022. This year, I look forward to continuing to conduct REIAs in the topic areas of health, transportation, the environment, and economic development.
Milika Robbins, CORE Team Member since December 2020

One of the REIAs I am most proud of writing is for Bill 24-0416, the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022. To analyze this monumental piece of legislation and contribute to District history was truly a privilege. This year, I am looking forward to continuing to lead CORE’s community engagement efforts and conduct REIAs in the topic areas of recreation and youth affairs, the criminal legal system, economic development, and disability services.
Danaya Hough, CORE Team Member since November 2021

It has been a privilege to join and grow with the CORE team this year. One of the REIAs I’m most proud of is the REIA for Bill 24-0063, the Second Chance Amendment Act of 2022. This year, I’m looking forward to delving deeper into policy issues related to the judiciary, public safety, executive administration, and labor.
Sarina Phu, CORE Team Member since July 2022

I’m proud of all our REIAs. Writing one is a unique, challenging, but rewarding experience. The Local Solar Expansion Amendment Act of 2022 REIA was particularly meaningful to me given the niche policy area and wide potential impact. The REIA exemplified the mandate of CORE’s work: to analyze foreseeable impacts of legislation on Black, Indigenous, and other residents of color and elevate this analysis into the policy conversation. This year, I look forward to finding more avenues to elevate and embed our REIAs into the policy discourse.
Rolando Cuevas, CORE Team Member since August 2022

One of the REIAs that I am most proud of writing this year is for Bill 24-0570, the Schools First in Budgeting Amendment Act of 2022. I began my career in DC learning about school finance and the impact of local budgets on school climate, culture, and student learning outcomes. This bill challenged me to think critically about my approach to policy analysis and the frameworks that I use to determine how local policies will likely impact Black, Indigenous, and other students of color in DC. This year, I look forward to deepening my focus on racial equity in health, education, and child and family services.
Jarred Bowman, CORE Team Member since July 2022

I have thoroughly enjoyed the role of providing support, guidance, and feedback to team members on their REIAs since becoming Director last May—learning from them every day in the process. This year, I am looking forward to bringing the many lessons we learned from Council Period 24—our first ever—into Council Period 25 systems, community engagement, relationships, and REIAs.
Nami Mody, CORE Team Member since December 2020

As we enter our third year, we promise to continue to use our voices and words to amplify what matters for Black, Indigenous, and other residents of color in the District of Columbia.

In solidarity,
The CORE Team