City Accepting Applications For Joint Commission On Racial Justice And Equity

Press release from the City of Peoria:

The Peoria County Board and Peoria City Council invite residents to participate in the newly created Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity by applying to join one of eight committees. Under the charter, the committees are tasked with examining the condition of the County and City with respect to inequity and institutional and structural racism and to determine strategies for advancing racial justice and equity.

Committees include:

• Child & youth development
• Economic development & jobs
• Environment & climate
• Health & human services
• Housing
• Information & technology
• Justice system
• Transportation & mobility

Residents may apply online at www.peoriacounty.org/1089 or request a paper application by calling (309) 672- 6056.

The Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity was created at a joint meeting of the Peoria County Board and Peoria City Council on October 29. This was the culmination of months of discussion with public officials following the civil unrest in Peoria after the killing of George Floyd. At that meeting, both bodies approved the Racial Justice and Equity Charter.

The mission of the Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity is to:

Accelerate Efforts to Institutionalize Racial Justice and Equity within County and City Government and to Advance its Adoption Throughout the Region.

The vision of the Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity is:

To End Racism in City and County Government and To Achieve Racial Equity and Justice Across Our Community.

The entire charter, an overview of the commission, and an application to apply to be a part of the commission is available at www.peoriacounty.org/1089.

This press release was produced by the City of Peoria. The views expressed here are the author’s own.