- February 9, 2022
- Equity
Our #DataReads series curates links and examples for those looking for an introduction to a particular civic data topic.
Equity is a thread woven into every aspect of local governance, yet there have been plenty of times — historically and currently — that municipal equity work has been disappointingly threadbare. As issues of racial, gender, and income inequities have elevated to greater prominence over the past few years, many local governments have turned to data to help understand and correct for inequalities.
While there is a long history of using data to understand how communities are impacted by policy and to inform equity legislation, data and mapping hasn’t always supported all residents equally. However, thanks to the legacy and strides of civil rights activists, community data justice organizers, and innovative civic leaders, plus the development of new tools and technologies, many local governments are implementing fair and transparent equity work that is informed by data.
One of the first steps for data-driven equity work is rethinking the collection of that data. Due to historic abuse, there is mistrust in institutional data collection among many communities of color. Therefore, data collection with these communities must take into consideration this history and focus on transparent and community-involved data work. At the very beginning of any municipal data project, before starting any collection, researchers must understand power differentials among themselves and the broader communities, and how they “can begin to level the playing field and reckon with unintended bias” in their work; the Chicago Beyond equitable research guidebook “Why Am I Always Being Researched?” outlines ways that community organizations and researchers can better work on research projects.
Once that data has been collected in a transparent and trustworthy manner, it’s important to utilize the information to better serve the community. There are several examples of cities using race or gender data for agenda-setting around: infrastructure investment, climate resiliency, capital investments, public health and safety, emergency service response, public transit, and policing. Many of these cities were guided by internal equity offices or teams, like Chicago’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice. However, many departments are prioritizing equity and doing the work despite not being formal equity departments, which is the case in Asheville, North Carolina. And sometimes outside nonprofits or other organizations will help cities with decision-making and community trust building when rolling out the new policies and projects that were based on the equity data.
Of course, it’s important to retain relationships and consistent communication with communities. Cities can’t collect, analyze, and legislate from the data, then simply drop out of the places they are trying to support. Ongoing relationship building is crucial, and many cities work with folks within those communities in order to maintain a feedback loop and develop real roots within diverse groups. Having diverse representation in local government also helps build trust, particularly during times of crisis.
While there’s a need for equitable and inclusive data, data on it’s own can not be the goal. Collecting data must be in service for a greater purpose, namely correcting for historic disinvestment and previously racist policies. To learn more and weave equity into all aspects of governance, here are some helpful resources to check out:
