Fairfax County board chair creates task force on equity
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| Local residents march for racial justice along Columbia Pike in Annandale. |
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, at its June 9 meeting, issued a statement condemning the “senseless murder of George Floyd” and affirming that “Black Lives Matter.”
Board chair Jeffrey McKay announced plans to form a Task Force on Equity and Opportunity to “bring together diverse community stakeholders to advance racial equity and promote the change necessary to create a Fairfax County that works for everyone.”
The group’s goal is “to leverage the insights, experiences, professional networks, and industry and institutional understanding that exist within our community to develop the big ideas and compelling frames that will shape a vision for an equitable future.”
With input from the community, the task force will consider questions like:
- What are the systems that have made certain places and populations vulnerable?
- What voices must be lifted to address these issues?
- What actions can be taken to reshape Fairfax County into a place where all can thrive?
Related story: Hundreds gather for Black Lives Matter rally in Annandale
The recommendations of the task force will be presented to the chairman through a preliminary report in December 2020. Final recommendations will be submitted by the end of June 2021, although short and long-term strategies could be identified and implemented throughout the process.
LOL
The whitest county in this country is talking about diversity.
The moment true diversity comes, we'll start seeing more neighborhoods with fences and private patrols.
The number of white residents is decreasing while the county’s Hispanic and Asian populations are growing. Last year, the county’s population was 61.1% white—and this is an 8.8% percentage point decline compared to the 2000 Census.
The number of Hispanic residents climbed 16.4% last year, and as the county’s largest ethnic group, Asians make up 19.3% of residents. African American represent 9.7% of the population. Fairfax has a lot of work to do to increase equity, and I think this is a great start. Also, refer here: https://www.axios.com/where-americas-diversity-is-increasing-the-fastest-ae06eea7-e031-46a2-bb64-c74de85eca77.html