We celebrate Juneteenth today, a day in which we mark the end of slavery in the United States. Originally abolished by President Lincoln in 1863, it took over two years for slaves in Texas to learn that they were free. It then took until just last year for Juneteenth to officially become a federal holiday.
Our organizational values include the following beliefs: 1) Society benefits from the affirmation and celebration of diversity, 2) *Every* child and adult has inherent worth and dignity, and 3) *Every* child and adult has the right to a safe and nurturing environment.
Recent events, both local and national, have shown that there is much work to be done as we strive to achieve racial equity. Our Agency’s goal is to contribute to the progress being made. With our new Leadership Acceleration Program, we are investing in potential leaders from a variety of backgrounds as it will help to build diverse leadership for the entire community. We are also training all levels of management to use the Race Equity Impact Analysis tool. To ensure that all voices are being heard, our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee has performed internal surveys that were then discussed in town hall settings.
The importance of racial equity – to our clients, to our team, and to our entire community – cannot be overstated. We are fully committed to this mission.