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Walsh to hire fulltime equity officer to focus an 'equity lens' on all city programs

Mayor Walsh today announced creation of a new city fund aimed at reducing racial inequity in Boston by supporting non-profit groups working on public health, youth employment, education and the arts for minority and immigrant residents.

Walsh said the initial $10 million fundraising goal of the new Boston Racial Equity Fund will likely be met by local companies that have been asking him what they could do to fight the problems laid bare - again - by the protests following the death of George Floyd. Ultimately, he said, he hopes to see the fund grow to $50 million.

Walso also announced he will be hiring a full-time equity and inclusion chief to oversee a new "cabinet" that will begin to review all city departments and programs to ensure they are doing everything they can to reduce racial disparities and systemic racism and sexism.

He added he will also seek to make fair housing and efforts to combat displacement a core part of the Boston zoning code, for all city neighborhoods. He praised city councilors Lydia Edwards (East Boston, North End, Charlestown) and Kenzie Bok (Back Bay, Fenway, Mission Hill, Beacon Hill) for pushing this idea.

He did not specifically address whether the new emphasis would mean changes to end the lack of success of longstanding city efforts to bolster the number of minorities and women who get city contracts or who work on construction projects in Boston.

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Comments

I was unable to watch or listen to news conference today. The city budget is interesting but I think more of us are interested in how Marty is going to address the fireworks war zone we have been living in for the last 4 weeks.

Any more cute stories about how young Marty bought his fireworks at Haymarket in the old days?

So far Marty has been totally useless in addressing the nightly explosions that are terrorizing us.

Every. Single. Night. Until dawn.

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How does this intersect with the City's Office of Resilience and Racial Equity, which "leads efforts to help Boston plan for and deal with catastrophes and slow-moving disasters, like persistent racial and economic inequality"? (https://www.boston.gov/departments/resilience-and-racial-equity) What has Marty Walsh been doing to solicit and follow up on work from that office?

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has done more than his predecessors.

I heard his main challenger on her regular Bloomberg radio appearance dodge, shift and double speak about change, the budget and contracts that she had voted for in previous years. Nuggets like sending social workers to 911 calls to address mental health crises. Crazy person with weapon? Relax, social worker Steve will handle it. Do we expect the fire department to talk gently to a burning building? Feel good unicorn and rainbow talk. Campbell, Janey or Edwards would be better options since they answer direct questions with direct answers.

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The mere fact He needs such an officer speaks volumes.

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Ah, yet another futile gesture.

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