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CC - Adoption of a Resolution Approving the Local Action Plan Related to the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge
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Meeting Date: January 27, 2020
Contact Person/Dept: Mily Huntley/Administrative Services
Phone Number: (310) 253-5640
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (01/22/20)
Department Approval: Serena Wright-Black, Assistant City Manager (01/20/20)
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RECOMMENDATION
The City Council Ad Hoc Equity Subcommittee, consisting of Mayor Sahli-Wells and Council Member Lee (“Subcommittee”), recommends the City Council adopt a resolution approving the Local Action Plan related to the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge.
BACKGROUND
In 2014, Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells accepted President Obama’s call to join the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Community Challenge which seeks to help boys and young men of color receive opportunities to succeed regardless of circumstances. My Brother’s Keeper cities were asked to choose among six (6) goals laid out in President Obama’s “MBK Community Challenge Playbook for Action.” Culver City stakeholders chose two milestones from the official “Playbook” and a third, unique to Culver City (City). Specifically, the City chose to (1) ensure all students graduate from high school and have access to four-year colleges; (2) ensure all youth out of school are employed; and (3) ensure no child is homeless.
Over the past five years Culver City has been setting the table, establishing programs and partnerships, and reviewing policies, for a long-term, sustained effort to address racial inequities and provide equitable opportunities for boys and young men of color.
DISCUSSION
Since the Mayor’s acceptance of the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Community Challenge, stakeholders consisting of representatives from the City and Culver City Unified School District (“District”), as well as various community partners (“Stakeholders”), have engaged in drafting a Local Action Plan to address the three milestones in the areas of education, employment and housing. Over the past 5 years, the City has continued to make strides in an effort to advance those milestones. Following are a few noteworthy achievements:
• In June 2015, the City created a youth internship program to provide public service exposure to Culver City High School students and help them gain new skills, experience and information about City government.
• In October 2016, understanding the unique circumstances that impede individuals of color from accessing opportunities and thriving in society, City Council passed a resolution committing “to pursuing a policy agenda that affirms civil and human rights, and ensures that those targeted on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or immigration status can turn to government without fear of recrimination; and reaffirms the value of a pluralistic society, the beauty of a society composed of multiple cultures, and the inalienable right of every person to live and practice their faith without fear.”
• In 2017, the City became a Sanctuary City. That same year the City also joined the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), a national network of governments working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. Since 2017, the City has graduated two cohorts, developed a Racial Equity Action Plan, and provided Implicit Bias training to city staff.
• In 2018, the City formed an Ad Hoc City Council Equity Subcommittee whose purpose is to (1) recommend a citywide equity policy; 2) guide the implementation of the policy through staff, and in consultation with affected communities and regional partners; and 3) ensure accountability of the policy at all levels of city government. In collaboration with the Subcommittee, the GARE cohorts are in the process of designing staff training on racial equity, diversity and inclusion.
• In 2019, the City partnered with Los Angeles County to reduce youth incarceration and to divert youth away from the juvenile justice system through the Youth Development and Diversion Program. Later that year, the City applied for and received a grant in the amount of $763,000 to support those efforts.
Local Action Plan
Culver City has an array of effective programs and strategies in place to improve outcomes for all youth, including boys and young men of color. However, there is still a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done to close the systemic gaps that continue to perpetuate. The proposed Local Action Plan aligns the work currently taking place under a common framework, with a specific goal of eliminating disparities for boys and young men of color.
Key elements of the Local Action Plan include:
• Commitment to identify resources which provide support and services for boys and young men of color.
• Development of a coordinated infrastructure for youth training and mentoring programs.
• Increasing summer youth employment opportunities.
MBK Launch Event (Event)
The Council Equity Subcommittee and MBK Stakeholders are recommending that an Event be held to promote the adoption of the Local Action Plan. The purpose of the Event is to not only promote the Plan, but to also provide information on various programs, opportunities and services within the City. The City has received verbal commitment from a number of local organizations and businesses that are willing to sponsor, support and participate in the Event.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with adopting the proposed Local Action Plan.
ATTACHMENTS
2020-01-27_ATT - Proposed Resolution Including Local Action Plan
MOTION
That the City Council:
Adopt a resolution approving the Local Action Plan related to the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge.