Creating Stronger Cities for All

Last month, I joined nearly 1,000 Black women at the inaugural Power Rising Summit in Atlanta, held to craft an agenda addressing the unique needs of Black women, ranging from economic security to political empowerment. The summit came on the heels of a number of historic wins for Black women in cities across the country, from the mayoral races in Charlotte and New Orleans, to the election of Andrea Jenkins to the Minneapolis City Council, the first openly trans Black woman to hold that office in any city. The summit sessions were designed to seize this political momentum and align our efforts to address the disparities Black women face. I returned to PolicyLink energized, and steadfast in our approach — when we focus on the most vulnerable communities, we create stronger cities for all. And this is evident in our most recent work:

  • On February 28, in partnership with the Healthy Sacramento Coalition, with support from the Kellogg Foundation, we released a data profile and policy brief, Health Equity Now: Toward an All-In Sacramento, analyzing the state of health equity and offering recommendations for inclusive growth in the Sacramento region.
  • In Pittsburgh, we held a successful steering committee meeting where we reviewed and approved their 2018 strategy, and finalized the indicators that they will use to track and measure impact. Then, the committee's first two action teams – focused on housing and workforce – convened to begin setting the policy agenda for this cross-sector group of leaders and residents to align around.
  • Our recent webinar, "Keeping People in Place: Strategies to Support Renters at Risk of Displacement," featured Philadelphia City Councilmember Helen Gym and Darnell Johnson of Right to the City Boston. The conversation focused on just cause eviction laws and legal assistance to prevent eviction. If you missed the webinar, you can access the recording here.
  • Register for our upcoming webinar, "Reforming Fines and Fees: From Wealth Stripping to Economic Security," on Wednesday, March 28 at 10 am PT/ 1 pm ET. This webinar will focus on strategies to reform inequitable court fines and fees to support the economic security and mobility of low-income residents.

With nearly one month left to our own Summit, we are excited to continue to strengthen the equity movement. Stay tuned for information on how you can watch some of our summit sessions online, and look out for our announcements on our newest All-In Cities partners.

Tracey Ross
Associate Director, All-In Cities Initiative