The County of San Mateo Office of Racial and Social Justice is responsible for supporting the County government to bring an equity lens into operations, supporting the goal of the ordinance, utilizing equity frameworks and various tools (e.g., equity action plans and equity impact assessments) when warranted.

This office was created through the action of the Board of Supervisors in the 2021 resolution to Advance Racial Equity Efforts and the 2024 Equity Ordinance. This page details key milestones in Countywide equity initiatives and the work of the Office of Racial and Social Justice. 

2021

Prior
  • Many efforts across departments, community, and Countywide
Spring 2021
  • Chief Equity Officer position hired
  • Defining role of the position
  • Definitions and framework
Summer 2021
  • Community Equity Forums
  • Theory of Change
  • Equity Through Art Webinar Series: The History of Race in SMC through Art (w/ Library, BHRS)
Fall 2021
  • Core Equity Team Launched
  • BoS Racial Equity Resolution
  • Leadership Forum (w/ HR): Dr Ken Hardy

2022

Winter 2022
  • 1.0 Countywide Racial Equity Action Plan
  • BoS Anchor Institution Resolution Passed
  • Equity Staff Survey 1.0 Launched
  • Equity in Government Community of Practice Launch
  • Community Voice to Inform Recovery (w/ Stanford)
Spring 2022
  • All-Staff Equity Forums
  • Budget Equity Performance Measure launched (w/ BPP)
  • Equity Impact Assessment Toolkit Launch
Summer 2022
  • Equity and Belonging Manager Hired
  • Equity and Belonging Associate Hired
  • Community Engagement with Equity Toolkit Launch (w/ OCA)
Fall 2022
  • Staff Equity Resource Hub Launch
  • Affinity Groups Launch

2023

Winter 2023
  • Foundational Equity Training Launch
  • 21-Day Challenge Launch
  • New Employee Equity Intro
Spring 2023
  • CEO Pilot Equity Impact Statement into BoS Memos
  • Staff Equity Newsletter
  • Community Equity Bulletin
Summer 2023
  • 2.0 Racial and Social Equity Action Plan FY23/24
  • Essential Supervisory Series Equity Module Launch
Fall 2023
  • SMC Equity Champions Launched
  • Management Development Equity Module Launch

2024

Winter 2024
  • Equity Staff Survey 2.0 Launched
  • Exec Committee Equity Capacity Building
  • Honoring our Shared Humanity: Countering Islamophobia & Antisemitism
Spring 2024
  • Equity Ordinance Passed
Summer 2024
  • Office of Labor Standards & Enforcement (OLSE) Design & Resources Approved
  • 3.0 Racial and Social Equity Action Plan
  • Leadership Forum: john powell
Fall 2024 & Winter 2025
  • Introduce Local preference ordinance
  • Explore language access
  • Operationalize OLSE
  • Scale Equity Impact Statements
  • Community Data & Engagement Analysis
  • Shared Prosperity Action Plan