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 2022 2023 2024
Prior
  • Many efforts across departments, community, and Countywide
Winter
  • 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)
Winter
  • Foundational Equity Training Launch
  • 21-Day Challenge Launch
  • New Employee Equity Intro
Winter 
  • Equity Staff Survey 2.0 Launched
  • Exec Committee Equity Capacity Building
  • Honoring our Shared Humanity: Countering Islamophobia & Antisemitism
Spring
  • Chief Equity Officer position hired
  • Defining role of the position
  • Definitions and framework
Spring
  • All-Staff Equity Forums
  • Budget Equity Performance Measure launched (w/ BPP)
  • Equity Impact Assessment Toolkit Launch
Spring
  • CEO Pilot Equity Impact Statement into BoS Memos
  • Staff Equity Newsletter
  • Community Equity Bulletin
Spring
  • Equity Ordinance Passed
Summer 
  • Community Equity Forums
  • Theory of Change
  • Equity Through Art Webinar Series: The History of Race in SMC through Art (w/ Library, BHRS)
Summer
  • Equity and Belonging Manager Hired
  • Equity and Belonging Associate Hired
  • Community Engagement with Equity Toolkit Launch (w/ OCA)
Summer
  • 2.0 Racial and Social Equity Action Plan FY23/24
  • Essential Supervisory Series Equity Module Launch
Summer
  • Office of Labor Standards & Enforcement (OLSE) Design & Resources Approved
  • 3.0 Racial and Social Equity Action Plan
  • Leadership Forum: john powell
Fall
  • Core Equity Team Launched
  • BoS Racial Equity Resolution
  • Leadership Forum (w/ HR): Dr Ken Hardy
Fall
  • Staff Equity Resource Hub Launch
  • Affinity Groups Launch
Fall
  • SMC Equity Champions Launched
  • Management Development Equity Module Launch
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