The Vision

Across the country, cities work in partnership with communities to dismantle structural racism and accelerate a more equitable future for all.

The Challenge

In May of 2016, Albuquerque, Austin, Grand Rapids, Louisville and Philadelphia joined a network of jurisdictions all over the country — the Government Alliance on Race & Equity — through an active commitment to advance racial equity. Provoc joined these five cities in a cohort supported by Living Cities to support their city-level communications work while building a coherent messaging strategy for GARE as a whole and a national campaign to elevate best practices and stories from all over the country.

Results so far

Each of the individual cities made tangible progress during their first two years, from hiring Equity Officers, publishing their plans, training hundreds of their colleagues, learning from communities and, in Grand Rapids, hiring the most diverse class of police recruits in city history.

Provoc facilitated the development of a strategic campaign to bridge across sectors in a common commitment to racial equity. Racial Equity Here launched nationally with more than 200 commitments from organizations across sectors in June of 2018, and has already grown to more than 500 commitments in more than 40 states.

Over two years, Provoc has facilitated consensus among a broad range of partners through an iterative approach, building new communications guides, plans and tools to clarify, deepen and expand the incredible knowledge and practice basis of GARE and partners. Among many tangible products developed through this partnership, an 80 page communications guide and three simplified tools to learn, act and partner (the first three steps of the Racial Equity Here commitment) have been most widely used so far.