City of Jackson, Mich. — A new commission focused on furthering racial equity efforts in Jackson is getting started. The Racial Equity Commission will hold its first virtual public meeting on Tuesday, April 6 at 4 p.m. on the online Zoom platform.
The Racial Equity Commission was created by the Jackson City Council in Sept. 2020. This commission is tasked with reviewing City policies and procedures to ensure racial equity is a core element of government, along with making recommendations to officials on ways to promote racial justice and equity in Jackson.
The commission will consist of five residents and three ex-officios nominated by the Mayor and approved by the City Council. So far, four residents and three ex-officios have been appointed to serve.
Resident Members:
- Lee Hampton
- Kesha Hamilton
- Donita Bentley
- Daniel Mahoney
Ex-Officio Members:
- John Willis (Chief Equity Officer)
- Freddie Dancy (City Councilmember)
- Daveda Quinn (NAACP Delegate)
John Willis, the City’s Chief Equity Officer and Ex-Officio member of the commission, says they are still looking to fill another resident opening and encourages interested residents to apply. “Our first task will be putting together an equity action plan over the next six months and presenting it to the City Council. We have a great group of people serving on the commission with a great interest in equity,” Willis said.
Commission member Kesha Hamilton worked with the City and other residents to get this effort started. “The new commission will help take equity to the next level and really address racial issues in Jackson,” Hamilton said. “I’d like us to work on resident engagement so people know their voices matter. There is also a lot we could do to increase voter access for both City employees and residents.”
Like all public meetings, Racial Equity Commission meetings are open to residents and local media. Meeting information and an application to serve on the commission are available on the City website by visiting cityofjackson.org/racialequity.