that seem to have no fear of humans, prompting them to declare a state of emergency.
on an out-of-state consultant and didn’t put community members on the DEI cabinet — which was established in May 2023, three years after the declaration.The county also lagged in hiring a DEI chief to oversee the action plan. The Civil Service Commission, which runs the process for choosing and retaining county employees, initially didn’t approve the job description because the commission was concerned it would be redundant.
Cephoni Jackson eventually was hired in January. She shared a draft of the yet-to-be-finalized plan, which outlines goals of creating a “culture of belonging,” building more inclusive leadership, and coming up with strategies to retain and develop talent. She wants to establish a committee made up of community members by 2025.The goals don’t have a timeline, and various county leaders are tasked with “championing” each step. Jackson said she’s seeing high energy from employees to begin implementing the action plan, adding: “It’s like the conditions are right for the culture to shift.”It’s progress that’s “more than the bread crumbs they’ve given us,” said Kula Koenig, the chief program officer at Public Health Advocates.
And Phil Serna, the county board member who brought forth the declaration, said it’s important to recognize what has been done — and what still lies ahead.“I think in many respects dealing with racism, addressing racism responsibly, is kind of like painting the Golden Gate Bridge, right?” he said. “As soon as you think you’re done, you’re not. You have to go back and start painting again.”
This story is part of an AP ongoing series exploring the
of what is widely called theBrazil brought the case to the World Trade Organization.
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean atMelissa Rivers recalled how swiftly the
spread, forcing the county’s Ready, Set, Go evacuation plan to essentially skip straight to “Set.” That left her with little time to gather her most valued possessions before fleeing her home.When the final warning arrived, Rivers said Tuesday, “The fire was still a canyon away, but you could clearly see the flames.”