Social Justice and Equity Commission

Establishing a new Social Justice & Equity Commission for a just and equitable Olympia

Following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd and the civil unrest that followed nationally and here in Olympia, the Olympia City Council asked its General Government Committee to explore establishing a new commission to address social justice and equity issues.

The City committed to centering community voices and perspectives in the forming of the Commission. In December 2020, a Founding Member Work Group was formed to hosting listening sessions with the community and collect the stories and experiences of historically marginalized community members.

Based on the input they received from the listening sessions and broad research around commission types and models, the Work Group has arrived at a set of recommendations for the City Council to consider.

The Work Group’s recommendations provide the broad strokes and framework for the new Commission’s purpose, duties, and membership. Once established, new Commission members will engage with the community to fill in the details for how the framework is carried out.