Pittsburgh Council to consider legislation aimed at eliminating racial inequalities
Pittsburgh’s two black councilmen Tuesday continued efforts to combat racism in the city by introducing legislation that would create an equity commission and commit the city to a 10-point plan for erasing inequalities.
Councilmen Ricky Burgess of North Point Breeze and R. Daniel Lavelle of the Hill District said the commission would advise officials on programs designed to reduce institutional racism in Pittsburgh.
It would consist of 13 to 17 members appointed by Mayor Bill Peduto and confirmed by council vote.
A separate bill calls for the adoption of 10 commitments to be used as guiding principles in eliminating race-based disparities in Pittsburgh, the councilmen said.
“The first thing we introduced is 10 commitments to racial equity,” Burgess said. “It really sets an agenda or a blueprint that should guide the city and this council and the mayor going forward of how we should address racial equity.”
Lavelle said the Commission on Racial Equity would advise the city on all activities designed to reduce inequality, recommend new programs and policies, review the impact of the initiatives and determine if racial reparations are warranted.
He said reparations do not necessarily mean paying cash to black residents, adding that the city could not afford that. Lavelle said reparations could mean such things as the hiring of more minorities by the city’s educational institutions, programs in city schools to prepare black students for college or money from banks to redevelop poor city neighborhoods.
“That could be a form of reparations,” he said. “I think that all has to be researched and then determined what is most appropriate.”
Lavelle said the legislation contains a direct economic benefit. He said efforts to diversify and eliminate prejudices would help attract new residents to Pittsburgh.
“There is no major city in American that is growing and flourishing simply because white Americans do well,” he said. “The cities that are growing and flourishing have minority populations that are also thriving. Despite the fact of all the wonderful accolades we’ve gotten, for over 30 years in a row, we still lost population. We’re not growing as a city. In order to do that we have to invest in (minorities).”
Last year, Pittsburgh’s Gender Equity Commission issued a report that described Pittsburgh as one of the worst places in the country for black people to live.
Following the report, Burgess and Lavelle successfully sponsored bills that declared racism a public health crisis, established a leadership forum to address it and created an investment fund to eliminate racial inequalities and barriers.
Burgess said the new bills were a continuation of their efforts.
Council is expected to discuss and take a preliminary vote on the bills next week.
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