Funding Disparities. Racial Disparities. 143 Mayors.

What is happening? 143 mayors signed a compact on racial equity acknowledging that structural racism exists.

Why is this important? Racial disparities will enter into the calculation as the local leaders spend billions of dollars of federal pandemic aid.

How will this be important?

• The mayor of Louisville, KY, will ask recipients to “show how the money will be used to advance racial equity.”
• “Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the Black mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, said his city is using part of its ARPA funding to make waterworks upgrades meant to improve the flow of water from the showers and faucets in poor communities, which can be only a trickle.”
• Tucson, AZ mayor said ““What we’re trying to do with American Rescue dollars is bring about transformative change through investments in the causes of poverty,” 
• St. Louis mayor: ““It’s a priority for me to address the historic disinvestment of Black and Brown communities,” 

Route Fifty | How Mayors are Factoring in Equity as Their Cities Spend Federal Aid