>> ERIC: LAST YEAR THE CENTER FOR ECONOMIC INCLUSION WAS ONE OF SIX ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVING $5 MILLION TO ASSIST BLACK, LATINA, AND INDIGENOUS WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES.

THIS YEAR THE CENTER RELEASED THEIR INAUGURAL RACIAL EQUITY DIVIDENDS INDEX FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR, WITH 22 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND PUBLIC AGENCIES IN MINNESOTA PARTICIPATING IN THIS NEW REPORT.

RETURNING TO WALK US THROUGH THE FINDINGS IS TAWANNA BLACK, FOUNDER AND HEAD OF THE ST. PAUL-BASED CENTER FOR ECONOMIC INCLUSION.

A LOT OF WINDOW DRESSING BUT LIMITED PROGRESS OR IS HAT TOO NEGATIVE?

>> IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT DRAMATIC.

I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD CALL THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING COMPLETELY INDOW DRESSING, BUT I WOULD SAY, YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO IN OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING PEOPLE AT THE HEART OF WHAT GOVERNMENT IS INTENDED TO DO.

>> Cathy: SO 22 ENTITIES PARTICIPATED, BUT THERE'S, LIKE, I ON'T KNOW, 3,000, THERE'S A LOT OF GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.

SO, WHAT CAN WE GLEAN FROM THAT SMALL NUMBER, THOUGH?

>> SURE.

QUITE A BIT, ACTUALLY.

SO OUR INTENTIONALITY WITH THIS SURVEY IS REALLY TO ENSURE THAT THE LARGEST GOVERNMENTS IN MINNESOTA ARE PARTICIPATING, CERTAINLY SMALLER GOVERNMENTS CAN PARTICIPATE, BUT THAT'S NOT OUR TARGET.

OUR TARGET IS REALLY THOSE WHO ARE AT ABOUT THAT 500 MILLION AND ABOVE IN ANNUAL REVENUES COMING OUT OF THEIR CITY GOVERNMENTS AND I HAVE NUMBER OF -- AND HAVE A NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES SUCH THAT IT COULD BE COMPARABLE WITH A THE MID-MARKET-SIZE CORPORATIONS.

AGAIN, YOU SEE IN THE MIX OF THE 22, MANY ACROSS THE METRO AREA, LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENTS, LOCAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT, MET COUNCIL'S PARTICIPATING, BUT WE ALSO SEE FOUR IN GREATER MINNESOTA, WHICH I THINK IS SIGNIFICANT, AS WE SEE A NUMBER OF CITIES AND COMMUNITIES THAT PEOPLE MIGHT NOT HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT AS RACIALLY INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE, SAYING, I WANT IN.

>> Eric: GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH GETS FURTHER BEHIND US, THE SUPREME COURT'S RULING ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.

IS THERE LESS IMPETUS NOW FOR THESE ENTITIES TO BE DIVERSIFYING IN THEIR HIRING?

>> NO.

I LOVE THE LANGUAGE THERE.

LESS IMPETUS, ABSOLUTELY NOT.

ACTUALLY, GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER HELPED US RECKON WITH THE DEPTHS OF NOT JUST INEQUITY BUT ACTUAL RACISM IN THE SYSTEM.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA IN OUR REPORT, ONE OF THE AREAS THAW SEE THE MOST PROGRESS OCCURRING IN IS PUBLIC SAFETY.

IT TOOK A MAN BEING MURDERED ON LIVE SCREENS ALL ACROSS THE WORLD IN ORDER FOR CITY GOVERNMENTS TO SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, WE'VE GOT TO INVEST MORE DEEPLY HERE, BUT WE CAN SEE THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING.

THEY'VE ADOPTED A GOOD NUMBER OF THE MAJOR STRATEGIES IN PUBLIC SAFETY.

WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER DIMENSIONS, THOUGH, THE INTERNAL HIRING PRACTICES, PROCUREMENT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING, WE SEE THAT DROP OFF SIGNIFICANTLY, SO IT TELLS US THAT WHEN CITY GOVERNMENTS ARE COMPLETELY CLEAR ABOUT THEIR ROLE IN CHANGE, THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, AND WHEN VOTERS HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE, ACTION HAPPENS AND IT HAPPENS IN A WAY THAT'S SYSTEMIC AND NOT WINDOW DRESSING.

>> Cathy: SO, YOU HAD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MEASURES THERE THAT YOU JUST TICKED OFF.

WHERE ARE THE AREAS TO IMPROVE ON?

THE LARGEST AREAS TO IMPROVE ON.

>> GREAT QUESTION.

SO SOME OF THE BIGGEST GAPS ACROSS ALL 22, ONE IS PROCUREMENT.

SO WE SEE THAT EVEN AFTER THE DISPARITY STUDIES DONE SEVERAL YEARS AGO AMONG LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WE HAVEN'T MADE MUCH PROGRESS.

MOST OF THOSE GOVERNMENTS HAVE NOT ADOPTED A COMPREHENSIVE SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROCUREMENT PROGRAM.

THERE ARE NOT HOLDING THEIR MANAGERS, PURCHASERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR SPENDING, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THE SPEND IS GOING, SUCH THAT ALL EMPLOYEES ARE CONSCIOUS OF IT.

WE'VE GOT REAL WORK TO DO.

REMEMBER, THIS ISN'T CHARITY.

THIS S ABOUT HOW WE GROW JOBS IN MINNESOTA.

BLACK AND BROWN BUSINESS OWNERS ARE THE FASTEST GROWING IN THE COUNTRY.

SO IF THERE'S NOT AN INTENTIONAL STRATEGY TO SPEND WITH THEM, WE'RE NOT GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET THE TAX BASE THAT WE NEED AND THE GOOD SCHOOLS, GOOD COMMUNITIES, EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE WANT IN NEIGHBORHOODS.

THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST.

>> Eric: WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN THIS THING IS UP AND MOVING AND MORE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE PARTICIPATING, WHAT LOOKS LIKE SUCCESS OUT OF THIS?

>> SURE.

SO WE CAN ACTUALLY LOOK TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO SEE THAT.

SO THIS IS OUR FIRST YEAR FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR AT THE CENTER FOR ECONOMIC INCLUSION IN DOING THE INDEX.

BUT WE'VE ALREADY DONE THIS WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TWICE.

WE'RE DOING THIS IN EIGHT OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE LOOKED AT LARGE CORPORATIONS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED, THEY TELL US, NOT ONLY ARE THEY HAVING DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS, THEY'RE TAKING DIFFERENT ACTIONS, SOME THAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR YEARS BUT HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON UNTIL THEY HAVE HE INEXDID REPORT.

WE'RE ABLE TO RALLY THEIR ENTIRE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM AROUND IT, GET THEIR BOARD ADOPTING POLICIES, BECAUSE IT'S A CLEAR ROAD MAP OF WHAT ACTION SHOULD TAKE.

WE HAD THE PUBLIC SECTOR ASK US FOR THIS REPORT, THIS TYPE OF SURVEY, AFTER WE DID IT TWICE WITH PRIVATE SECTOR.

AND NOW WE EXPECT THE SAME THING THAT BOTH COUNCILS, CITY COMMISSIONS, COUNTY COMMISSIONS WILL ADOPT SOME OF THESE STANDARDS BUT ALSO MORE THAN THAT, THEY'LL BE TRANSPARENT N THEIR ACCOUNTABILITY BACK TO THEIR STAKEHOLDERS.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANK YOU SO