Asheville’s Office of Equity and Inclusion
Why focus on equity and not equality?
Equality is about sameness and might work if the playing field were truly level, but we can look at data, as well as historic and modern-day policies, and see that’s not the case. Equity, on the other hand, is about creating conditions where all people can participate, prosper, and thrive in our society. We prioritize racial equity because racism exacerbates all other forms of oppression.
This video defines equity and inclusion, explain why the city is working through a lens of equity and inclusion, and it gives an overview of what the Office of Equity and Inclusion does.
In order to move forward in a way that truly benefits us all, we must recognize the past and present impacts of social inequities on our most impacted communities to work towards a more equitable future.
