“I think it’s easy to talk about equity, diversity, and inclusion… but how do you live by it? In terms of, do you set goals around it? Do you assess yourself to see how well you’re doing? Do you tie your program outcomes to actually looking at how you impact equity at the end of the day, and if you’re not, then you’re not serious about it.”
These are the words that Brion Oaks (chief equity officer with the City of Austin) shared with a crowd gathered at El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission earlier this month for a summit on “Racial Equity In Outdoor and Environmental Leadership.”
The event was organized by the CiNCA (Children In Nature Collaborative Of Austin) and featured a series of panelists from the local community, including:
- Emily Warren – Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
- Susana Almanza – PODER
- Brion Oaks – City of Austin Equity Office
- Reggie James – Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter
- David Buggs – Texas Parks and Wildlife
You can listen to a full recording of the event in podcast form (above) or in video form (below).
Interested in continuing to learn and be engaged in this conversation? You can join the newly formed Equity Outdoors ATX Facebook group here.
