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Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative
Welcome to the ARDI landing page, where you can stay up to date on the implementation of this Board of Supervisors-approved initiative.

In July 2020, the Board of Supervisors passed a motion that created the Board’s eighth Board-directed priority known as the Anti-Racism, Diversity, & Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative, led by Dr. D’Artagnan Scorza as Executive Director of Racial Equity. The Board’s motion boldly articulated an anti-racist agenda that will guide, govern, and increase the County’s ongoing commitment to fighting racism in all its dimensions.

Establishing an Antiracist Los Angeles County Policy Agenda

On July 21, 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted a sweeping initiative that boldly articulates an anti-racist agenda that will guide, govern and increase the County’s ongoing commitment to fighting racism in all its dimensions, especially racism that systemically and systematically affects Black residents.

“Anti-racism is the active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices, and attitudes so that power [and resources] are redistributed and shared equitably.

[Source: National Action Committee on the Status of Women International Perspectives: Women and Global Solidarity]

Who We Are

Los Angeles County seeks to end structural racism and its consequences by working closely with all County departments, commissions, agencies, and advisory bodies to collaborate with all cities, unincorporated communities, school districts, state and federal agencies, community-based organizations, philanthropy and academic institutions.

ARDI will guide the County by offering training and capacity building, technical assistance and planning, policy analysis and development, data collection, analysis and reporting, community and stakeholder engagement, and equity infused resourcing and programming to help reach its goals.

Why We Are Aiming to Achieve Racial Equity

The July 2020 Board motion that established the ARDI Initiative, defined structural racism, as “a system in which public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms work in various, often reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity” and compels the County to address disparate outcomes through the lens of equity. Utilizing a lens of equity requires the acknowledgment that each person has different circumstances, backgrounds and starts from a different place. While we will continue to strive for equality, which is the idea that “each individual or group of people is treated the same, given the same resources or expected to take advantage of the same opportunities”, we recognize the needs of communities within Los Angeles County vary widely. Solely focusing on equality does not address the structural and historical disparities that have created harm and have impacted intergenerational life outcomes and created the material conditions communities of color face today.

Equity, on the other hand, refers to “the idea that differences matter and that systems must be balanced to distribute resources and opportunities needed to reach equal outcomes by treating everyone justly according to their circumstances.” By focusing on equity, we can actively identify, acknowledge, and repair the harm that has occurred from discriminatory, unjust and unlawful practices. By utilizing an equity lens, ARDI will guide LA County towards achieving racial equity. Racial equity refers to what a genuinely non-racist society would look like. In a racially equitable society, the distribution of society’s benefits and burdens would not be skewed by race. In other words, racial equity would be a reality in which a person is no more or less likely to experience society’s benefits or burdens just because of the color of their skin. It demands that we pay attention not just to individual-level discrimination, but to overall social outcomes.

To achieve a non-racist society where the “distribution of society’s benefits and burdens would not be skewed by race, LA County must have a bold vision to help guide our direction and create a unified approach to achieve our goals.”

Latest News

Statement from the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative on Remarks Made By Los Angeles Leaders

Statement from the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative on Remarks Made By Los Angeles Leaders 1024 576 Los Angeles County

Anti-Blackness and Anti-Indigenous Hate, Colorism, Homophobia, Anti-Semitic, and Racist Language Have No Place Within Los Angeles County On behalf of the Los Angeles County Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative, we join the many voices condemning the anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, anti-Semitic, homophobic, and racist statements made by elected officials and city leaders in LA City. Anti-Blackness…

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LA County Proclaims Hispanic Heritage Month
LA County Proclaims Hispanic Heritage Month 150 150 Los Angeles County

National Hispanic American Heritage Month has been celebrated for decades and recognizes the many accomplishments made by the Hispanic, Latino,…

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Governor Newsom Strengthens State’s Commitment to a California For All
Governor Newsom Strengthens State’s Commitment to a California For All 800 423 Los Angeles County

On September 13, 2022, Governor Newsom signed an executive order directing state agencies and departments to take additional actions to…

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Resources

Motion Establishing an Anti-racist LA Los Angeles County Policy Agenda

Motion created by the Board’s eighth directed priority to boldly articulate an anti-racist agenda that will guide, govern, and increase the County’s commitment to fighting racism in all its dimensions.

Jobless During a Global Pandemic, UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, May 2020

State’s Black, Latino workers less likely to be covered by Unemployment Insurance amid COVID-19. UCLA report recommends that California extend economic recovery funding to all workers.

Recovering Better Than Before: Ensuring Equitable Implementation of the American Rescue Plan

Implementation plan provided to the Board of Supervisors to capture data for non-geographically concentrated communities to ensure ARPA investments are directed appropriately to serve communities highly impacted by COVID-19.

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