In response to President Biden’s Executive Order 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,” 90 federal agencies and departments released Equity Action Plans (EAPs) in early 2022. Over the past months, Race Forward and PolicyLink reviewed 30 of the plans to examine the degree to which the plans lay the groundwork for meaningful action to advance racial equity. 

This report by Race Forward and PolicyLink describes their work in partnership with federal agency offices, considers observations and lessons learned along the way, and discusses efforts that must continue at the federal level to fully realize the intentions of President biden’s executive order to move this country toward a more racially just future.

Following up on the two years since the release of Building the We, this report explores the efforts of a community-focused collaborative government decision-making process.

In the backdrop of mounting racial tension, Salinas government and community advocates collaborated to bring about a new initiative aimed at addressing the root causes of inequity and division within the city. "Building the We" features key successes and lessons from the local leaders who ushered in a new agenda for the City of Salinas: Healing-Informed Governing for Racial Equity.