Broward County forms task force to tackle systemic racism

Broward will form a racial-equity task force in an attempt to eliminate systemic racism.

Composed of 37 members from organizations that work with marginalized communities, the task force will identify issues preventing racial equality, then create strategies to remove them. Commissioner Dale V.C. Holness sponsored the ordinance, citing the potential economic prosperity as one of the group’s many benefits.

“If we were to end these inequalities, we could grow our economy by $5 trillion over the next five years,” the former Broward County mayor said, referencing a 2020 study conducted by Citi. “It also showed that we lost $16 trillion as a nation because of these inequalities.”

The Broward County Commission announced the measure on Wednesday.

Each commissioner will nominate one person for the task force. The NAACP, Black Lives Matter, New Florida Majority and the Pride Center at Equality Park are among the organizations that will participate. Others include Children’s Services Council of Broward County, the Women of Color Empowerment Institute and the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

County Commissioner Tim Ryan praised the representation, pointing specifically to the inclusion of the LGBTQ community.

“When we talk about racial equity and equality, it’s particularly difficult for persons of color in the LBGTQ community, specifically transgender people, so I think it’s an important component and voice to bring to the task force membership,” Ryan said in a statement.

Much like Miami-Dade, Broward is home to a diverse group of people. The latest Census data shows nearly equal representation among whites (34.8%), Latinos (31.1%) and Blacks (30.2%). Ensuring the task force somewhat reflected that diversity without minimizing the Black community’s voice was key, Holness said.

“We know that this issue [of racism] is not one that the Black community can solve by itself,” Holness explained.