Pittsburgh City Council passes bills designed to eliminate racial disparities

Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday gave final approval for legislation that authorizes the creation of a racial equity commission and commits the city to a 10-point plan for erasing inequalities.

Council approved both bills unanimously and Mayor Bill Peduto is expected to sign them.

Councilman Ricky Burgess, one of the sponsors, thanked members for their support.

“I’m hoping maybe now in 2020 this is our time,” he said. “This is the time that we move forward as a city to begin to say that Black Pittsburgh matters. Four hundred years and we still have these inequities. Four hundred years and we see this pain. Now moving forward I will endeavor to take the first step toward harmony and take the first step toward reconciliation.”

The commission will consist of 13 to 17 members who will advise officials on programs designed to reduce institutional racism in Pittsburgh.

Council in the second bill adopted 10 commitments to be used as guiding principles in eliminating race-based disparities in Pittsburgh.

They include such things as using a “racial-equity lens” in all decisions, promoting racial equity in all authorities and government agencies and transforming Black neighborhoods into stable, mixed-income communities.