Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The City of Winston-Salem Human Relations/Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Department is committed to the philosophy of inclusion, equal opportunity, and fair treatment in employment, housing, and public accommodations by providing, facilitating, promoting, anticipating, studying, and recommending programs, projects, feedback, and actions for the elimination of discrimination in municipal programs and services, as well as all fields of human relationships.

The department will work collaboratively with city departments to examine existing internal policies, procedures, and programs that may perpetuate systematic inequities and institutional racism. We will also use an equity lens when developing new policies, programs, and citywide initiatives. 

To advance equity and inclusion within municipal government, the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) racial equity framework is being employed. The City of Winston-Salem is a member of GARE, which is a national network of government jurisdictions working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all by: 

• Making a commitment to achieving racial equity;
• Focusing on the power and influence of their own institutions; and
• Working in partnership with others.

What is the difference between equality and equity?

Equality means each individual or group of people are given the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and is allocated the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

In the first photo, everyone is provided one box to stand on, although the difference in their height impacts their view of the game. One person is unable to see the game completely.

In the second photo, everyone is provided the type of support needed to view the game. Due to their height, one person can view the game without a box and another is provided two boxes to view the game over the fence. 

In the third photo, the fence (barrier) was removed and all three people can see the game. This equates to the inequity being addressed. 

An Equity Action Plan is a guiding document to advance equity and inclusion initiatives. It also identifies goals and objectives, as well as actions and outcomes for each goal. The visual below, provided courtesy of the Government Alliance on Race & Equity, demonstrates the process for the creation and implementation of the plan. 

Employee Equity Survey

The results of the 2022 Employee Equity Survey may be found here.

The survey responses and employee concerns presented herein demonstrate a wide range of equity concerns that have since been addressed and/or are being addressed by the Human Resources Department. Due to personnel privacy, this overview does not include responses to the open-ended survey questions; however, the responses have been shared with the appropriate departments, including the City Manager's Office, the City Attorney's Office, and the Human Resources Department, for close examination and follow-up.