On Tuesday, November 19, the Racial Equity and Social Justice Bill (Bill 27-19) was passed unanimously by the Montgomery County Council!

While there’s a lot of work ahead of us to ensure full and effective implementation of this new law, it’s also important we take a moment to recognize and celebrate what we have accomplished together.  Let’s celebrate at Not Your Average Joe‘s (8661 Colesville Road, Suite C-153, Silver Spring MD) on Thursday, December 5 from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm.  We look forward to seeing you there!

The final version of Bill 27-19 incorporated amendments presented by members of the MORE Network, including the following:

• Increases the number of community members on the Racial Equity and Social Justice Advisory Committee from three to eight.
• Requires all bills (except for expedited ones) to have a racial equity analysis before being enacted.
• Provides annual $2,000 stipend for community members serving on the advisory committee.
• Mandates racial equity and social justice training for all county staff.

This is a HUGE win for the MORE Network–in fact, Council President Navarro pointed to the work of MORE several times in her remarks.

This historic moment was covered in both The Washington Post and Bethesda BEAT with some great quotes from network members Carolyn Lowery, Hashim Jabar, and Joanna Silver!