Dr. Rashawn Ray, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland, emphasized the major role of local government, especially Montgomery County, in setting the tone for racial equity and social justice, in a county council video Tuesday.
“I think that there is a lot of work that can be done at the local level that really really matters for changing people’s everyday experiences,” said Dr. Ray, who also serves as executive director of the lab for applied social science research at UMD.
Dr. Ray’s recent statements come only months after the county passed racial equity and social justice legislation, which established an office dedicated to the two efforts and requires county employees to complete racial equity training. He also touched on the importance of Montgomery County in shaping federal policies. Dr. Ray added that local levels for policies and legislations often establish a precedent for what could be adopted at the federal level.
“I tend to think that counties in Maryland, like Montgomery County, like Prince George’s County, can be at the forefront of making change at the federal level,” Dr. Ray said.
Montgomery County's #racialequity and #SocialJustice legislation established an Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice and also requires county employees to complete racial equity training. @SociologistRay says local gov't plays a major role in setting the tone on this issue. pic.twitter.com/HEG2FzwxB6
— Montgomery Council (@MoCoCouncilMD) June 30, 2020
