Dear Friends,
Election season has been, and continues to be, intense. The Nation is anxious to learn who will be our next president and is grappling with the outcomes of many propositions and measures.
Sadly, EDGE’s supported initiative, Proposition 16, will not pass this year. Prop 16 would have taken California off a very short list of only nine states that banned affirmative action. Its passage would have provided a means to advance equity in the workforce, in education, and in contracting. It would have been an opportunity for California to level the field for people of color and women. In addition, it would have advanced EDGE’s mission of economic mobility for all Californians while addressing employer workforce needs. Sadly, Prop 16 will not be a tool in our equity toolbox for now.
Although all of us here at the CA EDGE Coalition are feeling the loss, we remain determined and committed to developing alternative strategies that will achieve the goals and intent of Prop 16, which will in turn further our mission.
In the spirit of progress and hope, I am pleased to share EDGE’s newly defined policy priorities that will guide our work in the coming year and beyond. We will continue to advance equity in economic mobility while supporting businesses to meet their workforce needs, with special focus on communities that have historically experienced barriers in accessing prosperity in California.
As we work through this election season, I urge you to take time for yourself, show kindness to others, and to get energized because we have work to do. I look forward to collaborating with you to achieve mutual goals.
When individuals thrive, communities prosper. When communities prosper, California thrives.
Sincerely,
Zima Creason