VIII. Introduction

“The wrong first question is what do we need to do? The right first question is who do we need to become?” –Benjamin McBride

Washington state will transform from its current state to a Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) ecosystem (future state).

Current state:

Some Washingtonians question the legitimacy of state government because decisions are consistently made without them.

Some Washingtonians question whether state government is effective because it is not delivering services that meet their needs. People feel devalued and often cannot 
access services.

Some Washingtonians do not trust state government because of its history of oppression and marginalization. People are left behind, hopeless, homeless, frustrated, and disconnected.

Future state:

Implementing Washington’s Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) Ecosystem Plan & Playbook (Executive Order 22-04) is a critical dimension of the state’s pursuit of bridging opportunity gaps and reducing disparities, including racial and ethnic disparities, statewide and across state government, to keep Washington a great place to live, learn, work, play, and stay.

To remain the number one place to live in the nation and to become a Belonging state, our state government must be able to implement a pro-equity, anti-racism (PEAR) approach that goes beyond meeting government mandates and legal compliance; it is about recognizing that a state workplace culture of equity, justice, access, and belonging produces a competitive business advantage and return on investment with regard to performance, outcomes, and learning. It is about state agencies and communities that are traditionally left out and left behind working together toward reaching our broad, shared goal of achieving equity here: especially in public contracting, public employment, public education, and access to public services (Executive Order 22-02).

The role of leadership is to create a PEAR culture rooted in equity, justice, access, and belonging to ensure that all people in Washington flourish and achieve their full potential, embody pro-equity anti-racism values, and enjoy peace, prosperity, and possibility now and for generations to come.

Success requires leaders to 1) formally assess their own biases and personal experiences in order to listen, learn, and lead employees in this transformative work, 2) be willing to exhibit exemplary leadership behaviors and implement the processes necessary for attaining both short- and long-term PEAR goals, and 3) prioritize on-going learning opportunities designed to meet the needs of the people we serve and the people who serve them.

Successful equity and belonging reform will involve ongoing experimentation, assessment, and innovation, most of which will challenge historical policies and practices that have presented barriers to achieving equity statewide and across state government, especially for those facing persistent inequities and injustice.

Formalized mechanisms of assessment will serve to hold leaders accountable for increasing and supporting equity and making a belonging environment an agency priority.

PEAR Champions, such as the agency head, the agency-level equity officer, and members of the agency PEAR Team or PEAR Team Advisory Group will play leading roles in promoting and sustaining an organizational culture that values and supports PEAR outcomes. Yet, achieving equity is everyone’s work. Applying equity considerations to every law, rule, policy, program, practice, procedure, and interaction both at agency headquarters and in the field requires the collective action of every employee throughout state agencies and Washington communities.