Kellee Coleman

Solidarity Economies: Hyperlocal Strategies to Create Durable and Equitable Communities During Times of Political Transformation

As our country undergoes major political shifts, it’s essential to focus on hyperlocal strategies that promote financial and social equity for ourselves and our communities. This session explores how to build solidarity economies and unity to address the racial wealth gap.

Through presentations, discussions, and interactive activities, speakers will share data and community-informed approaches to advancing hyperlocal economies for Black, Indigenous, Latine, and Asian American communities.

Miguel Algarin will outline the work of Living Cities' Closing the Gaps Cohort, demonstrating how partnerships with city governments and community organizations are helping local leaders leverage needs assessments, data, and technical assistance to advance wealth building pathways via home and business ownership. Miguel will discuss several strategies including shared ownership, community land trusts, local business incubation, and other innovative approaches we aim to support in our cities.

Kellee Coleman, from the City of Austin, will share her experiences engaging residents to shape local programs and policies, including efforts to boost homeownership and business ownership for BIPOC communities in Austin and her work building successful connections between local community organizations and city government.

Participants will walk away with an expanded toolkit of ways to collaborate with residents to name and address challenges in their respective communities, as well as a case study from the City of Austin about how they are leveraging community feedback to expand BIPOC homeownership. Join us to learn practical solutions for a more equitable housing landscape, where all individuals have the opportunity to thrive and build intergenerational wealth.

Building Authentic Community Government Partnerships

GARE's focus is on normalizing conversations about race, operationalizing new behaviors and policies, and organizing to achieve racial equity. GARE is seeing more and more jurisdictions that are making a commitment to achieving racial equity, focusing on the power and influence of their own institutions, and working in partnership across sectors and with the community to maximize impact.

When government prioritizes racial equity, relationships with community shift to authentic engagement and the sharing of power. This workshop will highlight the experiences of jurisdictions that have been recipients of the Innovation and Implementation fund, working with community to eliminate structural racism.

There is an increasingly strong field of practice. We are organizing in government with the belief that the transformation of government is essential for us to advance racial equity and is critical to our success as a nation.