RASE CARTs & Powerbrokers of Rochester

Overview

The Commission on Racial and Structural Equity (RASE) was appointed in August of 2020 by former Mayor Lovely Warren and County Executive Adam Bello. The Commission was charged to review local city and county laws, policies, and ordinances to identify areas of structural inequity and recommend ways to change those laws to achieve fair application for all citizens. In March of 2021, the Commission delivered the 215 recommendation Racial and Structural Equity (RASE) Report to the mayor and county executive spanning the areas of Business Development, Criminal Justice, Education, Healthcare, Housing, Human Services, Job Creation, Mental Health and Addiction Services, and Policing. In addition, the Commission called for a successor organization to be named and given the authority to monitor the timeliness of the implementation of the recommendations and establish a manner for reporting back to the community.

In March of 2022, the Urban League of Rochester was selected as the successor organization to the RASE Commission. The Urban League, in order to be inclusive, convened a group of over 450 for-profit, non-profit, and community leaders called the Powerbrokers of Rochester to review the recommendations. The Powerbrokers focused on understanding how every person in their respective area of service could lean-in and take a leadership role in actualizing the more than 200 recommendations contained in the report. This group operates as a two-way conduit between community members and elected officials to monitor the implementation of the recommendations and to hold the city and county to account for equitable results.

In December of 2022, some members of the Powerbrokers along with community residents organized into Community Advancing Recommendation Teams (CARTs). CARTs are community-led groups operating under the umbrella of the Urban League of Rochester (ULR) to work specifically on implementing the RASE recommendations. CARTs represent the Urban League’s efforts to ensure, transparency of the City’s and County’s efforts to implement the recommendations, and inclusivity of diverse voices in the process.

The Urban League believes it will take the entire Monroe County community to bring the recommendations forward and create an equitable Rochester. Through the power of collaboration and partnering directly with community members, we will utilize a collective impact approach to organize and prioritize the recommendations across eight CARTs: Criminal Justice & Policing, Human/Social Services, Education, Healthcare, Housing, Business Development & Job Creation, Services for Older Adults, and Mental Health and Addiction Services.

We believe that it will take all of us to bring the recommendations forward to create a more equitable Rochester. The Urban League believes in the power of collaboration and partnering with our community directly. Utilizing a collective impact approach, we seek to form working groups across nine sectors: Criminal Justice & Policing, Human/Social Services, Services for Older Adults, Entrepreneurship and Wealth Building, Education, Healthcare, Housing, Job Creation, and Mental Health and Addiction Services. 

Please join us in this effort.

CART & Powerbroker Meeting Dates/Times

Contact interruptracism@ulr.org to receive meeting link info.

CART Facilitators

Listed below are the Meeting Coordinators and Scribes for our CART (Community Advancing Recommendation Teams):

  • Business Development & Job Creation

  • Criminal Justice & Policing: Cynthia Herriott and Dr. Rashid Muhammad

  • Education: Joseph Fargnoli

  • Healthcare: Thomas Green and Jackie Dozier

  • Housing: Laurie Mahoney and Ronald Washington

  • Human/Social Services: Sandra Katz

  • Mental Health & Addiction Services: Regina Bradley

  • Services for Older Adults: Martha Hope & Phyllis Jackson

Urban league team

  • Dr. Seanelle Hawkins, President & CEO

  • Dr. Candice Lucas, Senior Vice President, Equity and Advocacy

  • Mr. Taurean Uthman, Education CART

  • Mr. Mazi Bakari, Business Development and Job Creation CART

  • Mr. Ronald Washington, Housing CART

  • Shannon Regelsberger, Coordinator, Equity and Advocacy

Recommended “Quick Wins”

In 2020, the mayor and the county executive appointed the Commission on Racial and Structural Equity (RASE). The charge of the commission was to review local city and county laws, policies, and ordinances to identify areas of structural inequity and recommend ways to change those laws to achieve fair application for all citizens. In 2023, the Urban League of Rochester was selected to lead the community process and to assist with the implementation of the recommendations. Below is a summary of the priorities from each of the CARTs along with meeting times for community engagement and feedback. All meetings are virtual.

  • Priority Focus:

    • Conduct an internal audit of existing support services to determine shortcomings that are preventing services from reaching eligible businesses (pg. 76 printed//pg. 91 digital).

    • Provide matchmaking for MWBE vendors and subcontractors with municipal agencies, prime contractors,

    and major local purchasers (pg. 79 printed//pg. 93 digital).

    • Audit the City and County’s business development services to better coordinate outreach and

    communication, eliminate duplication and assess the efficiency of current services (pg. 79 printed//pg. 93

    digital).

  • Priority Focus:

    • End Pre-Textual Stops (pg. 87 printed//pg. 100 digital).

    • Invest in restorative and diversion programs (pg. 91 printed//pg. 104 digital).

    • Police Hiring and Community Engagement (pg. 217-221 printed//pg. 226-229 digital).

  • Priority Focus:

    • Advocate all county school districts to implement a K-12 multi-racial, anti-racist, and cultural curriculum and

    require proof of inclusion in teachers’ lesson plans (pg. 113 printed//pg. 126 digital).

    • Implement and incentivize practices and programs that increase the racial/ethnic diversity and cultural

    competence of employees, vendors, and contractors. (Recruiting and retaining significantly larger numbers of

    Black and other teachers and administrators-of-color in the Rochester City School District and Monroe County

    Public Schools) (pg. 58 printed//pg. 73 digital).

    • Integrate Monroe County Youth Services into each school system to provide a continuation of access to

    learning and social/emotional support during student suspensions and long-term absences (pg. 106 printed//pg.

    119 digital).

  • Priority Focus:

    • Establish a standing Health Committee in the Monroe County Legislature and Rochester City Council with a

    charge that includes eliminating health disparities for Black, Indigenous and People of Color.) (pgs. 121

    printed//pgs. 134 digital).

  • Priority Focus:

    • Work to reduce or eliminate exclusionary zoning. (pg. 141 printed//pg. 153 digital).

    • Support the expansion of community-controlled models of homeownership and rental housing. (pg. 142

    printed//pg. 154 digital).

  • Priority Focus:

    • MCDHS must develop a strategic plan for implementing an equitable case practice, with a shared vision that

    includes the development and consistent use of criteria to make decisions about the removal of children and

    service provisions. (pg. 149 printed//pg. 160 digital).

    • Create a Cultural Competence Advisory Committee (pg. 166 printed//pgs. 176 digital).

  • Priority Focus:

    • Develop Community Behavioral Health Advocates (CBHA), a program employing local residents who are

    trained and certified to assist people with advocacy; offer help to connect with and navigate behavioral

    health services; identify distressed persons who need services before emergencies occur; and provide lowcomplexity therapeutic interventions, as appropriate. (pg. 188 printed//pg. 196 digital).

    • Develop, maintain, and update regularly a community-wide inventory of mental health and substance

    treatment resources, with online and tablet-based tools that can be used readily by individuals, families,

    navigators, and clergy for defining needs and facilitating access to care. (pgs. 190 printed//pgs. 199 digital).

    • Re-examine and modify the interpretation of DHS regulations that affect people with mental health and

    substance use disorders, including but not limited to attendance and compliance requirements, which

    otherwise may disqualify them for services (pg. 191 printed//pg. 200 digital).

  • Priority Focus:

    • Support and invest in livable communities for older adults initiative (pg. 160 printed//pg. 170 digital).

    • Establish a healthcare for Older Adults task force (pg. 5 of Older Adults Subcommittee that starts on pg. 241

    printed//pg. 251 digital).

    • Address the long-term condition of elder poverty by joining community efforts to raise wages and address

    employment discrimination (pg. 8 of Older Adults Subcommittee that starts on pg. 241 printed//pg. 254

    digital).

    G

Roster

  • Olivine Adams

    Marjorie Allan

    Carmen Allen

    Sarah Apo

    Tracy Archie

    Debra Argus

    Jim Armstrong

    April Aycock

    Omobowale Ayorinde

    Basil Barrett

    Erin Barry

    Thomas Bartlett

    Denise Battles

    Eliza Benedick

    Stephanie Benson

    Marlene Bessette

    Talethea Best

    Matthew Beyer

    Martin Birmingham

    Anita Black

    Kathleen Black

    Derrill Blue

    Mary Boatfield

    Eliza Boll

    Carol Borsa

    Mike Boucher

    Susan Boynton-Frykholm

    Regina Bradley

    James Branciforte

    Kristen Brown-Lily

    Dan Burns

    Dan Butler

    Takiyah Butler

    Lisa Butt

    Shanique Byrd

    Essie Calhoun-McDavid

    Julie Camardo

    Jackie Campbell

    Carlos Carballada

    Scott Carney

    Bill Carpenter

    Kesha Carter

    Vicki Charles

    Beth Ciardi

    Holly Cicconi-Eggleston

    Alexandra Cicero

    Keith Cleary

    Ja'Quez Cochran

    Charmaine Cohen

    Marc Cohen

    Kevin M. Coleman

    Adrienne Collier

    Shaunta Collier-Rankin

    Megan Connor-Murphy

    James Cooper

    Wanda Cooper

    Sim Covington, Jr.

    Maria Cristalli

    Corinda Crossdale

    Travis Cundy

    Michael D'Arcangelo

    Joyesha Davidson

    Meaghan de Chateauvieux

    Elisa DeJesus

    Rick DeJesus-Rueff

    Donna Del Santo

    Andrea DeMeo

    Adine DeMond

    Diane DeRuyter

    Linda Dickey

    Junior Dillion

    Andre Dixon

    Ed Doherty

    Jackie Dozier

    Lori Drescher

    Bob Duffy

    Diane Dukes

    Howard Eagle

    Jill Eisenstein

    Maisha Enaharo

    Gregory Ewing

    Beverly Fair-Brooks

    Sarah Farash

    Dave Fiedler

    Theodora Finn

    Sady Fischer

    Barbara Fish

    Stephanie Fitzgerald

    Clifford Florence

    Ashley Freeman

    Patrina Freeman

    Emerson Fullwood

    Shawn Futch

    Calvin Gantt

    William Gargan

    Natsanet Gebregzibher

    Marisa Geitner

    Mary Gifkins

    Pete Giovenco

    Barb Glassman

    Melinda Goldberg

    Christina Gray

    Theresa Green

    Taren Greenidge

    Theresa Gringer

    Todd Gursslin

    Latise Hairston

    Sharon Hancock

    Sean Hart

    Rio Hartwell

    Terry Hastings

    Seanelle Hawkins

    Nicolle L. Haynes

    Cheryl Hayward

    Myra Henry

    Denise Herrera

    Emily Hessney Lynch

    LaVada Howard

    Christine Hunt

    Matt Hurlbutt

    Linda Isaacson Fedele

    Clifford Florence

    Chris Jagel

    Becky Jagla

    Portia James

    Russell James

    Steve Jarose

    Christian Jefferson

    Keith Jenkins

    Elaine Johnson

    Julio Jordan

    Annie kamara

    Sandra Katz

    Linda Ketchum-Pompili

    Deanna Kimbrel

    Ahlia Kitwana

    Mark Kokanovich

    Jennifer Kowalik

    Jennifer Leonard

    Curt Long

    Sharnita Lovette

    Lynn Lubecki

    Candice Lucas

    Britton Lui

    Heidi Macpherson

    Salomon Madera

    Sarah Mangelsdorf

    Faheem Masood

    Yasmin Mattox

    Josie McClary

    Maranne McDade Clay

    Langston Mcfadden

    Patrick McGrath

    Abigail McHugh-Grifa

    William McIlvride

    Dominique Mckinnon

    Janet Mejias

    Rebekah Meyer

    Stuart Michell

    Chantz Miles

    Erica Mock

    Mario Mongeon

    Joe Morelle

    Gail Morelle

    Phil Morgan

    Judy Morse

    Rashid Muhammad

    Jennifer Muniga

    Mahreen Mustafa George

    Lesli Myers-Small

    Sharon Napier

    Suzanne Nasipak Chapman

    Loriane Ngarambe

    Mitchell Nusbaum

    Suzanne Nye

    Clara O'Connor

    dt ogilvie

    George Opira

    Luis Ormaechea

    Denishea Ortiz

    Jesus Paesch

    Rohan Parikh

    Joanie Parker

    Angelica Perez

    Peter Peters

    Sheila Pickett

    Terry Platt

    Jason Polasek

    Ronalyn Pollack

    Aqua Porter

    Tiffany Quinn

    Donna Rahman

    John Ramerman

    Annette Ramos

    Scott Rasmussen

    Jim Reed

    Richard Reingold

    Kenneth Rhee

    William Rivera-Bloodworth

    Michlen Robinson

    Erika Rosenberg

    Rachel Rosner

    Robbie Routenberg

    Hank Rubin

    Alexis Russell

    Kevyn Rustici

    Victor Sanchez

    Jaime Saunders

    Jessica Savage

    Joseph Searles

    Rachel Sherman

    Courtney Shouse

    Jonathan Siegel

    Andishey Simmons

    Mary Simmons

    Scott Sittig

    Gregory Smith

    Sabrina Smith

    Tisha Smith

    Terrell Smith

    Kevin Spencer

    Hannah Stark

    Eleanor Stauffer

    Andrew Stephens

    Andre Stokes

    Mike Streeter

    Cicely Strickland-Ruiz

    Sheila Strong

    Donnalynn Sullivan

    Raymond Sykes

    Maggie Symington

    Fred Tanksley

    Mark Taubman

    Julia Tedesco

    Robert Thompson

    Erin Thompson

    Laura Thompson

    Robert H. Thompson

    Amiah Tracy

    Charisma Travis

    Anne Tucker

    Wayne Uter

    Taurean Uthman

    Patricia Uttaro

    Laurie Valentine

    Kristen Van Hooreweghe

    Ronald Washington

    Christine Wagner

    Sherry Walker-Cowart

    Brittaney Wells

    Ann Marie White

    Sharon White

    Tyler White

    Zariah Williamson

    Wanda Wilson

    Thalia Wright

    Alan Ziegler

    Heidi Zimmer-Meyer