Juneteenth: Commemorating the end of slavery in the United States
Dear fellow King County employee,
Tomorrow, June 19, we celebrate Juneteenth, marking the day in 1865 that Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas, with word that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved Africans were now free.
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, and is an opportunity to reflect on and learn about our nation’s history, Black history, our shared history. It is a time to celebrate the vital contributions that Black and African Americans have made – and continue to make – to this country. It is an opportunity to learn from some of the most shameful aspects of our past as we work to create a better future. It is also a reminder that we must redouble our efforts to intentionally dismantle the institutions of systemic racism and the unearned privilege that comes with being born white, and build an equitable, racially just future.
Black History is our history, the heritage of our nation and county. While Juneteenth is not yet a National Holiday, it is recognized as a state holiday or officially recognized in 47 states. As King County Executive, I want us to make Juneteenth a day of service, learning, action and progress for all King County employees. Further, I pledge to work with our labor partners and the King County Council toward the goal of making Juneteenth an official holiday in honor and recognition of the immense contributions of Black and African Americans. I want to honor and recognize King County’s government’s Black African leaders for organizing and allowing our employee community to be part of a series of “Town Halls on Race, Racism & Change in the Age of COVID-19.” These sessions, dedicated to collective reflection and action, unity, and healing, center on the depth and breadth of the Black African experience, especially in the wake of police violence against and killings of Black and Brown people, and the ongoing trauma of racialized violence. Our Balanced You Program has also curated a list of Emotional well-being resources for Black communities to support health and healing of our Black employees.
Today, Black and African Americans continue to face deeply entrenched racism, violence, and discrimination. We all have a role to play in building a racially just future. We can start by learning about systemic racism and what we can do to dismantle it. Let us commemorate Juneteenth as a day of healing and reflection for Black employees, and a day of service for all King County employees. I strongly encourage us each to donate or volunteer as we are able at local community-based organizations that are Black-led or advance issues and priorities for Black/African American communities. You can find a list of organizations that participate in our Employee Giving Program here. Later this year you will be able to donate time as well as money during the 2020 Annual Giving Drive. You can also find resources on being an anti-racism ally here.
Juneteenth 2020 is a time for hope, marked by historic demonstrations and calls for racial justice in King County and across the United States, indeed around the world. It is time to turn these calls into action, to harness the passion and momentum, to stand together and truly live our We are Racially Just value, to grasp this moment in our history and build a future free of racism, violence, and hate.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine
King County Executive
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King County distributing 25 million face coverings to residents, workers and businesses
With King County preparing for a transition to Phase 2 of the Governor’s Safe Start Plan, and county and state directives about face coverings in effect, the county is distributing 5 million cloth face coverings and 20 million disposable face coverings to residents, workers and businesses.
“We made good progress at flattening the curve, and saved thousands of lives, but with increasing activity comes the need for ever-increasing vigilance to protect each other from COVID-19,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “The county is providing these face coverings at no cost so that everyone who needs them can get them.”
The county’s goal is that each resident could receive two cloth face coverings, which can be washed and re-used. The disposable face coverings are intended for use by customers and community members who don’t have their own face coverings at government offices, retailers, faith-based organizations, and other gathering places. The distribution plan is being finalized with the help of various government agencies and community organizations, including cities, chambers of commerce, the King County Department of Local Services, community-based organizations, religious institutions and unions.
“We have received the first shipment of 1.5 million cloth face coverings and have already distributed them to 16 cities in the county and the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce,” said Brendan McCluskey, director of King County Emergency Management.
Due to the high volumes of face coverings, not all will arrive or be shipped out at the same time, and distribution may take about a month.
The King County Council received a supplemental budget request on June 11 which includes about $11 million for the purchase of the 25 million face coverings.
In addition to the recent purchase of 25 million face coverings, King County will receive another 800,000 cloth face coverings from the state which will be distributed by community organizations to residents in need. The county also bought 75,000 17-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer for distribution through the same groups as above, for use by employees and customers.
Separately, King County Emergency Management has already distributed 50,000 cloth face coverings received from the state to community-based organizations, more than 31,500 to cities for employee use, and 48,000 (22,000 from the state and 26,000 purchased) to King County employees.
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Finding connection and centering People of Color during Pride 2020
In June of every year, Pride Month – a celebration of visibility, equality, connection, and self-affirmation – is celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community across the country and around the world. This year, as the Black Lives Matter movement grows, it is important to remember that the first Pride was held in commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall riots. These riots, led by trans women of color fighting against police brutality and oppression, were the catalyst for the rights our LGBTQ+ community has today.
As we continue to protect ourselves and our community from coronavirus, we know that a quarantined Pride will look different than past Prides. Though parades have been canceled, the celebrations have not, and Balanced You encourages you to take this time to intentionally live into the spirt of Pride by connecting safely, uniting virtually, and amplifying and celebrating the queer Black and Brown voices who paved the way for equal rights.
Pride 2020 marks the 50th year of Pride celebrations. In the face of the pandemic, organizers throughout Seattle and the world have come together to develop virtual Pride events. Visit the Balanced You blog for more information.
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Looking back at Pride in celebration and solidarity
Usually at this time of year, King County employees, family, and friends are getting ready to take part in the Seattle Pride Parade and other community events in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
While we can’t celebrate in person this year, we will celebrate the spirit of Pride, the fight for equality and acceptance for all, and the voices and rights of Black and Brown LGBTQ+ people.
We’ve put together short video to look back at King County Pride over the years, and remind us that the fight continues today. Watch the video here and below.
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Pet of the Week: Sunny
Even when it’s gray and rainy outside, our Pet of the Week Sunny is ready to brighten your life!
This seven-year-old boy was brought in by a good Samaritan on May 12. Sunny is a gentle and loving cat who likes to take things slow, so he’s one of our “Bashful Blue” pets. He may get nervous in new situations, so Sunny is looking for a family who understands that he might need some time to warm up. Once he gets to know you though, he will be a very devoted friend!
Sunny is neutered, current on vaccinations, and microchipped. He also has a few medical needs, and our staff would be happy to chat with you about those when you visit.
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Featured Job: Communications Specialist III – TLT
Salary: $77,840.67 – $98,667.50 Annually
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Term Limited Temporary, Full Time, 40 hrs/wk
Department: DCHS – Community & Human Services
Job Number: 2020SC11740
Division: Comm & Human Svcs Admin
Closing: 6/28/2020 11:59 PM Pacific
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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King County FBOD featured on PBS show for Lean accomplishments
The King County Finance and Business Operations Division (FBOD) was recently highlighted in the PBS show “Behind the Scenes with Host Laurence Fishburne.” The segment focused on FBOD’s success with Lean, and how people solve problems and improve processes with online Lean Six Sigma Training & Certification courses. View the video segment below, and learn more about King County’s Lean journey here.
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Free webinar: Coping with COVID-19 and Beyond, multiple dates
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our schedule and daily lives dramatically and potentially affected our mental, physical, and emotional health. It is especially important during this time to care for YOU. This one-hour webinar from Kaiser Permanente will focus on ways to cope with this pandemic and tricks to build resilience during this time of uncertainty and change.
Webinars will be held on various dates between now and July 2, from noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
Webinars are open to all employees and have limited capacity. You must register to receive the link to join. If a webinar is full, you can join a waitlist or choose a different date/time. A confirmation and reminder email will be sent prior to your scheduled webinar with the link to join.
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Lean Transformation Tuesdays webinar series, weekly at 2 p.m.
In Finance and Business Operations, our employees use Lean tools and thinking to continuously improve. We’ll discuss the successes (and failures!) we encountered on our Lean journey to complete our recent Yellow Belt projects, and how Lean methods have helped us re-examine our daily work routines.
Join us for this special webinar series that examines Lean transformation in action, every Tuesday at 2 p.m. Please use the links below to register for the sessions:
- June 23: Reporting Emergency Purchases & Eliminating Work: No More Contract Extensions, register here.
- June 30: Contract Purchase Agreement (CPA) Attachments + Small Contractor & Supplier Certification (SCS) Application Improvement, register here.
- July 7: Improving Interface from Debt Manager System to General Ledger + Immaterial Prior Period Adjustments, register here.
- July 14: Reducing Duplicate and Lost Invoices in Accounts Receivable + Petty Cash/Impressed Fund/Change Fund Forms, register here.
- July 21: Reducing Invoice Production Time + ePay the Lean Way + Property Tax Administration System (PTAS) + Improving Access to FPIC by Facilitating Navigation, register here.
Visit the new FBOD Lean page to view descriptions for each session, and access Lean tools to tackle your own process improvement project.
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Black Lives Matter. What’s next?
A personal, reflective piece by Dr. Gloria Ngezaho, Workforce Equity Manager, Department of Human Resources
It was just a couple of weeks ago that I, alongside the world, witnessed the murder of George Floyd at the hands, or should I say knees, of a White police officer. I sat in silence, along with my family, angry and not knowing what to do. It wasn’t too long after that I decided to share my thoughts with my network. This was a space I needed in that moment, because my entire family was hurting, and I needed to let out the fire that was in me. The following morning, as I prepared to go on my usual morning jog, my four-year-old said, “Daddy, can I kiss you?” At first, it sounded innocent and normal, until he followed the kiss with “Daddy, please be careful. I don’t want you to die.” Right then and there, I knew my kids were scared. Witnessing George Floyd call for his mom while gasping for that last breath was a moment that’s deepened those scars.
Although I held myself in the moment, I shed a few tears and went about my jog. I spent the rest of my jog thinking about what was next. What else? More than just posting and sharing with my network? “I have to do more! I have to for my kids! For the future! I can’t just be here and be angry.” As my thoughts wondered in many different places, suddenly, I got a text from a dear friend: “You are not alone.” Her message was timely because even though I was walking alone, there were plenty of folks holding me in their thoughts. This text reminded me of the following points I’d like to share with everyone, as reminders about best ways to remain constructive while advocating for change.
1. It is NOT Black vs. White
Contrary to some rhetoric out there, the challenges we face are not between Black skinned folks vs. White skinned folks. This is about everyone, at least everyone who does not associate with and subscribe to white supremacy, or racism. There are plenty of folks in my circles who have tried to reframe this fight against racism, and made it sound like it was a fight between Black skinned folks and White skinned folks. I have continuously had to check and correct them, making it clear that we are fighting against a cancerous ideology – white supremacy – not people.
2. Slow Down to Go Fast
I had to remind myself to slow down. It is much easier to make mistakes and make things worse in the heat of the moment because every response tends to be reactionary. I realized I was going too fast, wanting to act on every thought that was coming my way, wanting to jump on every train of thought and action without thinking about the impact and consequences. To slow down, I’ve had to ask the following questions: Am I myself in this moment? What’s driving my actions right now? Is this the right way to proceed? Who else can I connect with?
3. I am NOT Alone
I have to remind myself that I am not alone in this fight. When I say I am not alone, I don’t mean to say there are other Black skinned folks out there facing the same struggles and fighting alongside me. I mean to say that there are many folks of all skin colors (Asian, Black, White, Latinx, Native, Mixed…) who are with me, marching with me, thinking with me, fighting alongside me, often with their own lives on the line. This leads me back to the first point I made; this is not a Black vs. White issue, but about everyone vs. racism.
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