Prairie View A&M President Simmons to co-chair new Racial Equity Committee
Just a few months after proposing plans for a new Center for Race and Justice at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), President Ruth J. Simmons continues her steadfast mission to fight racism and discrimination, while upholding justice. Her new efforts will potentially affect eleven counties and over seven million people in the Greater Houston area through the region’s leading business organization.
Simmons, along with Gretchen Watkins, president of Houston-based Shell Oil Company, has been appointed to lead the Greater Houston Partnership’s new Racial Equity Committee. As co-chairs, they will guide their group of nearly two dozen company presidents, CEOs, COOs, and other high-profile leaders to address racial equity and racial justice issues in Houston.
“While the issues of racial inequity and systemic racism are not unique to Houston, we have an opportunity as Houstonians to lead the way in reforming broken systems, building up communities, offering support, and removing barriers,” says a statement on the Greater Houston Partnership website. “We often speak with pride of Houston being ‘America’s most diverse city.’ Now we must work to make Houston ‘America’s most inclusive and open city’, one that does truly offer ‘opportunity for all.’”
Since 1840, members of the Greater Houston Partnership have worked to address the city’s unique challenges while fostering economic growth. The Racial Equity Committee will further focus on mending equity issues related to education, health, housing, employment, economic opportunities, and criminal justice by engaging with local governments, non-profits, and other community groups.
“This committee will operate at the level of our two other board-member only direction-setting committees, the Public Policy Steering and Economic Development Steering committees.”
Click here to learn more about what the Greater Houston Partnership is doing to address racial inequality in Houston: www.houston.org/about/racial-equity-justice.
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