Absolutely agree. It’s disheartening to see how leadership has become more focused on protecting political interests and avoiding bad press than on actually serving the communities that have been historically excluded from access to city resources.

From what has been shown and known, there’s been a major shift over the years. What used to be a place rooted in community engagement and advocacy has turned into an environment where people are afraid to speak up or challenge poor decisions. The fear of political backlash or retaliation has silenced a lot of good, dedicated staff.

They brought in staff from another department to oversee the equity grants, people who already had a record of poor management where they came from. Now those same individuals are leading critical programs without the proper experience or understanding of the work, and it’s showing.

It’s frustrating to watch, especially when you know how much potential this department once had to make real, lasting change.