St. Paul City Council officially backs racial equity plan

The St. Paul City Council officially committed on Wednesday to a five-point plan to improve racial equity in the Twin Cities, proposed by a group of black leaders around the state.

The African American Leadership Forum says it wants the state to close the employment gap for black Minnesotans and make sure black firms get a fair share of business-to-business commerce, as well as government contracts. The forum also wants equity in philanthropy and for the state to pass racial equality funding and legislation.

Jeff Hassan, the forum's director, said the plan was reacting to a U.S. Census report last year that showed the median income for African-American people in Minnesota had dropped by 13 percent in 2014.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said he would back the plan and committed to improving the business his city does with firms owned by people of color.

He also said his administration has instituted department-level analyses of the differing impacts of city operations, with an eye toward finding and correcting racial disparities.

"[The analyses] have led to to changes in many different aspects of operations, from how we tow cars, when we have to tow them, how we enforce city codes, how we plow, where we plow, how we reach out to people and communicate what we're doing," Coleman said.

Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges endorsed the plan in April.