Equity and Inclusion Office

Latest News

Results of Employee Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Survey 

Read the news release. Watch the press conference.

Our Position 

  • We believe every resident should be free to experience the full benefits of living, learning, and enjoying the privileges and opportunities available in Frederick County
  • We acknowledge that barriers exist which have prevented equitable outcomes for our residents.
  • We commit ourselves to an honest examination of County policies, our history, and our current status, for the purpose of identifying and addressing biases, inequities, and discriminatory practices.
  • We commit to building a welcoming environment throughout the County that is free of harassment, discrimination and disparities.
  • We are confident that a united, equitable, and just Frederick County is a worthy and achievable goal.

Racism as a Public Health Crisis

Because race and ethnicity have been tied directly to disparities in all health indicators for which sufficient data exists, County Executive Jan Gardner, Public Health Officer Dr. Barbara Brookmyer, and County Council Member M.C. Keegan-Ayer (District 3) signed a joint declaration of racism as a public health crisis. (March 18, 2021)

Initiate a Complaint of Discrimination: Complaint of Discrimination Form

Equity Leadership Team

County Executive Jan Gardner appointed a team of community members and stakeholders to help set goals and priorities in the areas of equity, diversity and inclusion. Recommendations from the team will provide a framework for change and will serve as the foundation for an action plan.

Watch the team's December 21, 2020, kick-off meeting here. 

Equity and Inclusion Officer Michael Hughes

Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer

Michael Hughes
Biography

12 East Church Street
Frederick, MD 21701
            301-600-1093

                                                        mwhughes@frederickcountymd.gov

                                                                                                  

 


Lakisha Wade

 Equity and Inclusion Coordinator

 Lakisha Wade
Biography

12 East Church Street
Frederick, MD 21701
         

                                         lwade@frederickcountymd.gov

                                                                     

Juneteenth:  

Let’s Make It Personal This Year

What occurred between 7:50 -8:00 that April morning ultimately changed the trajectory of my life. It was more than 20 years ago, and I was sitting in the parking lot outside of my office in Philadelphia, after having changed the dial just in time to catch the tail end of a program on public radio station WHYY.  What traveled from the airwaves to my ears were sounds that emanated from what I had considered to be the far, far, far away distant past. The voices coming through the speakers of my Honda Prelude were actual voice recordings of people that had been enslaved before the start of the Civil War.  


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