ATLANTA MAYOR ANDRE DICKENS

PROGRESS

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

MY VISION

My goal as Mayor is to revitalize and prioritize the City's Human Relations Commission by providing more autonomy, authority, and funding to the Commission. I aim to promote more efficient and effective use of grant dollars provided to the City by the federal government's Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOWPA). Additionally, I plan to commission a study to ensure gender pay equity for City employees and elevate workforce development for LGBTQ youth and trans people. To attract LGBTQ conferences and create jobs, I will leverage Invest Atlanta incentives and promote tourism in the City. I will continue to promote Atlanta as the LGBTQ capital of the South and the Black LGBTQ capital of the US and plan to expand the City's LGBTQ Advisory Board to prioritize the needs of the LGBTQ community.

MY PROGRESS

As Mayor of Atlanta, I have worked hard to ensure that the city's COVID-19 recovery plan is equitable for all. We have implemented two guaranteed income program pilots, a weatherization initiative, and a vaccination campaign that reached 2 million people, resulting in above-average vaccination rates for city employees. Additionally, we launched several programs to improve the financial security of children, including a child savings account program, a weatherization assistance program, and a food security initiative.

One of my proudest initiatives has been the Women and Gender Justice Initiative, which aims to advance the rights and opportunities for women and girls. We celebrated Women's History Month and Women's Equality Day and planned the launch of the City's first Women's Employee Resource Group. I also led collaborative efforts to develop recommendations and policy proposals in response to the impending closure of the Atlanta Medical Center and to address disparities observed in marginalized women.

I was honored to mark the 116th anniversary of the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre and host two dinners that brought together people of all backgrounds to have vital conversations on how this history connects to systemic issues today and inspire positive action for moving forward together. We also secured a partnership with the Radow Institute for Social Equity to support creating a city-wide, equity-focused strategic plan.

I was thrilled to present the 2022 Mayor's Pride Exhibit and host the 3rd Annual Mayor's Black Pride Reception and 4th Annual Mayor's Pride Reception, which raised over $120,000 for the Mayor's Youth Scholarship Program. The city received its 10th consecutive perfect 100 score, plus 12 bonus points, on the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index. We also took several actions in observance of Transgender Day of Visibility, including hiring the first-ever Transgender Affairs Executive Fellow and establishing the first LGBTQ Employee Resource Group.