From National League of Cities

WASHINGTON, D.C. — William H. Pitt, North Carolina League of Municipalities vice President and Washington council member, has been appointed to the National League of Cities 2019 Race, Equity and Leadership council. The council will provide an incredible opportunity for him to share his expertise and insights on how NLC can achieve the overall mission of the REAL initiative: to strengthen the leadership capacity of local elected officials to eliminate racial disparities, heal racial tensions and build more equitable communities.

The appointment was announced by NLC President and Mayor of Gary, Indiana, Karen Freeman-Wilson.

“I am excited and ready to be engaged. We win when we are all at the table,” Pitt said.

As a REAL council member, Pitt will play a key role in shaping NLC’s policy positions and advocate on behalf of America’s cities and towns before Congress, with the administration and at home.

REAL is NLC’s effort to equip its membership with the capacity to respond to racial tensions in their communities and address the historical, systemic and structural barriers that further inequity and racism in our nation’s cities. Systemic, institutional racism and bias have had negative impacts on public policy. A focus on racial equity provides NLC the opportunity to align its unique strengths and resources across the organization to proactively prepare city leaders to apply a racial equity lens to policies, initiatives, programs and budgets. A racial equity lens offers city leaders the opportunity to create meaningful conversations and take action by assessing the ways in which municipal government can both benefit and burden racially diverse communities.

The leadership of this year’s council will consist of: co-chair Lovely Warren, mayor, Rochester, New York; co-chair Kate Stewart, mayor, Takoma Park, Maryland; co-vice chair Jake Spano, Mayor, St. Louis Park, Minnesota; and co-vice chair Russel C. Neal Jr., councilmember, Akron, Ohio.

For more information about NLC’s REAL council, contact Kiera White. at 202-626-3021 or White@nlc.org.

The National League of Cities is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans. Find out more at www.nlc.org.