2020 has been a year that has tested our resilience. Not just in this nation, but in Contra Costa County.
I'm really proud of how our community, our County, and our cities have come together to protect each other and to get through this challenging year.
I want to acknowledge the great work of our county employees, especially our healthcare workers who really have put themselves out on the front lines to protect our community.
I want to also thank the community groups in our County that have worked hard to help those who are homeless, to help people who've needed school meals when schools were closed, who've helped people get through wildfire challenges, and who've helped people through power outages, and more.
I'm very proud how people have sacrificed for each other. Despite these challenges, our communities have stood up for change, for social justice, and for racial justice.
The Black Lives Matter protests and marches that occurred earlier in the year have laid the groundwork for making our County a better place for everyone. The Board of Supervisors recently approved a proposal by Supervisor Glover and I to create a new Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice. I'm looking forward to working with our communities to make this happen in 2021.
I strongly believe that we are going to get through this and we will be stronger on the other end. I believe that the partnerships and the relationships that have been formed to help our community during this very tough year are going to stay with us past the pandemic.
As the late Congressman and Civil Rights leader John Lewis said: "When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just; you have to stand up and just say something. You have to do something."
I think we can confidently say that residents in Contra Costa stood up and did something in 2020 to protect each other, and to make our lives easier during these challenging times.
Thank you Contra Costa for your resilience!
Happy New Year!
