Racial Disparities in Somerset County Employment

In 2009, the Somerset County NAACP and ACLU of Maryland released a report, "Semper Eadem: Always the Same?," examining the demographics of Somerset County government, which revealed troubling disparities between the numbers of African Americans who live in Somerset County, and the number employed in the government and schools there, especially at the upper echelons. In response to that report, and a well-attended town hall meeting was held, where many in the community came together and formed a Task Force on Diversity, to develop a strategy for addressing these disparities. The Task Force held a series of meetings and finalized a comprehensive set of recommendations intended to ensure that local government values diversity and that Somerset County is an inclusive and welcoming place.

• Report: Semper Eadem: "Always the Same"?
• Press release: Semper Eadem: "Always the Same"? ACLU, NAACP Report Reveals Disturbing Racial Disparities in Somerset County Government
• Final recommendations from the Somerset County Task Force on Diversity
• ACLU letter to Department of Justice, 3/24/2010
• Press release: ACLU, NAACP Urge U.S. Justice Department to Investigate Racial Disparities in Somerset County