Malden council hears yearlong racial equity audit; DEI coordinator seeks staffing and funding support

Kishana Holling, DEI coordinator for the city of Malden, presented the results of a yearlong racial equity audit to the City Council, summarizing key findings, implementation recommendations and near-term priorities and noting that the work will require additional staffing and sustained support.

The audit, prepared with input from the Racial Equity Commission and a consultant identified in the presentation as HCH Enterprises, examined hiring practices, communication, community engagement and service delivery and recommended tools the city could use to track progress, including an "inclusive excellence scorecard." Holling told the council the audit "doesn't mark the end of the journey but rather gives us a roadmap for to guide, like, meaningful action."

Why it matters: the report identifies concrete steps the city could take to expand access to services, improve language and disability access, and institutionalize equity practices across departments. Holling said the city was awarded a $50,000 community-compact grant to fund DEI training, inclusive community events, and cross-department capacity building through 2026.

Holling described actions already…