The Greenville County Racial Equity and Economic Mobility (REEM) Commission has announced the formation of five community subcommittees with plans to extend its work throughout 2021.

The commission, which is co-chaired by the Hon. Merl F. Code and David Lominack, formed in August to convene around matters of racial inequities, social justice, and disparities in key areas that negatively impact the Black community in Greenville County.

“Early meetings of the commission have been focused on building our shared knowledge base,” said Code. “Re-learning and educating is a time-consuming, yet essential part of this process. We are dedicated to laying the groundwork for real, lasting change in our community. And after just three months, we believe we are on the path to progress.”

During the commission’s November meeting, the group established subcommittees to focus on five key areas. They are Income and Wealth; Criminal Justice; Education and Workforce Development; Health and Wellness; and Communitywide Learning. Commissioners have been assigned to serve on the subcommittees, which will meet throughout 2021 to identify needs, work with community members and develop issue-area action plans.

The commission is comprised of more than 30 community leaders from diverse backgrounds and industries who share a commitment to creating change in Greenville County. Initially planned to meet for just six months, the commission decided to extend its work through December 2021, at which time it will release a final community-wide action plan.

“While we initially planned to meet for just six months, we’ve realized more time is necessary to do this work right,” said Lominack. “As we lay the foundation, we must include all the necessary voices to make real change happen.”

To keep the community informed about the work, this week the commission also launched reemgvl.org. The website will be used to share research, update the commission’s progress, and collect ideas and input from the community.