On February 20, 2018, Haas Institute Director john a. powell gave the keynote address at the Sacramento-based Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) 2018 Capitol Cohort speaker series. The event was attended by over 170 state government employees from a range of sectors (education, public health, corrections & rehabilitation, transportation, housing, environmental conservation, arts, etc.), and who themselves are part of the GARE Capitol Cohort. In his keynote, professor powell aimed to educate state government employees on the historical and modern-day context of structural racism, discuss strategies for promoting racial equity and inclusion, and describe the unique role and opportunity of California State government employees.