Address root causes: We envision a world where every mission-driven organization, regardless of focus, works to dismantle systemic racism as their ultimate social intervention. We uplift this approach by helping organizations craft strategies that center equity explicitly; a clear, compelling equity rationale for their broader mission; and a theory of change for their desired transformation.
Name racism explicitly but not exclusively: Racial inequities are deep, pervasive, operate generationally upon communities of color, and underscore many seemingly race-neutral challenges that organizations try to solve, so addressing racism must be central to how we work. Also, racial dynamics are often hard to discuss, so the specificity matters. Our analyisis includes experiences with gender, sexual orientation, class and other markers of oppression. Our approach is intersectional and always includes race.
Embed equity in how we do all things: An equity lens entails addressing historical harm, leveling the playing field, eliminating hidden advantages, and redressing unintended equity impacts. We see an equity lens as a condition for effective strategic planning, change management, team-building, programs, and operations, and cultivate this approach regardless of the organizational development need.
Fix systems, not symptoms: We cannot train our way out of racism and other systems of inequity, nor rely simply on “winning hearts and minds.” This approach animates our focus on (re)building systems of accountability that require structural and practice changes, and on developing leadership across all levels and identities that grapples with the use of institutional power for accountable gatekeeping.
