A lot has changed since Equity In The Center® became an independent organization: a global health pandemic and racial reckoning reshaped the movements for equity and justice, with far-reaching implications for philanthropy and nonprofits. Efforts to roll back the lived equality of transgender and gender nonconforming communities have redoubled, retrenched, and formalized. The result is a hostile policy environment – the challenge to Fearless Fund, Supreme Court decision on Affirmative Action, book bans, attacks on critical race theory and the defunding of “DEI” in education and other public service settings. Harmful narratives that reframe lived equality as debatable proliferate the media and gain traction as they are repeated, remixed, and shared. As power shifts and these narratives become further entrenched in policy, the work of race equity practitioners has become more critical.
Simultaneously, philanthropy wrestles with whether or not to continue funding race equity and social justice; and the capacity of nonprofits to advance equity and justice is imperiled as diverse leaders find their leadership questioned and unsupported. EIC spent much of the last year reflecting with our colleagues and stakeholders on the work ahead. We are reminded that our communities are strong and resilient through many recent and historical challenges. As we confront new realities in the aftermath of the election, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing race equity through our refreshed strategic priorities.
EIC will play a key role in educating and resourcing those seeking to adapt and evolve to remain focused on advancing race equity. EIC’s programs will help organizations better understand race equity, develop skills and capacities to advance race equity in their own work, and demonstrate their commitment to advancing race equity.
Our research and knowledge building work will expand on the foundation laid by Awake to Woke to Work®: Building a Race Equity Culture™, our influential 2018 study that documented the Race Equity Cycle®, as well as the rich archive of resources in RacialEquityTools.org. We will use feedback from our programs to keep our offerings responsive to the knowledge and skill building needs of organizations and communities at various points on their race equity journeys. We will also use our voice and influence to support and build bridges between EIC and those who might benefit from our programs.
Accomplishing this work requires the support of a diverse group of talented, dedicated staff and the diligent stewardship of our material resources. We extend our capacity by partnering with seasoned expert practitioners to develop and facilitate our programs. We are committed to leading by example, and maintaining an inclusive, responsive organizational culture that supports our staff and partners in bringing their full selves to work. We further lead by example in effectively stewarding our resources toward ongoing sustainability.
The weeks and months ahead will require us to remain flexible and adaptive as challenges arise. As organizations and communities find themselves targeted, EIC will continue to buoy their efforts with timely, responsive programs, research, and tools. Our strategic priorities reflect our commitment to remaining a trusted resource and partner to those seeking to build a Race Equity Culture™.
