Can you imagine a world where no one is disadvantaged because of their race? A world where opportunities and systems are fair and equitable, and that everyone can have equitable opportunities to achieve their dreams and goals?
We can.
Racial justice is the systematic fair treatment of people of all races that results in equitable opportunities and outcomes for everyone. All people are able to achieve their full potential in life, regardless of race, ethnicity or the community in which they live. Racial justice — or racial equity — goes beyond trying not to be a racist. It’s not just about what we are against, but also what we are for. A “racial justice” framework can move us from a reactive posture to a more powerful, proactive, and even a preventative approach.
YWCA Northeast Indiana strives for an equitable community by offering educational opportunities. We believe racial justice includes education.
YWCA Northeast Indiana celebrates a community that embraces the inherent dignity of all people. To encourage awareness and acceptance of diversity, YWCA Northeast Indiana’s Level Up Council hosts Diversity Dialogues, where we bring in panelists and guest speakers to help lead the community in compelling conversations on interesting topics important to our community. We do our best to always ensure a variety of perspectives and topics that provoke deep thought.
2024 Diversity Dialogue Schedule
March 7, 2024 – Women’s Work
March is Women’s History Month and this dialogue will highlight work being done by some incredible women who are crossing cultural barriers to contribute to community building and belonging.
June 13, 2024 – For a Better Future
For our children, learning does not happen only inside the classroom. This month’s topic will explore the resources our community offers in aiding the mental, emotional, and social development for our children.
August 22, 2024 – Nurturing the People
Recognizing that some communities in need experience gaps in accessing care and services, we will examine the work of those who work to provide supplemental forms of nourishment in our community.
November 14, 2024 – Community Centered Care
The identity of communities are changing. Individuals and institutions often struggle to adjust. This month’s dialogue will highlight the work of community agencies and how they have adjusted to our community’s ever-changing needs.
To register and learn more about upcoming Diversity Dialogue events, click this link.
“Ally” in recent years refers specifically to a person supporting a marginalized group. For this blog series, we capitalize the “Y” in “AllY” to emphasize the connection between YWCA Northeast Indiana’s dedication to eliminating racism and the allyship focus of the blog.
“If we, as a collection of individuals, are able to self-reflect, adjust, and model inclusivity and engaged citizenship, what a great cultural legacy we can provide for future generations of Hoosiers. Each month we will be given the opportunity to ask ourselves “Am I being an AllY?” My hope is to hear increasingly more in our community “Yes! I AM an AllY!“
-Heather Guy (Racial Justice Coordinator, YWCA Northeast Indiana)
YWCA Northeast Indiana is on a mission to be an AllY. We hope that you will join us!
Learn more here.
AllY Toolbox Resources
- Proctor & Gamble-Talk about Bias
- Othering & Belonging Institute-Video Library
- Paul Kivel’s Archives of Writing
- Racial and Generational Trauma
- Race is real, but it’s not genetic-Article
- Courageous Discomfort-Shanterra Mcbride & Rosalind Wiseman – Video & Book recommendation
- It Took Me 34 Years to Realize I was a Racist-Article
We launched our inaugural 5k walk/run event in 2022 as a way to bring awareness to racial justice, to connect organization and individuals together, and to raise dollars so that YWCA Northeast Indiana can expand our racial justice services.
Our 2024 event will take place on Saturday, April 27th at 9am at PFW. The theme is “Ally Up!” and we will focus on building allies to help shape our community’s youth, creating a more inclusive future.
For more information on this event and to register, please click here.
Diversity 101 Training for Businesses:
This interactive two hour training can be customized for your organization. This presentation looks at key terms, issues, implicit bias and provides resources for diversity within your workplace.
Basic Presentation: 1-1.5 hours for up to 20 participants. $200 ($100 with nonprofit discount)
In-Depth Presentation: 2-3 hours for up to 20 participants. $400 ($200 with nonprofit discount)
C.A.R.E. Workshops
C.A.R.E (Cultivating Allyship and Racial Equity) is a series of four workshops that is created to encourage racial literacy at individual and organizational levels. C.A.R.E. expounds upon the lessons of Diversity 101 by incorporating self reflection and social awareness activities.
Full Day: 7 hours (8 hours with a lunch break) for up to 100 participants. $3,000 ($1,000 with nonprofit discount)
Split Sessions: 2 hours weekly over 4 weeks (8 hours total) for up to 100 participants. $3,000 ($1,000 with nonprofit discount)
Immigration 101:
In this FREE training, participants will learn about the basics of terminology around immigration, learn about local trends, and also learn about the process to become a citizen (naturalization). This presentation includes discussion and activities to keep the audience engaged.
To request a racial justice training or get more information, email Heather at hessex@ywcaerew.org or fill out this form.
Read from a variety of blog posts on Racial Justice 101. This blog page offers educational articles on related topics from authors throughout our community. Articles include the history of the Black Lives Matter movement, voter suppression, and implicit bias, to name only a few. Click here to read our Racial Justice 101 articles.
To learn how you or your organization can help, please contact Heather Essex-Guy, Racial Justice Coordinator, at hessex@ywcaerew.org.
There is no better time to begin than right now.
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