Leading with racial justice: integrating equity into your work Cambridge Health Alliance – Sexual and Reproductive Health Program Kelly Warner Valeria Ruelas Hailey Alm

Agenda: Introduction – 10 min Definitions – 15 min CHA SRH’s Journey – 15 min Leadership Tools Current Reality – 20 min Structure Staffing Activity – 30 min Thinking through structural change Closing – 15 min

Introductions: Name Pronouns Race Ethnicity Share the time you first became aware of race

Desired Outcomes: A shared understanding of one organization’s experience in leading with racial justice. Peer discussions to strategize integrating racial justice in your organization. A list of resources and tools to provide support in leading with racial justice. 

Guiding Assumptions You all have done some work, or are committing to do the work. This space is about structural work and not about interpersonal work. We all have different leverage points and pieces of power, and based on our race this can look very different. This model follows the notion of radical democracy. This is off-script, and we all will have different approaches to this work. We commit to “stand where we sit.”

Definitions Racial Justice Not Diversity Not Equality Equity! Racism (racialization): a system of advantage based on race David Wells, Portraits of White Racism “In the past we may have talked about race as a descriptor of someone’s phenotypical or biological being. But it’s actually a set of practices. It’s  verb. It’s what people do to each other. We “race” people. And it’s very closely associated with a sense of who we are.” ~John  Powell https://youtu.be/82vl34mi4Iw (Loretta Ross clip) hyperlinked to “People of Color”

Definitions People of Color White Privilege Microaggression Implicit Bias Terms to Refute: Colorblindness Reverse Racism https://youtu.be/82vl34mi4Iw (Loretta Ross clip) hyperlinked to “People of Color”

There are 4 Types of Racism Micro Level Internalized Racism Interpersonal Racism Macro Level Institutional Racism Structural Racism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjGQaz1u3V4

CHA SRH – Our Journey How we started Have to talk about Leadership Who is in charge? Where are they at? Who is not talking? Why aren’t we listening?

Ups and Down We are off-script We jumped right in Head and Heart “mixed it up but didn’t fix it up” “skin in the game” “get on the train” Head and Heart Interpersonal v. Structural Have to start with staff and programming How to be a White leader of racial justice work, while leading people of color?

Current Reality Hiring of new staff Training and On Boarding of new staff Racial Justice Working Group Affinity space Subcommittees Staff Meeting Hailey and Valeria take over here

What Other Questions Do You Have For Us?

Practice #1 Scenario: A staff person of color is having trouble with timeliness. They regularly show up to work about 10-15 minutes late. Other staff both White and POC also do this, with less of a pattern. Think about this scenario using a racial justice lens. How might you approach this scenario with this staff person? Think of 2-3 things that would be important to name, incorporate, or change in your system? Turn to your neighbor, you will report back 1 point you discussed.

Practice #2 Count off by n/4. Think of one issue in your organization/sphere of influence. Choose 1-2 issues to discuss in your group. Consider the following questions: What is really happening here? Make it structural. Who is this impacting? Are all impacted the same? Where does structural racism lie in this issue? What is one thing you can do to use your sphere of influence to drive change? Who are your allies? What else do you need? Where do you go from here?

So Where Do We Go From Here? Handouts, resources, video homework. Find your skin in the game. Look around this room. Look around your workplace. Remember the roles For White Folks - uplift the voices of POC and talk to other White people. Push the structural conversations. Use the tools. Consider your sphere of influence. Do the work and find support.

Closing: Fear of a Brown Planet: Aamer Rahman on Reverse Racism One word close out, a feeling or word that describes how you’re leaving today.

Thank you! Kelly Warner: kwarner@challiance.org Valeria Ruelas: lruelas@challiance.org Hailey Alm: halm@challiance.org