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Anti-Racism and Equity (A.R.E)

At Associated Ministries (AM), we believe in the diversity of thought, ideas, beliefs, experiences, and the inclusion of people regardless of their race, color, sex, language, national origin, faith tradition, physical challenge, identity orientation or age. In addition to supporting the principles of diversity and inclusion, AM has been on a journey becoming an anti-racist and equitable organization.

Our goal is to evolve into a fully inclusive, anti-racist and multicultural organization, creating equitable access to services and equal opportunity for all individuals. This will help uplift historically oppressed communities and provide them a platform for equitable opportunity. Our vision is to be a community pillar, mentor and an agent of change overcoming systemic and institutional racism.

The Anti-Racism and Equity (A.R.E.) Taskforce was established five years ago to promote racial equity within our agency, and eventually, the community at large. This meant re-assessing (among other things) our hiring policies, the physical space in our agency, client viewpoint, and pushing for racial diversity and shared power within our organization’s staff, board, and leadership. We believe that the A.R.E. Taskforce promotes a more racially and culturally sensitive organization, and is a first and necessary step towards eliminating institutionalized racism. As a community-based organization, we feel that it is a priority to ensure that everyone is served equitably, and that everyone feels welcome within our walls.

Our Team

Membership in the A.R.E. Taskforce consists of diverse representatives of all departments within AM. Members actively participate in what can often be difficult and uncomfortable conversations and/or situations.  We take the needed steps to ensure we are doing the work necessary to move the agency closer to becoming an anti-racist equitable organization.

All members act to eliminate institutional and structural racism and its intersectionality with other forms of oppression, including sexism, heterosexism, classism and ableism.

The A.R.E Taskforce is supported by an engaged AM Board of Directors. The Board and members of the A.R.E Taskforce meet regularly to ensure progress to goals.

What We Do

The A.R.E Taskforce strives to create an awareness and a growing understanding of racism and its intersectionality as a barrier to effective diversity, inclusiveness and equity. Direct Service Staff, Executive Leadership and Core Staff have been learning to personally recognize, examine and challenge systems and beliefs when racism exists and to ensure all people have access to the same opportunities. We actively work towards respectfully challenging thought processes, intersectionality, and attitudes within our organization, to create a new consciousness of institutionalized racism and privilege.

AM has committed to the process of intentionally dismantling institutional racism, based upon anti-racist examination, discovery and analysis to affect change.

Some of our initiatives to date include:

  • Identified and implemented required changes in our institution that needed to be made based upon anti-racist analysis and identity.
  • Enhanced its already present culture of equity, inclusiveness and anti-racism institutional life across all levels to ensure full participation of persons of color, their worldview, culture and lifestyles.
  • Evolved its institution's life to reflect full participation and shared power within a diverse racial, cultural and economic group in determining its mission, structure, bylaws, constituency, policies and practices, artifacts and marketing collateral, and work environment.
  • Implemented structures, policies and practices with inclusive decision making, with an “equity lens” at all levels of the institution's life and work.
  • Advocated AM’s anti-racist multicultural diversity as an organizational asset and promote this as our identity in communications and interactions in the greater community.
  • Developed metrics reporting mechanisms to demonstrate data-driven equitable service delivery.
  • Actively promote staffing learning through organized ‘cohort group’ presentations, discussions and personal reflection with evolved curriculum and all staff participation.

Going forward, we expect to include additional information on our site about our anti-racism and equity work.  AM commits to monitoring and demonstrating our progress.  In the near future, we will share details about initiatives, programs and educational or training materials for wider use across the extended community that AM serves.

Read AM's Board Resolution on Equity here.

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