Questioning How We Think About Poverty

In a legitimate democracy, belonging means that your well-being is considered and your ability to help design and give meaning to its structures and institutions is realized.

[Community] members are more than just individuals; they also have collective power and share a linked fate. Those who stand outside of the community have trouble making claims on it. It is not so much that they cannot speak as it is that they are not likely to be heard. This is what I define as poverty.

-john powell, "Poverty & Race Through A Belongingness Lens"

Since August, a group of organization leaders and community members have been meeting to better understand the racism experienced in McKinleyville, motivated by a desire to understand and change the reputation that earned the nickname "McKlanleyville." The group has a number of task forces, including one focused on offering community learning opportunities and another focused on review and update of institutional policy and procedure. Check out the Times-Standard column signed by a diverse group of community members and institutional leaders.

We are learning about the concept of polarity in which every value comes in a set of paradoxically unsolvable truths. For example, every effort struggles to balance action and planning and supporting self-interest alongside the common good. We have identified that in every space the Equity Alliance works in, we struggle with figuring out how to improve our approach by addressing the polarity of starting where people are in the racial equity conversation (aka providing support ) with the very real pressure to see measurable growth and evolution (aka build accountability ). EA philosophy to date has been based on a large body of research that says helping people develop understanding slowly is more effective. Alternatively, too much focus on this approach can traumatize people of color in any given room and come across as enabling white privilege. Both things are true, and we are working on an approach to optimize both truths. To learn more about polarities, click below. (image from Yarbough Group)

We are looking forward to the public rollout of the Equity Alliance Roundtable to engage all interested parties in learning and conversations on race.

 Although we initially planned to start this exciting new series in April, due to changes in the facilitation of this group and our own new coordinator who brings a wealth of experience and focus to the Equity Alliance work, we have decided to begin in May.

Our goal is to provide a systematic series of topics in an open, safe and brave space of learning and dialogue for both the experienced and new comer to conversations about race and racial inequities. For this reason starting on the first Thursday in May, and every first Thursday following, we look forward to providing the public space to have facilitated conversations on racism and how to spread awareness of racialized inequities in Humboldt County and beyond.

The date of the first public Equity Alliance Roundtable is Thursday, May 3, 2018

Please stay tuned for details!

NAACP Black History Month Documentary Series

The last film in the Eureka chapter of the NAACP's documentary series for Black History Month, "Whose Streets?", is being shown on Wednesday, February 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the D Street Neighborhood Center in Arcata. The film explores the Ferguson uprising following the killing of Mike Brown from the perspectives of the people who lived it and organized their communities.

Managing and Moving Through Defensiveness around Power and Privilege

Friday, March 30 (9:30-12:30 p.m.)

This workshop will provide opportunities to identify what defensiveness may look like in ourselves and our organizations, and practice specific tools to support us in moving forward and mindfully acting from our values instead of our fears. It will be facilitated by Yvonne Doble at the Humboldt Area Foundation in Bayside. Members $35 & Non-Members $45.

HSU's 24th Annual Social Justice Summit

The 2018 Social Justice Summit at HSU is on March 2 & 3. Performers Climbing Poetree are the keynote presentation at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 2 in the Kate Buchanan Room.

The Social Justice Summit theme this year is “Who Am I? Back to Our Roots”. The Summit is free to HSU Students and the community. Registration for the Summit and for the class is through Extended Learning.

HSU Department of Social Work Speaker Series- Indigenous Knowledge: Community, Well-Being and Healing

Catch the last event of the "Indigenous Knowledge: Community, Well-Being and Healing" Speaker Series presented by the HSU Department of Social Work: on March 27 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Joseph Gone, Ph.D. will present "Rethinking Mental Health Services for American Indian Communities: Postcolonial Perspectives & Possibilities". Click below for more information.

  Email equitynorthcoast@hafoundation.org to share upcoming events you know about related to racial equity and we will post it on our website!

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