Dear Generations Incorporated Community,
On June 1st we shared our solidarity with the movement to address racial injustices in our society and our
commitment to addressing those injustices. Today, we want to share with you how we are putting our pledge into action, and we invite you to support us in these steps.
Our commitment:
As an organization, Generations Incorporated is committed to becoming an anti-racist, multicultural institution.
Our commitment to support students' literacy needs remains the core of our mission, and we recognize education gaps exist because of bigger societal problems. These gaps are rooted in systemic racism and inequality. In order to address these root issues, we must first start with understanding the necessary steps to becoming an anti-racist, multicultural institution.
As our country begins its 244th year, we acknowledge the successes of our society were built on the lives of our black and brown brothers and sisters. Generations Incorporated recognizes many of our communities’ obstacles and hardships are a direct result of pervasive and systemic racism whose origins stem beyond the founding of our nation.
Since the fall of 2018, our staff have been on a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) journey that has included building a common understanding of concepts and terms associated with DEI and creating a space for honest and open dialogue. As an organization we implemented a formal compensation philosophy to ensure equitable pay for all staff and new hiring practices to limit implicit bias in our hiring process and recruit a more diverse applicant pool. While this work continues to be a crucial component of staff professional development, it is important our learnings and actions extend beyond our staff.
Our Next Steps:
Creating a formal committee to advance Generations Incorporated’s DEI journey by providing guidance and support to the organization’s commitment to work towards racial justice and equity. Areas of focus of the committee will include, but are not limited to:
- Dismantling white dominant culture in the organization by continuing to address and change structural barriers that currently exist for people of color, specifically black and brown constituents
- Deepening organizational understanding of racism’s impact on educational inequity in order to more effectively address literacy gaps and use our platform to increase awareness and action
- Re-examine our communications and find ways to elevate our communities’ voices
Additionally, we are currently working with a consultant to develop a volunteer training for Fall 2020, and we are planning a Board of Directors training in the coming months.
Thank you for your continued support as we work to support education equity in our communities.
In Solidarity,
