Equity Challenge: Week 21
CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve made it to the final week of the 21 Week Equity Challenge. This week’s challenge is a final reflection on your experience.
 
We are grateful to the more than 10,000 participants who joined us on this journey, and we are so impressed the continued engagement of so many in the weekly challenges. We’ve created a quick post-Challenge survey that asks you to share your final thoughts on the experience, including questions to help us improve the Challenge in the future. Once you complete the survey, you’ll have access to a participation certificate. 

Thank you for joining us on this journey!
Week 21: Final Reflection
  • What were some of your assumptions about race and racial inequity before you started this 21 week challenge? In what ways have these assumptions been challenged? In what ways have they been reinforced?

  • What are your identities and cultural background and in what ways have they impacted your life? What supports have been available to you in your own cultural background that have helped overcome difficulties? How might we create similar opportunities for others who do not have these supports available to them?

  • Where have you seen evidence of inequities in your networks or community?

  • What two to three shifts, changes or actions can you take to create a more inclusive and equitable environment in your home, workplace, and community? 


We started this journey on February 1, with our first weeks dedicated to developing baseline understanding and shared vocabulary. We then shifted to examining the four levels of racism, starting with developing and understanding internalized racism and then exploring how racism can manifest in person-to-person interactions, institutions and social structures.
 
Throughout the Challenge, we sought to better understand how race and racism impact our lives and communities, which included exploration of our own identities, individual experience and internal biases. Weekly challenges included reading, listening and watching resources about our history, current data and personal accounts and experiences. There were articles and videos that recommended actions individuals and organizations can take to create more equitable, inclusive environments and ideas for how to discuss and deal with difficult topics. You were called to consider action and activities to advance your understanding and work toward equitable, inclusive environments in your home, workplace and community.
 
This week, we encourage you to reflect on your own journey these past months. If you’d like to review our calendar of the previous weeks’ topics and emails, visit our website. 
Week 21 Challenge

ACT:

Take our post-Challenge survey – share about your experiences, ways we can improve the Challenge and what you plan to do to advance equity and inclusion moving forward.
 
Continue to lift-up the topics of race equity and inclusion in your networks. Here are tips for talking about these topics with different audiences:
 
As you complete the 21 Week Equity Challenge, we encourage you to write down a goal you have moving forward. Research shows that when you write down your goals, you are more likely to commit to them and achieve them.
 
Connect to your local United Way or other nonprofit organizations in your community working toward equity and inclusion for all.
 
Continue your equity journey and invite others to join! United Way of Racine County will host another 21-Week Challenge in the fall (starting August 30th). We’ll continue reinforcing our equity habits and welcome you to join us again – and to invite your own networks! Learn more at unitedwayracine.org/equity

Share your reflections or additional resources about today’s topic on social media using #EquityChallenge - or send us a note at unitedway@unitedwayracine.org
 
Learn more about the Challenge and review weekly topics by visiting
Local Resources
A weekly book discussion group reading books on race and racism.

A yearlong, faith-based series of interactive and multidimensional public events. The series goal is to increase our understanding of how we think and feel about racism, resulting in actions that can help to transform us as individuals and the systems of racism in our country. 

The YWCA of SEW Wisconsin offers a variety of trainings about different facets of equity, such as structural racism, cultural differences, social transformation and more.

Higher Expectations engages community partners, aligns efforts, and maximizes resources to promote excellence and equity in education and employment outcomes in Racine County.
Hear from Deanna Singh, Founder/Chief Change Agent of Flying Elephant and her husband Justin on how to talk to your children about race to help children develop a healthy understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.


Events

Health Equity Leadership Institute Virtual Series

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is hosting a virtual health equity series. Register here.
Sessions will take place between May and August. For more information, visit the website.



Virtual Panelist Q&A via Zoom with Barb Farrar, Executive Director at The LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin and guest panelists.

Wednesday, June 30 at 6 p.m.

Gateway Technical College
Join Gateway for a series of dynamic workshops that explore how to respectfully speak up for what you believe in and become a stronger ally for marginalized communities. 

Register for "Ouch that stereotype hurts" and other workshops here.
Make your commitment to inclusion—the active, intentional and ongoing engagement with diversity—official by signing our Declaration of Inclusion Pledge. This pledge is to respect and appreciate all aspects of any person, including race, religion, skin color, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, physical abilities, age, parental status, work and behavioral styles, and the perspectives of each individual as shaped by their nation, culture and experiences. You will also receive our quarterly diversity newsletter to build your "equity muscle."