Central among our ongoing reckoning with racial justice is the question of how power is shifted and shared through partnerships. Historically marginalized communities across the U.S. do not typically have access to resources and traditional means of power, so many of the decisions on policies, plans and investments are decided by people who are not directly impacted by a racially inequitable system.
Shifting power in a racial equity context entails lifting up organizations and leaders of color, and in some cases replacing white leadership with leaders of color who can design solutions to issues that they have identified. When white individuals and organizations share power with people of color it can foster equity and trust, and leads to better, more equitable decisions. Authors in this section reflect on their relationships to power, approaches to partnership, and the potential for more racially equitable outcomes.
Peace for Communities of Color
Lea Whitehurst-Gibson and Bekah Kendrick
Reframing Equity: The Gift of Being a Giver
Damon Jiggetts
Reparative and Equitable Practices and Partnerships
Meghan Z. Gough
Interview with Elaine Williams
Elaine Williams
Interview with Richmond Mayor, Levar Stoney, and Ellen Robertson
Levar Stoney and Ellen Robertson
1. What are some reasons for organizations to focus on sharing or shifting power?
2. In their essay, Lea and Bekah mention “equity washing” as an obstacle to change. What is this, have you witnessed it and why does it matter for making racially equitable decisions and investments?
3. Pulling from the contributions in this section, through what actions and approaches can white people and organizations build trust with communities of color?
https://www.equityandresults.com/
White Supremacy Culture in Organizations
Centre for Community Organizations
https://philanthropynetwork.org/sites/default/files/resources/racial-equity-and-philanthropy.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Racial Equity and Philanthropy
Cherl Dorsey, Jeff Bradach, and Peter Kim (May 2020)
The Diversity Gap in the Nonprofit Sector
Susan Medina (June 14, 2017)
White Women Doing White Supremacy in Nonprofit Culture
Heather Laine Talley, Tzedek Social Justice Fund (August 12, 2019)
How White People Conquered the Nonprofit Industry
Anastasia Reesa Tomkin, Nonprofit Quarterly (May 26, 2020)
College faculty have become more racially and ethnically diverse, but remain far less so than students
Leslie Davis and Richard Fry (July 31, 2019)
Nonprofit Leaders of Color Speak Out About Struggles and Triumphs
Nicole Wallace (July 9, 2019)
Read our original publication, "24 Visions of Racial Equity in Richmond," first published in 2021, which delves into the unique insights on race and equity in Richmond.
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