AWAKE to WOKE to WORK: Building a Race Equity Culture

Achieving race equity — the condition where one’s racial identity has no influence on how one fares in society — is a fundamental element of social change across every issue area in the social sector. Yet the structural racism that endures in U.S. society, deeply rooted in our nation’s history and perpetuated through racist policies, practices, attitudes, and cultural messages, prevents us from attaining it. The impact of structural racism is evident not only in societal outcomes, but in the very institutions that seek to positively impact them

In a sector focused on improving social outcomes across a wide range of issues, we need only look within our own organizations to understand why we have not yet achieved the depth of change we seek. Throughout the social sector, there remains a glaring omission of a fundamental element of social impact: race equity. While issue-specific dynamics play an important role in driving social impact (e.g., public policy around affordable housing or the elimination of food deserts to create access to nutritious foods), the thread of structural racism runs through almost every issue faced by the U.S. social sector. Race equity must be centered as a core goal of social impact across the sector in order to achieve our true potential and fulfill our organizational missions.