Vision

All people are treated equitably, with dignity and respect, as ultimately reflected in the community’s social interactions and institutional structures, policies, and procedures on the local, state, national and global levels.

Mission

Develop the capacity of individuals and communities to effectively and sustainably advocate for racial justice.

Strategies

We work to dismantle racism in all its manifestations, including White supremacy and anti-Blackness, by developing a community conversation on race and racism. In cycles of learning and doing, we provide both education and opportunity to share thoughts and experiences, sustaining ourselves and each other with courage and reflection. The conversation will lead to inspiring, thoughtful community activism, including legislative advocacy. We see this as a living document, subject to review at least annually.

Audience

The communities we live, work, learn, play, organize, interact, and/or spiritually identify with.

Core Values

Conversations on Race seeks to:

• Build, develop, and nurture a supportive and stimulating multicultural community that can sustain a cycle of learning and doing, and develop skill in working through conflict.

• Recognize and respond to racial or other social identity stereotypes.

• Seek to be open to discussing topics of race and racism, accepting the tensions.

• Recognize and respond to the meanings of emotions that emerge in race talk.

• Validate and facilitate discussion of such feelings in race talk.

• Seek to control the process and not the content of race talk.

• Investigate and actively respond to the causes and effects of racism, including legislative and community activism.

Ground Rules

• Be respectful, generous, and brave.

• Share the floor. Listen as though you might be wrong.

• Use questions more than judgments.

• Keep confidentiality.

• Be willing to hear each other out and respect that we have different experiences & perspectives.

• Be willing to be uncomfortable.