EQUITY INNOVATION CENTER
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A Space To Spark Change.
The YMCA of Greater Houston’s Equity Innovation Center is a space for members of the community to learn, lead, organize, advocate and connect with intention and a shared focus on advancing equity and undoing institutional racism.
Change Starts With Education
We all hear words like systemic racism and equity, but do you really know what they mean? Understanding each other’s language is the first step to understanding different perspectives.
Terms To Know
A comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group.
Includes the policies and practices entrenched in established institutions, which result in the exclusion or promotion of designated groups.
Takes action and challenges the status quo.
Community Reflections
“This experience boosted my courage to be able to act or confront racism in my personal life.”
“The past year has felt so isolating and has, in some ways, forced us to stay in our bubbles and grow in apathy, anger, depression, etc. – but the EIC allows us to come together, communicate, and learn so that we can once again be filled with hope, recognize the humanity of each person, shed those negative emotions, and leave empowered to continue to fight the good fight for all of us.”
“The EIC provides a space to challenge ourselves and each other to learn about the intricate nuances of our identities and life experiences.”
“This was my first experience with the EIC and I was impressed. The diverse viewpoints, energy and passion was exciting to hear within a safe space where all ideas and thoughts are welcome. Thank you so much for this!”
“The content was true, powerful and educative. And demonstrates the YMCA is an organization that is actively against racism and discrimination.”
JOIN THE SOLUTION AND SHARE YOUR STORY
6 Ways to Be the Change
FOR RACIAL EQUITY IN THE WORKPLACE NOW
TAKE THE HARVARD IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION RACE TEST
Where are you on your anti-racist journey? Find out here.
Take the Test >
READ, LISTEN, AND LEARN
Read, review, blog or listen to a podcast. Learn new perspectives that may be positively life altering.
HAVE AN HONEST DISCUSSION
We invite non-people of color to take an honest look at your staff and colleagues and start a conversation. It may be uncomfortable, but change never is comfortable.
SHARE YOUR STORIES
We invite everyone to share the story of your lived experiences. We can start creating and cultivating safe and brave spaces to share with each other and begin to have crucial conversations.
SPEAK UP & OUT
Speak up and out about an injustice or uncomfortable situation as it happens. Allies and advocates need to support others so they will know they are not alone.
JOIN AN ERG
YMCA of Greater Houston ERG’s are committed to creating safe and brave spaces for employees and volunteers to feel known, seen, and heard while empower themselves with each other.
Get Connected >
Resources
“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
– James Baldwin
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
- Anti-Racism Project
- Jenna Arnold’s resources (books and people to follow)
- Rachel Ricketts’ anti-racism resources
- Resources for White People to Learn and Talk About Race and Racism
- Save the Tears: White Woman’s Guide by Tatiana Mac
- Showing Up For Racial Justice’s educational toolkits
- The [White] Shift on Instagram
- Zinn Education Project’s teaching materials
“Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
–St. Francis of Assisi
Books:
- Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners: books for children and young adults
- 31 Children’s books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance
Podcasts:
- Parenting Forward podcast episode ‘Five Pandemic Parenting Lessons with Cindy Wang Brandt’
- Fare of the Free Child podcast
- Integrated Schools podcast episode “Raising White Kids with Jennifer Harvey”
Article:
- How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race | NPR
- Teaching Your Child About Black History Month | PBS
- Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup from Pretty Good
The Conscious Kid: follow them on Instagram and consider signing up for their Patreon
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
-Benjamin Franklin
- Antiracism Center
- Audre Lorde Project
- Black Women’s Blueprint
- Color Of Change
- Colorlines
- The Conscious Kid
- Equal Justice Initiative (EJI)
- Families Belong Together
- Justice League NYC
- Gathering For Justice
- The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights
- The Movement For Black Lives (M4BL)
- MPowerChange
- Muslim Girl
- NAACP
- National Domestic Workers Alliance
- RAICES
- Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
- SisterSong
- United We Dream
Get Involved. Make An Impact.
See a list of events you can attend to learn more about and engage in equity innovation from our collaborative.
MORE EQUITY INNOVATION EVENTS
Learn more about and engage in equity innovation here in Houston.