DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

As part of our commitment to better reflect the city we serve, we prioritized lifting up the voices of people of color and marginalized communities in 2022. Across our talks series, authors and moderators of color represented 43% of the talent on our stage and 17% of speakers identified as LGBTQ+. At National Refugee Shabbat with HIAS, activist and educator Aziz Royesh spoke about his family’s experience immigrating to the United States from Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal and his continued efforts to safeguard school-aged girls and others through resettlement efforts.

We also sought to broaden the range of topics represented in our programming, from voting rights to antiracism, offering opportunities to put ideas into practice whenever possible. Leading up to the midterm elections, for instance, a talk on the history of the vote with former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was complemented by a letter-writing campaign to historically disenfranchised voters with the voting access organization VoteRiders.

Our 20s and 30s community engaged in a variety of direct service and learning programs to turn ideas into action and inspire those around them. At an interactive workshop with UC Berkeley faculty member and social entrepreneur Alex Budak, participants gained skills and developed resources to help guide them in generating positive change. During Purim, we amplified the work of local partners Capital Area Food Bank and the DC Fridge Collective, who combat food insecurity in the District, and also hosted additional food distribution events throughout the year.

Behind the scenes, Sixth & I’s internal Change Team, led by Imani Chapman and composed of representatives from all levels of the organization, continued to engage in authentic and meaningful conversations around the direction of Sixth & I’s equity efforts, spearheading such initiatives as a new compensation transparency policy designed to mitigate bias and increase pay equity for current and future staff. Staff members also participated in a six-week training on building racial stamina, conceived of and led by Dr. Deitra Reiser, with the goal of making our community more inclusive for Jews of color and people of color and promoting antiracism in all aspects of our work.