INCLUSION Though 2020 was certainly challenging with the spread of COVID-19, America was moved to confront another pandemic with new urgency— racial injustice. Sadness, devastation, anger, and protests followed the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others. With the social awareness and focus that followed these deaths, we turned the lens to our own organization to examine and pursue ways that we could become a truly anti-racist organization. One definition of anti-racism, especially as it pertains to an organization of individuals, says, “Anti-racism is the active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices, and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably.”1 Certainly, this is a huge task, and one not to be taken lightly. As we look closely at our relationships, leadership, structure, policies, procedures, and more, we fully realize that antiracism work is long, hard, often emotional, and yet completely worth it.
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at Crossnore, this work will help us build a more equitable and inclusive community. Going forward, we hope to create more than just “safe spaces.” We want to build “brave spaces” to be who we truly are, respect and value the differences in one another, and most importantly, serve ALL children, created in the image of God— each with equal beauty, depth, and value—to the absolute best of our abilities. We look forward, through humble and ready eyes, to doing the hard work of fighting racism—individually, organizationally, and systemically—to protect and champion North Carolina’s most vulnerable individuals, our children.
Our first task was to create our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-racism Steering Committee (IDEA). This committee, made up of employees from across the organization, including the CEO and a member of the Board, is exploring ways we can improve how we care for our children and each other, and how we engage with external entities. 1From NAC International Perspectives: Women Since we serve such a diverse community and Global Solidarity HOPE | 2020 Annual Report
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