Find Your Racial Equity Support Squad!
Ever try talking to a friend or family member about work, and you realize it’s all going over their head? Sometimes what we really need is thought-partnership from folks already swimming in the same soup.
Advocating for racial justice within institutions and power structures shaped by generations of racist policies and practices can be lonely – and, at times, demoralizing.
Finding the right support squad is even more important when working to advance racial equity, especially as a public servant. The need to squad up was one key driver behind Leading with Equity, our Association of Bay Area Governments-sponsored cohort of local jurisdiction staff from 12 Bay Area jurisdictions.
Ground Works conducted an in-depth assessment to better understand the challenges and needs of housing planners across the region when it came to aligning and infusing their work with racial equity goals. We found that a sizable group of practitioners had a firm grounding in concepts and practices around racially equitable housing policy/planning, and they already knew where to look for case studies and methods. What they wanted were the leadership skills to feel more secure in their work and have peers to turn to when things get challenging or when they’re looking for specific ideas and inspiration.
Based on the assessment, we designed a cohort that combined leadership skills, relationship building and activities and materials to deepen and expand participants’ thinking and practice regarding racially equitable housing planning/policy. Cohort members met for 6 months in early 2022, focusing on a specific project they selected, and again for 6 months from 2023-2024 to continue reflecting on their work and problem-solving as a peer network.
Here’s what we learned from cohort member feedback:
The Leading with Equity Community of Practice helped participants keep racial equity at the center of their work by creating a brave space for big-picture thinking, moral support from folks who “get it,” and the sharing of ideas, both great and small. One cohort member reflected:
“Leading With Equity has reduced my tunnel vision for my city and helped me think more broadly about how to adapt the approaches and practices of other jurisdictions to augment our practices.”
Leading with Equity gave participants communications tools when talking about racial equity and space to practice using those tools. From a participant:
“I am reframing discussions about housing using different words. I find that opponents to equity in housing base their discussions on the zero-sum game, instilling fear that people will lose something with diversity in housing. Statements about affordable housing and housing equity are better framed in the positive, and though they will not convince everyone in the room, they are a better means to try to convince those who are receptive to listening.”
Leading with Equity helped participants feel more empowered, confident, and motivated in their work. A member shared this insight:
“This has been a space to be re-energized for this very important work. The cohort struck a balance between covering content, skills, and the emotional piece (critical and often missing). Hearing from other people about their experience and emotional response to it helps me trust myself!!”
At Ground Works, we think the secret sauce for effective cohorts is helping participants develop the trust needed to honestly share their own challenges and learnings and to grow networks of peer contacts that extend well past the duration of the program. After years of pandemic-era isolation and staffing cuts, it’s more important than ever that people doing racial equity work can access authentic spaces for peer support and learning.
Want to explore bringing this cohort model to your community? Please reach out, we’d love to hear from you.