Crossroads Training - Introduction to Systemic Racism

Monday, November 5, 2018

GCG Blog post by Deb Dubin, CEO & President of Gateway Center for Giving.

For more than four years, the Gateway Center for Giving (GCG) has been intentionally engaged in providing our funding community with opportunities to learn and dialogue about the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). You can learn more about the specifics of our organization’s journey, including robust programming and resources, at our previous blog posts here and here. We’re committed to providing our Members with meaningful support and tools for action as each Member considers how their own philanthropic investments can support transformative change.

At the same time, we’re also committed to looking internally at ourselves and our own organization and the ways in which we may be perpetuating inequity, both knowingly and unknowingly, through our programs and practices. This month a number of our current and future Board Members participated in an “Introduction to Systemic Racism” workshop facilitated by Crossroads, a national training organization that focuses on racial justice education. The workshop explored racism as a systemic, institutional problem of power that goes beyond personal prejudice. Participants were also introduced to strategies for dismantling racism within their own organizations.

This workshop is just one step, and certainly not a final stop, in ensuring that our Board of Directors leads in alignment with the goals of fostering a more just and equitable society. Stay tuned for more.