By Allison Warren-Barbour
Equity. It’s a buzzword that’s gained a lot a traction in recent years and rightfully so. Nonprofits revere it, businesses strive for it, our political leaders champion it.
Recently, your United Way adopted equity as one of our five organizational values. The “E” in the acronym for our new work called CORE stands for Equity. But given the recent acts of racism and hatred in Charlottesville, I think it’s important for each of us to ask ourselves, “What does equity really mean?”
For United Way of Snohomish County, we’ve defined equity as “consciously making decisions that provide fair treatment, access, advancement and opportunity for all.” Fair, not just equal; access and advancement, not just opportunity; for all, not just for one race, gender or socio-economic status.
Equity is about changing what’s broken in our system and the first step to do this is to recognize that it is, in fact, broken. If the last few weeks have shown our country anything, it is that at our nation’s core, there is division. There is brokenness and it is up to each and every one of us to help fix it.
But how? That’s the question I think we all struggle with when it comes to such complex social issues like racism. We feel powerless to make change, particularly in the disorienting and fear-based culture we are living in. I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I can only tell you what I personally will do as not only the CEO of United Way, but as a mother raising two young daughters.
As CEO of United Way, I will continue to challenge the system that keeps families with low income trapped in poverty. I will seek out expert voices and tools to help our staff, board, and myself recognize where racism is rooted into our own structure. I will hold our organization accountable to consciously make decisions that acknowledge and respect the voices of communities of color. As an organization, we will provide refuge to those who find themselves questioning their own safety at the hands of their neighbors. I will do my best to live into our value of equity.
As a mother, I will teach my children what privilege is. And that by simply being born white, they have it. I will teach them that all people deserve to be treated fairly, no matter the color of their skin or where they are from. I will teach them to value diversity and the responsibility we all have to help others.
I am bolstered and encouraged by recent statements and messages of Snohomish County community leaders and members who are choosing to stand, united, against racism and hate. United Way adds our voice because by being silent, we risk being a complicit partner. We stand united because equity isn’t a buzzword, it’s an action.
Allison Warren-Barbour is the president and CEO of United Way of Snohomish County
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