RACE AND EQUITY What we will Acknowledge, Affirm and Act on through our neighbor centered race and equity commitments
Act
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Acknowledge
We acknowledge the beautiful history of Historic South Atlanta and the ways in which discriminatory policies and violence have harmed its residents. We acknowledge the unique wisdom of our neighbors, and that their wisdom has often been overlooked due to systemic and racial bias. Racial injustice and anti-Blackness pervades our social fabric in Historic South Atlanta and beyond. The disparities we see in our neighborhood are the effects of policies and choices designed to discriminate based on race. We acknowledge that housing policies in Atlanta and the US have been used to intentionally disenfranchise Black families and segregate our cities, and that barriers to housing are complex and multi-faceted. We further acknowledge that low-income families are often at risk of displacement when development occurs. We acknowledge that Black communities have been systematically cut off from financial investment, goods, and services. We acknowledge that thriving Black businesses have been actively destroyed through violence. Futher, we acknowledge that racial discrimination in hiring and advancement have stifled job opportunities for Black communities. We acknowledge that nonprofits, ministries, and charities have often reinforced and even exacerbated racial inequity. We acknowledge that due to racial injustice, leaders in nonprofits are disproportionately white and financially resourced. We acknowledge that our country has a history of systematically exploiting and undervaluing Black labor. We acknowledge that organizations have caused harm to Black communities when they operate outside of their expertise or continue initiatives that are no longer effective. We further acknowledge that organizational structure, culture, funding, and administrative processes can themselves perpetuate racial inequity.
We affirm that building authentic,dignifying relationships with our neighbors is key to effective work. We affirm the intrinsic value of each neighbor and the unique insight they have to offer, including through their lived experiences here. We have an opportunity and responsibility to dismantle unjust systems and mitigate their effects in Historic South Atlanta through our work. We affirm the intrinsic value of Black life and Black neighborhoods and that racial equity helps everyone flourish.
• We will honor the legacy of this neighborhood and do so in a way that is inclusive and that preserves the history of Historic South Atlanta for all. • We will disrupt systems of race-based isolation that have been in place for many years. • We will defer to local leadership and local prioritization as fully as possible when planning and executing our work. • We will produce mixed-income housing and expand access to housing through a multi-faceted approach that responds to systemic barriers. • We will involve neighbors, especially legacy ones, in our development processes. • We will partner with others to create housing options that will be affordable long-term. • We will create businesses that welcome and serve the entire neighborhood. • We will create businesses to employ our neighbors and provide pathways for them to advance their careers. • We will partner with organizations that can spur and nourish local entrepreneurs. • We will equip nonprofit and ministry clients to share power, collapse geographic and racial segregation, and scrutinize the ways their operations reinforce systemic injustice. • We will prioritize the cultivation and "freeing up" of indigenous leadership. • We will proactively cultivate an equitable and healthy workplace. • We will proactively seek to eliminate racial inequity through hiring, promotion, and board leadership with clear goals. • We will clearly communicate with our stakeholders in culturally relevant ways. • We will intentionally evaluate our processes, systems, and structure and adapt them to maximize relevance and effectiveness. • We will identify and support minority-owned businesses when our organization requires partnerships and services. • We will focus our work on addressing the effects of racially motivated inequity to the fullest extent possible. • We will align our work with neighbors' priorities to maximize opportunity to determine futures and create flourishing.
As an organization, FCS wlll...
Listening, Partnering and Engaging our Neighbors
We affirm that every family deserves a financially feasible, safe, and secure home. We affirm that equitable development that keeps legacy neighbors in their homes is possible, attainable, and necessary.
Extending and Diversifying our Mixed- income Housing Growing our Local Economy through Creation of Jobs and Business
We affirm that local business and local investment should fit the budget and needs of the entire neighborhood. We affirm the importance of local entrepreneurship. We affirm that economic development must include providing job and entrepreneurship opportunities that match the local workforce's strengths. We affirm the need for new models of nonprofit and ministry engagement that disrupt racial inequity and make a sustainable impact. We affirm the wisdom and importance of indigenous leadership in nonprofit or ministry efforts and affirm the need to remove barriers that deter indigenous leaders. We affirm that every employee is entitled to fair wages and healthy work-life boundaries. We affirm that embracing DEI as an organization enables our administration to flourish and makes our work more effective. We affirm the need to assess our organizational expertise and limits. We affirm the value of organizational transparency and adaptation for the sake of greater racial equity.
Expanding Our Model of Place-Based Development
Igniting New Approaches to Strengthen Our Model
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