Reclaiming Our Way promoting the well-being of African American children & families

Ten Lessons for Taking Leadership on Racial Equity: Aspen Institute

This resource might be useful for some of you involved in racial equity work.  It's a March 2013 publication of the Aspen Institute's Roundtable on Community Change.

The Roundtable’s most recent publication distills ten lessons for how to take leadership on the difficult topic of race in America. Based on our ten years of work in this arena, the document is intended to encourage and suggest strategies to people willing to take up the challenge of promoting racial equity and inclusion. It is also meant to counter the fears, reticence and pessimism of those who believe that race is just too hard of a topic to address. Indeed, our experience shows that, when equipped with the right training and tools, there are many people of all races who become inspirational and effective racial equity leaders.

The following are the ten lessons, described in fuller detail in the publication...

1. Start with Facts and Put Them in Context
2. Create Safe Spaces for People to Talk about Race and Develop Strategies for Achieving Equity
3. Emphasize That Today’s Racial Inequities Don’t Depend on Intentional Racism
4. Counter Stereotypes and Bias
5. Start by Preaching to the Choir
6. Explore Contradictions
7. Engage Leaders with the Greatest Level of Influence
8. Help People Find Their Roles as Agents of Change
9. Make Sure It’s Someone’s Job to Focus on the Work of Building Racial Equity
10. Support One Another and Continuously Cultivate New Leadership