It is time to win on equity — to achieve fundamental structural change so all people in the United States participate in a just society, live in healthy communities of opportunity, and prosper in an equitable economy. Recognizing that an effort of this magnitude will require leadership and capacity beyond those of any single organization, PolicyLink is pleased to announce the launch of the Winning on Equity Working Group.
The Winning on Equity Working Group is dedicated to fighting for a more just nation and building infrastructure that ensures the equity movement has the money, data, visibility, and power to accelerate sweeping change in the nation’s systems, institutions, and policies. Rather than define a new agenda, this group will advance the work of movement leaders and build greater alignment among equity efforts nationwide.
The group will focus on specific areas to start:
Understanding shared priorities across the equity movement;
Developing a digital space where movement leaders can find one another and align their work and;
Analyzing the current flow of resources dedicated to structural change.
In the last 20 years, the equity movement has made incredible strides through a sophisticated network of organizations and leaders. But despite this progress, one in three people in the United States remains economically insecure. For so many, how long or how well you live remains determined by your zip code, the amount of money in your bank account, or the color of your skin. And too often, our solutions to these challenges have been siloed into different campaigns, rather than forged and advanced in deep solidarity.
More must be done to fully realize the potential of the equity movement. “Without us working collectively together we will be unable to fully realize the possibilities embedded in this ‘movement moment,’” said Nathaniel Smith, member of the Working Group and Founder and Chief Equity Officer at Partnership for Southern Equity. By harnessing the power of movement leaders and centering the voices of people of color and people struggling economically, the Winning on Equity Working Group can help build a sustained, proactive, and organized movement for years to come.
The Winning on Equity Working Group is ready to get into deeper alignment with one another and our partners. We are ready to change the rules of the game to no longer funnel wealth and power into the hands of a privileged few and leave millions behind. We are ready to work collectively to claim our power and remake our democracy and economy to be shaped by the voice, wisdom, and will of the people and responsive to the needs of all. We are ready to win on equity.
Meet the Winning on Equity Working Group Members:
Albino Garcia, La Plazita
Alexander Gibson, Appalshop
Anthony Ng, UCLA Labor Center
April Verrett, SEIU Local 2015
Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, Highlander Center
Charli Cooksey, WEPOWER
Colette Pichon Battle, Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy
Dara Baldwin, Center for Disability Rights
Darrick Hamilton, Kirwan Institute
Dawn Philips, Right to the City
Dayvon Love, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle
Felicia Wong, Roosevelt Institute
Glenn Harris, Race Forward
Harper Bishop, PUSH Buffalo
Javier Lopez, Red Hook Initiative
Jeremie Greer, Liberation in a Generation
Kabzuag Vaj, Freedom Inc.
Lakshmi Sridaran, South Asian Americans Leading Together
Michelle Ramos, Alternate ROOTS
Morning Star Gali, Restoring Justice for Indigenous Peoples
