SWACH Continues to Chart Our Equity Journey

Equity Collaborative

The Equity Collaborative ended in March 2021. At SWACH, we understand that equity work does not have an end date and are identifying ongoing opportunities to learn alongside our organizational and community partners. We appreciate our partners that participated in the Equity Collaborative over the past two years. They played a valuable role by being actively invested in one another’s learning and turning that learning into action.

Join us in celebrating our Equity Collaborative Partners!

Cascade Pacific Action Alliance	Family Solutions	Providence Medical Group
The Children's Center	Kaiser Permanente	Share
Columbia River Mental Health	Klickitat Valley Health	Skyline
Community Services Northwest	Lutheran Community Services Northwest
Council for the Homeless	Providence CORE

Racial Justice Plan Update

SWACH’s Justice Equity Diversity & Inclusion Squad (JEDIS) continues to lead the organization through its Racial Justice Plan development process. The group developed an aim statement using a consensus-building approach with staff:

In two years, SWACH is a learning organization where challenging the status quo is an invitation to grow and change together and a demonstration of our commitment to being an anti-racist organization. As a leader in equitable practices and a trusted community partner, SWACH is a catalyst for systems change that results in equitable communities. SWACH values community members' voices and experiences: listening informs our actions.

Based on our equity assessment results, JEDIS drafted priority areas with feedback from staff to help us achieve our aim statement. We thank you for your patience while our organization is in a transitional period. Opportunities to provide feedback on our racial justice plan will be highlighted soon.

If you are interested in contributing to this discussion, contact Kim Lepin.

Building Our Capacity

SWACH staff will be participating in a series of trainings and facilitated conversations over the next several months. Some of the topics include:

White Supremacy Culture

• Culture
  • Definitions of Culture
  • Cultural Differences in the Workplace
  • Cultural Differences in the Workplace Assessment

SWACH Staff are using their Anti-Racist Bookclub to use a racial equity lens on topics staff are passionate about.

Access to Nature

• Segregated parks linked to higher COVID-19 deaths for Black and Latino Americans
• Who do you imagine in the outdoors?
• Rethinking Bird Names

Food Justice

• Karen Washington: It’s Not a Food Desert, It’s Food Apartheid
• How Racism Has Shaped the American Farming Landscape - Eater
• Ron Finley: A guerrilla gardener in South Central LA

Other Resources

The AMA’s strategic plan to embed racial justice and advance health equity

How to Be an Antiracist Supervisor: Start with Changing What You Call Yourself