Popular social justice workshop to return to Charleston
June 21, 2017
Strong demand for Racial Equity Institute training results in additional sessions
In partnership with the YWCA of Greater Charleston, the Racial Equity Institute will conduct a social justice workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26 and Thursday, July 27 at the College of Charleston’s North Charleston campus at 3800 Paramount Drive.
Due to strong demand, this workshop will be the fourth such session of the social justice training in Charleston in just six months.
In January, the YWCA of Greater Charleston and a consortium of partners sponsored the first-ever Racial Equity Institute training session in the Charleston area. Designed to help community leaders understand and take action against racism in their regions and organizations, the workshop was facilitated by the Racial Equity Institute, an alliance of community organizers, trainers, and institutional leaders that has been nationally recognized for helping communities address institutional racism.
The community’s response to the workshop was so positive, the YWCA of Greater Charleston brought it back in April. All 40 slots in the April session were filled within hours, before formal promotion efforts could even begin; to fill the immediate demand, the YWCA organized two simultaneous sessions with a total of 80 participants.
In response to the high demand, the YWCA of Greater Charleston has worked with the Racial Equity Institute to bring it back a third time. There will again be space for 40 participants.
“We’re excited to partner with the Racial Equity Institute again as we strive to fulfill our mission to eliminate racism in the Charleston region,” says LaVanda Brown, executive director of the YWCA of Greater Charleston. “This workshop can absolutely be a game changer for our community. With every leader and individual who attends, its potential for powerful results grows.”
Local organizations can each send up to five board members, executives, staff, or volunteers to the two-day workshop at a cost of $400 per participant, which covers the Racial Equity Institute’s costs.
All types of organizations are welcome, including private and publicly owned companies, municipalities and other government entities, public service organizations such as schools and hospitals, and associations, nonprofits, grassroots organizations, and other groups.
Feedback from local workshop attendees has been overwhelmingly positive. “The Racial Equity Institute training was a powerful learning experience,” wrote an April participant. “You learn things your teachers left out of history lessons, things that can shift how you see the world. You leave with a deeper commitment to dismantling unjust systems.”
“It’s fact-based,” wrote a January workshop attendee. “It takes racism out of the opinion realm and roots it in history.”
Organizations and individuals interested in the workshop should contact LaVanda Brown at 843.722.1644 or [email protected]. Spots can also be reserved online at ywca-charlestonsc.org. More information about the Racial Equity Institute and its training process can be found at racialequityinstitute.org.
ABOUT THE YWCA OF GREATER CHARLESTON
For 110 years, the YWCA of Greater Charleston has served women, children, and families in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester Counties in its mission to empower women and eliminate racism. By engaging area residents and organizations, it seeks to create opportunities for women and people of color in terms of personal growth, leadership, and economic development, leading to greater justice, freedom, and dignity for all people. It is a longstanding local association of YWCA USA, one of the oldest and largest multicultural women’s organizations in the United States. For over 150 years, YWCA USA has been at the forefront of most social movements—from civil rights, affordable housing, and pay equality to domestic violence prevention and healthcare reform. For more information, visit ywca-charlestonsc.org.
ABOUT THE ORIGINAL SPONSORING CONSORTIUM
The inaugural Charleston-area Racial Equity Institute workshop held in January was sponsored by the YWCA of Greater Charleston, Charleston Promise Neighborhood, the Coastal Community Foundation, Metanoia, The Sophia Institute Social Justice Racial Equity Collaborative, Teach for America, and the Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative.
