Racial Equity Challenge coming to Finger Lakes

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Businesses and organizations in the Finger Lakes Region will have an opportunity to improve racial equity through a new initiative convened by the United Way of Greater Rochester Inc.

Greater Rochester’s 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge will begin Oct. 23 and end Nov. 20. Organizations can sign on to the free challenge beginning Oct. 6.

Originally developed by racial justice educators Eddie Moore Jr., Marguerite Penick-Parks and Debby Irving, the program has been embraced by a coalition of local leaders and is being adapted for the Finger Lakes Region.

Through broad community engagement, the 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge will increase awareness of critical issues and strengthen the community’s capacity to dismantle all forms of racism, officials said. Self-directed learning opportunities will encourage a deeper understanding of race, power, privilege and leadership.

The United Way in recent weeks has received a deluge of calls seeking support to help business and organization staff to better understand and support diversity, equity and inclusion. In fact, communities nationwide have issued 21-Day Racial Equity Challenges in an effort to broaden the discussion and understanding of racial equity.

As Rochester becomes more attuned to the problem of racial injustice, business leaders can leverage the interest and awareness of their employees to increase understanding and education around racial equity. The challenge will provide staffers with demonstrated tools and resources to learn and take action to support a more racially just workplace and community, officials said.

United Way is working with partner organizations that focus on racial equity including the Racial Equity Justice Initiative, Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative, YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County, Rochester Area Community Foundation and the Urban League of Rochester NY Inc. to shape the content of the challenge and the United Way will provide the backbone support.

More than 45 partners already have signed on based on initial conversations, officials said. Both the Rochester Business Journal and the Daily Record are partnering in the challenge.

The 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge is done through a daily email that will focus on a specific topic, with links to articles, videos and podcasts that will help participants expand their personal perspectives on equity along with information and links to local resources, initiatives and ways to turn education into action. A daily commitment of 10 to 15 minutes will be supplemented with virtual opportunities for group reflection and instructions for employers on initiating meaningful conversations within their organizations.

Organizations can sign up beginning Oct. 6 at uwrochester.org/equitychallenge.

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