In January, I came across an article from CNN titled “DEI efforts are under siege. Here’s what experts say is at stake.” In the piece, the writers discuss how the DEI efforts corporations and institutions fervently adopted in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020 are not only fading away, but being called out as acts of racism and are at stake in the workplace and in our society.
I was incensed.
DEI is not racist. DEI is a framework. DEI is a pledge. It is a pledge to be inclusive, diverse, and equitable. How have we fallen so far down the racist rabbit hole of dog whistles and fear that we have misconstrued this concept into one that people, especially white people in power, are fighting against?
However, as I’ve sat with this article, I have come to realize that my questions become more and more rhetorical. Our systems of power were created by white men to keep white men in power. DEI is a pledge that threatens those racist systems. That is why it is necessary.
In the news today, we are seeing many similar efforts to hoard power and limit the rights and progress that has taken generations to accomplish. From the halting of IVF treatments in Alabama due to the Supreme Court’s ruling on frozen embryos, to the labeling of hispanic Oklahomans as “terrorists,” to the ruling in Texas keeping high schooler Darryl George suspended for over 180 days due to the length of his locs - the ways in which we have been able to navigate the world, the freedoms we have taken for granted, the steps of progress we have made, are at stake.
As we are still in the early days of 2024, let’s not sit and wait to see what else we might concede to the powers that be. Let us come together to push forward the progress we know is possible. Call your legislators, talk to your neighbors and family, make a plan to vote, encourage all to participate in the democracy that is under threat.
At the end of the day, DEI is a consciousness about how to make space in the world. And there is plenty of space for everyone. It’s up to us to make sure it stays that way.
Scott Hutcheson
Executive Director, E Pluribus Unum
2023 was a BIG year for EPU! Across all pillars of our work - leadership acceleration, policy, and narrative change - EPU has made impactful strides to accomplishing our goal of building a more just, equitable, and inclusive South.
Here are some highlights from our 2023 annual report:
🏆 Over 70+ Southern Leaders and 45+ Community organizations have participated in our Leadership Accelerator programming.
💡 Over 50+ Equity Projects have been implemented in communities across the American South.
🗓️ We held two Convenings that gave our partners opportunities to learn, collaborate, and push their equity efforts forward.
🛠️ We launched our Policy Toolkits, which provide case studies, action steps, and resources for leaders to take on equity work in their communities!
📜 EPU tracked over 2,300 pieces of legislation from state houses across the South were covered through our Bi-Monthly Legislative Updates.
Check out the full report HERE.
EPU’s research consistently shows that Southerners place significant hope in our local political leadership. Through three leadership accelerators, E Pluribus Unum continues to uplift and invest in those focused on building a more equitable and inclusive South.
EPU continues to partner with The Bitter Southerner to turn up the volume on equity work done by our Unum Fellows. Check out our newest pieces below!
Dot Heffron, made good trouble (and change) when she ran for the school board in Chesterfield County, Virginia. She defied the odds again in 2023 when she retained her seat during the political firestorm around “CRT” after teaching high schoolers to become advocates through her civic leadership and engagement curriculum. Read more about Dot’s journey in “Activated” by Tom Lee.
Five inspiring college students are making a better South by taking on big issues, from banned books to complicated tax laws to voter disenfranchisement. With help from the E Pluribus Unum, their self-starter projects have made major changes in their community. Learn more in “A New Generation of Southern Changemakers” by Ariel Felton.
Stories are tools for change. The stories of our Unum Fellows prove extraordinary actions can come from anywhere and anyone — inspiring us all to make change.
Grounded in the belief that progress begins with targeted and strategic action, EPU is pleased to present our 2024 Policy Principles and Priorities, designed to guide our policy and government relations efforts during 2024 legislative sessions across the South.
2024 Policy Priorities:
🌱 Climate & Environment: Advancing equity in climate and environmental policy in the South requires a holistic approach that addresses the unique challenges faced by the region
⚖️ Criminal Legal System: Advancing equity in the criminal legal system in the South is crucial for promoting justice and reducing disparities.
🗳️ Democracy & Voting: Advancing democracy and voting in the South is crucial to ensure that all citizens have equal access to the political process.
💸 Economic Equity: Advancing economic equity in the South requires addressing systemic barriers and creating opportunities for all residents to thrive and contribute to the region’s prosperity.
📝 Education: Advancing education equity in the South is crucial for ensuring that all students have access to quality educational opportunities, increasing their likelihood to be productive and contributing citizens.
🩺 Health: Advancing health equity in the South is essential to ensuring that all individuals have access to affordable and quality health care services.
🏡 Housing: Advancing equity in housing in the South is crucial for ensuring that all individuals have access to safe, affordable, and energy-efficient housing.
🌏 Immigration: Advancing equity in immigration policies in the South requires a comprehensive and inclusive approach that recognizes the contributions of immigrants and addresses their unique needs.
🚧 Infrastructure: Advancing equity in infrastructure policies in the South is critical for ensuring that all communities benefit from essential public investments.
These principles and priorities mark a significant step in refining our focus on key areas that demand urgent attention, allowing us to make a more profound impact on moving the needle on equity in the South. You can follow our efforts around these policy priorities through our bi-monthly legislative updates, sign up to receive them here!
In the former Capital of the Confederacy - Richmond, VA - community groups, organizations, and houses of faith are reckoning with the city’s racist history.
EPU has deepened relationships with these local organizations as members of the Unum Alliance to document their unique journeys around inclusion and equity. EPU will push out these excellent examples to faith-based groups and congregations across the South to inspire and motivate them to take on the same truth and healing efforts.
Learn about these Unum Alliance members and their work below!
- The Ida B. Robinson Institute works with local churches and community members to highlight the accomplishments of Black Richmond historical figures.
- St. Paul’s Episcopal Church engaged their congregation in a reckoning with their church history as the “Cathedral of the Confederacy” and transformed their institutional reputation around race and community.
- The One Day, One Step Initiative led by Renewing RVA brings together community members for a day of repentance around the Confederate memorials that once stood prominently along the city’s Monument Avenue.
- The leadership of Richmond’s First Baptist Church uses biblical principles to teach about equity and create a welcoming environment for all who wish to join the congregation.
To fulfill America’s promise of justice and equal opportunity for every American, we must build a consensus around the history of racism in the U.S. and the effect it still has today. The Unum Alliance is a network EPU has created to accelerate this effort, as we know facing our nation’s dark truths is the first step towards healing and reconciliation. A simple rule: You cannot change what you do not acknowledge!
Along with creating new narratives around race and equity through our own programming, EPU wants to be a source of amplification for narrative work happening in the broader media landscape. See our recommendations below!
📚 What to Read:
- Let us Descend a novel by Jesmyn Ward describes a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans and into the fearsome heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation. A journey that is as beautifully rendered as it is heart wrenching. It is “the literary equivalent of an open wound from which poetry pours” according to NPR.
- Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity by Michele Norris offers a transformative dialogue on race and identity in America, unearthed through her decade-long work at The Race Card Project.
🎞️ What to Watch:
- ORIGIN directed by Ava DuVernay follows Isabel Wilkerson as she writes her seminal book "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" while coping with personal tragedy.
- American Fiction, directed by Cord Jefferson confronts our culture’s obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes.
- American Symphony, directed by Matthew Heineman, follows New Orleans native and composer Jon Batiste as he balances career highs with his partner Suleika Jaouad’s cancer diagnosis.
Questions? Contact us at info@unumfund.org.
