Race Analysis of Institutions
Mission:
● Does the mission statement of the organization explicitly address racism and social justice?
● Does the organization prioritize the welfare of all people over profit?
● Does the mission promote the well-being of people of color?
History:
● Does the organization have a history of being oriented toward collaborative work for racial justice and other social justice causes?
● In its history, has the organization hired and promoted people of color and mixed race people into decision-making and leadership positions?
● In its history, has the organization been able to resolve internal conflicts without alienating people of color?
Culture:
● Are there languages other than English spoken in meetings, at events, and in the offices?
● Are a variety of different cultural images and music represented in accountable ways?
● Are a variety of communication styles encouraged and embraced?
● Are a variety of cultural holidays officially recognized and celebrated?
● Does the organization have a climate of intolerance of racism in all its forms?
Internal Groups:
● Is there diverse cultural/racial/ethnic representation in working groups and caucuses?
● Are positions of responsibility in groups shared among people of color and white people?
● Does the organization have an anti-racism caucus?
● Are the working groups/caucuses empowered to make change in the institution?
Location:
● Is the organization located near public transportation?
● Is the organization located in a neighborhood where people of color live and work?
● Is the location of the organization consistent with a commitment to racial justice?
Community Connections:
● Does the organization have networking and collaborative relationships with other organizations committed to social justice and eliminating racism?
● Does the organization publicize itself through the media of communities of color?
● Does the organization publicize an image of itself as being actively anti-racist?
Population Served:
● Are people of color served by, and welcome in, the organization?
● Do communities of color benefit directly from the services the organization provides?
Power Arrangement:
● Do people of color have equal and proportionate decision-making power in the organization?
● Are there effective and clearly established procedures, open to everyone in the organization, by which decisions may be made, changed, or challenged?
Salary:
● Are people of color proportionate among the highest paid in the organization?
● Is there a small gap between the highest and lowest salaries in the organization?
● Are people of color well-represented throughout the salary scale?
● Do all members of the organization have power in determining salary amounts and scale?
Personnel:
● Does the organization have formal and publicized affirmative action and equal opportunity policies?
● Are people of color equally represented as employees in the organization?
● Are people of color represented on hiring committees?
● Is being bicultural and /or bilingual a compensated job qualification?
● Are training and internship and mentoring opportunities accessible to people of color?
● Are white people members of the janitorial, security, and delivery staff in the organization?
Management:
● Do people of color profit from the work of this organization?
● Are people of color owners or managers of this organization?
● Do people of color supervise or train other staff?
Board:
● Are there people of color proportionately represented on the board of directors?
● Are languages other than English spoken at board meetings?
Accountability:
● Is there an established protocol to examine how effectively the organization responds to the interests and concerns of communities of color?
● Does the institution have systematic methods of monitoring and evaluating its efforts to challenge racism?
Funding:
● Is the organization funded by other institutions that work for racial equity and social justice?
● If the funders of the organization support other causes, groups, and organizations, do these groups have an established commitment to racial justice?
● Does the organization function free from contingencies associated with funding it receives?
● Do employees own stock in this organization?
● Does the organization evaluate its sources of funding based on the criteria offered on this list?
From Racism in Queer Communities: What Can White People Do?
Facilitated by Rachel Lanzerotti, Michael Mayer, Wendy Ormiston, Laura Podwoski
March 18 & 25 2000, Harvey Milk Institute
