Archives for September 2020

In developing this statement, we have been influenced and inspired by the work of many organizations around the country, as they have stepped into the necessary work to dismantle oppressive practices. You may recognize your language or paraphrasing from other organizations in the words below. We will find a place for this on our website soon, and work to identify ways to operationalize in our words, actions, and future planning.

Thank you for being on this journey with us.
~ Liz

North Sound ACH believes that what we do, in both the short and long term, will be the measure of our commitment to advance equity and address systemic and structural racism. Silence and inaction are not options. As Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” For us, while our actions will continue to evolve, our intention should be unwavering. 

We denounce hate in speech and action, and will incorporate steps to address viral racism. 

We challenge ourselves to understand and correct any inequities we may discover and gain a better understanding of ourselves through intentional processes. We accept that we will fail along the way, but commit to acknowledging our actions, learning from experience, and doing better the next time.

We will ask every North Sound ACH partner to join in this journey, examine themselves, and make commitments to address racism and inequities. We will join community voices, demanding social justice in the face of oppression and hatred. 

We will develop and implement an equity lens in hiring, retention, and advancement of staff, in our contract procurement process, and in fund distribution decisions.

We will require that all organizations who contract with North Sound ACH also embed values, strategies, and actions to advance equity and address systemic and structural racism. We will support their efforts by providing training, resources, and access to technical assistance.

We will intentionally support members of our team and other colleagues who are personally impacted emotionally or physically by racism or hatred. 

We will use our voice, our convenings, and our reach and influence to educate and encourage others to support changes to create and enhance a sense of belonging and safety for all.  Acknowledging the past, we will build bridges to better and more inclusive opportunities.

We commit to enriching learning experiences through the advancement of diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive practices.

Through our commitment to end practices, structures, and systems that oppress a range of identities, we aim to both improve and promote within our own team and the broader community, awareness of and appreciation for differences including, but not limited to, race, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, documentation status, culture, sexual orientation, religion, age, and ability.