YWCA Minneapolis President and CEO Shelley Carthen Watson was one of more than a dozen community leaders who spoke at a rally at the State Capitol in support of the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment.

“As a leader in racial and gender equity, we empower communities to protect reproductive freedom, stand against race and gender discrimination and promote justice for all people.”

Creating meaningful change toward eliminating racism in Minnesota is within our reach. YWCA Minneapolis used live events to spark meaningful change in the last year. Learn more about It's Time to Talk: Forums on Race™ and It's Time to Act!™ and how participants learned about leaning into discomfort and confronting uncomfortable histories.

Our school systems have failed to live up to the promise of providing quality and enriching education for all students. In some states, legislation actively hinders inclusive practices. Here in Minnesota, we have a unique opportunity to lead the charge for transformative change by fostering elements of DEI in schools.

As we continue to explore the “Web of Racism” and its focus on systemic racism in the United States, health care stands out as an institution that historically reproduces race-based disparities. A closer look at what is meant by “health care disparities” includes the different ways that racism is manifest in the clinical and hospital experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Taking time to learn about the varied layers of racism at work within the healthcare system produces several different lenses with which to learn more about this topic.

The Web of Systemic Racism identifies areas wherein Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) experience unequal or lack access to resources everyone needs to thrive in mainstream society. Examined here is systemic racism in housing practices, touching on access to high-opportunity neighborhoods, access to basic housing quality and homeownership.