Between 2004-2008, the Environmental Support Center worked with its staff and board of directors to develop a shared analysis of racism, and began to address the individual, cultural, and institutional manifestations of racism within the organization, and to organize for change based on that shared understanding.  Although most participants had been through various diversity and anti-racism trainings, none had gone through a process as extensive or intensive as the one on which the Environmental Support Center embarked. 

In order to preserve and honor the work, and to share our learning, we've written a short report about the process.

Here is an excerpt from the report:

What lead the Environmental Support Center to “Dismantling Racism”?

A culmination of events led ESC to engage in this work, including a

programmatic decision to focus on environmental justice and a related

effort to increase the number of people of color on the staff to more

effectively engage this priority. The actual decision to pursue an

organization-wide training process was catalyzed by the resignation of a

person of color who pointed out that certain communication and

decision making dynamics within the organization might contribute to

ESC’s difficulties in retaining staff of color. As one staff person noted, “It

looked like the organization might not be making the best choices and

that the culture might not necessarily be working for all people.”

Although ESC’s staff retention issues went beyond race, there was a desire

to explore how the organization’s internal structure and practices

inhibited its ability to employ and work with people of color.

To read the full report, please click here.