A defining theme of 2020 was the nationwide increase in grassroots activism. Across the country, people young and old took to the streets to challenge racial injustice. Whether it was in action on the climate crisis, or in demonstrations in response to fatal police shootings, communities have proven time and again that they care, they are connected, and they are a driving force for change. In the movement to ensure a future and nation that works for all, community organizers have emerged as the real MVPs.
While Black and Brown organizers have modeled extreme heroism and dedication, much of their work has occurred with limited or nonexistent financial support. They are fighting for justice, yet they do so without significant philanthropic investment.
The Schott Foundation for Public Education’s new research with Candid shows that in education, philanthropy drastically underfunds both racial equity and racial justice. In the three-year period from 2017 through 2019, education philanthropy—the second most popular issue for foundations—disbursed $14 billion, but just ten percent of that ($1.4 billion) went to racial equity, and less than one percent ($109 million) went to racial justice. There are 56.6 million K–12 students nationwide, which means the philanthropic investment in racial justice works out to less than $2 per student.
Racial equity and racial justice grants may look similar on their face, but they are different. Racial equity refers to grants designed to close the achievement gap that persists between racial groups. This includes support for programs like racial bias trainings for teachers or mentorship programs for Black and Brown students.
Racial justice refers to addressing the underlying systemic injustices that create these achievement gaps in the first place. Racial justice grants focus explicitly on empowering the people closest to the problem (families and students) as they organize in their communities to change the systems and structures that generate and reinforce racial injustice. Racial justice CONTINUE READING: Why Education Sector Philanthropy Must Embrace a Racial Justice Lens | Schott Foundation for Public Education
Community members in Worcester, Massachusetts, including our grantee partner Worcester Interfaith and Schott's Programs & Advocacy Director Marianna Islam, are helping push city officials to take stronger steps against structural racism in the city. At the most recent city council meeting, residents voiced support for a report that recommends removing school resource officers from Worcester public schools, but urged a faster timeline and greater community oversight. This comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by a coalition including Worcester Interfaith claiming the city's school committee elections system discriminates against communities of color.
The Telegram & Gazette reports:
WORCESTER—The City Council Tuesday bumped to next week discussion of City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr.'s executive order on structural and institutional racism and accompanying recommendations, but that didn't stop many community members who called in to the virtual meeting from making their voices heard.
Mayor Joseph M. Petty announced at the beginning of the meeting that the manager's report, which includes an executive order acknowledging the role structural and institutional racism have played and continues to play in the city, would be taken up at next week's meeting.
The report includes recommendations to remove resource officers from schools and restructure how police interact with schools; to implement some form of alternative deployment that sends mental health and social workers on calls with police; and to establish a new investigations division at City Hall that would address both employee and resident complaints.
Residents reacted to the executive order and the slate of recommendations with cautious optimism in some areas and CONTINUE READING: Worcester Residents Push for School Police Removal, Call for Faster Timelines and Community Input