Of the many efforts people and organizations have embarked on in our national history, the most oft-repeated may be coalition building. Some group is always trying to merge people from diverse backgrounds and interests for the goal of enacting social change. Unfortunately, the attempts tend to fizzle out or end with a grand implosion because the founders overlook one thing. Racism is that one thing. Whether it be about health, inequity, poverty, or legal matters, the efforts always sputter to a stop if anti-Black racism is not attended to from the start.
As our board of directors considered the inception of Kane County United, there were very deliberate conversations about how explicit we should be with our messaging on diversity. The consensus was that without a clear statement backed up by educational programming and evaluation, we would invariably fail in our efforts to support those we claim to help and be complicit in building systems that oppress.
Last year, one of our founders conducted an eight week forum attended by over fifty leaders in our community via Zoom. As we embark on the mission of effecting sustained change in housing, youth education and mental health, we will roll out these community conversations for you to watch and engage with.
Check back here regularly and connect with us on our socials to see those updates.
Kane County United