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Dismantling Racism Resource Book

Are there people of color organizations or institutions who have
identified a need for support on your potential campaign or would
ally themselves on the campaign?

Although your organization is multi-racial, does your membership of color reflect the
community most impacted by your potential campaign? It is important to reflect on
whether your organization needs to look outside itself for additional sources of
accountability in order to move forward.
How would you know if people of color organizations or institutions have identified a need
for support on an issue or campaign? This is related to your organization’s level of
relationship with people and communities of color. Is your organization answering this
question based on common knowledge, media reports, or a specific request for your
support?

Does your organization have a strategic approach to weighing the
costs and benefits of entering coalitions, particularly with white
organizations?

Multi-racial organizations need to be careful about coalition work with white organizations.
Although such coalitions are often necessary – especially given the demographic realities
of the West –there are many potential pitfalls. White organizations are often larger and
better resourced, creating significant power imbalances. Few white organizations “get”
racism at a deep level and have a track record of fighting racism in appropriate ways. How
can multi-racial organizations collaborate with predominantly white organizations without
tipping the balance of multi-racial equity in leadership within their own organization?
What type of internal strength do you need to build before entering new collaborations in
order to support leaders of color in your own organization? How can you assess the
capacity of predominantly white organizations to be effective anti-racist allies to your
organization?

Do you expect some resistance to taking on more explicit racial
justice work?

Any type of change often comes with some level of resistance. From whom is the
resistance likely to come and why? Resistance should be expected and can be worked
through. Membership and constituency education can help avoid resistance as well as
surface inevitable resistance in a structured setting where it can be productively
discussed and challenged.

Dismantling Racism Project 100 Western States Center