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Dismantling Racism                                                                         Resource Book


               organizations make mistakes, if they are showing a sincere effort to change
               and struggle, then give them a chance. This means making an effort to name

               their racism and mistakes, to hold them accountable, and provide
               opportunities for growth.


               4. Do not assume that the self-interests of organizations in the

               alliance are the same. To build healthy alliances, it is critical to take the
               time to understand why people are coming together across difference to

               work on a particular issue. With this approach, you are more likely to find a
               unifying strategy.


               5. Have the political will to use anti-racist practices even under

               enormous pressure. This may mean taking the time to be more inclusive
               despite a sense of urgency to move quickly. This may mean rejecting a source
               of funding for work that might conflict with your anti-racist goals.



               6. Decision-making must be above-board and transparent. It will not
               work if some people or groups make decisions behind the scenes.



               7. There should be equity in agreements on how resources and
               power are shared within the alliance. Equity does not always mean equal.

               For example, a one group, one vote approach may seem equal, but could
               undermine accountable power relationships. For example, if an alliance is
               being built around supporting a particular community, naturally
               representatives of that community should be providing more leadership

               within the alliance.


               8. There should be recognition of the valuable contributions

               organizations of color bring to the alliance. Often times, white
               organizations may be larger and better resourced (more staff & money) than
               groups of color. With such imbalances, white organizations can believe they

               are contributing more to the work, often ignoring contributions that groups
               of color may bring like issue and community-related knowledge or a base of
               volunteers.






               Dismantling Racism Project                            113                                          Western States Center
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