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Dismantling Racism Resource Book

Moving Racial Justice: Are you ready?

Assessing Your Organization’s Readiness and
Capacity to Move a Racial Justice Agenda

Not every organization is ready to take on racial justice work even if they are eager to do
so. The following assessment is designed to raise critical issues as organizations and
organizers think about their capacity to move a racial justice agenda. These assessments
are designed to identify potential barriers to taking on a racial justice focus and outline
the preparatory work that may be needed to effectively engage in and sustain racial
justice work for organizations of color, white organizations and multi-racial organizations.

Read through the questions designed for your organization based on the descriptions of
people of color, white and multi-racial organizations found at the beginning of each
assessment. Allow these questions to help you identify barriers, challenges and
opportunities for moving racial justice through organizing.

These assessments may be effective exercises for Change Teams who are engaged
strategic planning or developing a workplan.

Organizations of Color (We are referring to organizations that are
primarily or entirely comprised of people of color, whether of various racial groups or
mostly one.)

Organizations run by people of color and devoted to building the power of people of color
through organizing are essential elements of an effective racial justice movement. People
of color must develop independent autonomous institutions that they control, although that
does not exclude the possibility of working in alliance with white allies.
The assessment for organizations of color differs from that for white and multi-racial
organizations. Although some of the assessment questions listed for white and multi-racial
organizations may be useful and relevant for organizations of color, this section will focus
on the unique context of organizations of color.

Historically, organizations of color at the forefront of racial justice struggles have faced
severe obstacles. These include the difficulty of sustaining financial stability, dealing with
the erratic support of – and sometimes betrayal by – white liberal and progressive
organizations and defending themselves from the repressive strategies of the police, the
courts, local, state and federal governments and non-governmental bodies. This history
informs the approaches organizations of color may take to sustain their work over time.

Dismantling Racism Project 90 Western States Center