“When you see brands that don't even do this work who feel the need to make it really clear what side of history they're on, that let’s you know that the political and the economic calculus and imperative is astronomical.”
Racial equity video anthology
Conversations with community leaders
This anthology project originated from recording video conversations for the Foundation’s 2021 Racial Equity Fund awards to make it easier for grassroots groups to share their work changing systems that hold racial inequity and injustice in place. We could powerfully see, hear, feel, and understand what they do and their driving passion and vision. We wanted to share this.
We envisioned the video anthology as a resource to make groups more visible and add insights the Foundation has learned. It features overviews, insights, and a collection of organization leaders talking about systemic issues they are tackling. We will add more over time. We hope you, like the Foundation, will gain inspiration and knowledge, and use it to enrich and advance conversations critical to building a more equitable and just Greater Miami.
Charisse Grant
Miami Foundation Senior Vice President & Strategy Advisor
Meet Leaders Tackling Systemic Change
To achieve long-term change, Greater Miami needs strong groups rooted in communities of color with a mission to alter systems. They are led by people of color to advance community interests. Their solutions reflect lived experience and more equitable alternatives. They have a sustained focus on shifting institutions, resources, policies, practices, and power.
“People don’t really understand systemic racism. We always say it’s the water that we’re in. It’s not the shark.”
Conversations with Community Leaders Collection
“So we went from being these young people doing something because we felt we had to, to suddenly our issues starting to actually take momentum on a national stage.”
“As a historian, it’s very difficult to talk to people about the types of change that needs to happen today if they don't understand how things got this way. The consciousness raising leads to the civic engagement, which leads to what's at the pinnacle of all of this work for me, which is policy change.”
Growing Impact: The Racial Equity Fund
The Foundation’s Racial Equity Fund, launched in June 2020, builds on our long history of work to address racial disparities. The Fund allows us to focus on strengthening groups doing work to change systems and elevate issues. Nearly 150 donors, large and small, who share the vision have contributed nearly $2M. Their generosity has accelerated change and impact.
"We know that Black communities have been keystones to the prosperity of Greater Miami. And yet, all these years later, there's still not benefiting from that prosperity in an equitable way."
Growing Impact
Transforming systems needs groups with a long-term commitment and rigorous focus on building power and solutions inside communities. We are investing in groups for what they do individually and to build an ecosystem for change and impact.
Advancing Just Alternatives
Chainless Change
Circle of Brotherhood
Family Action Network Movement
Fanm Saj
GreenHaven/Save The Kids
Mothers Fighting for Justice
Social Justice Doula
The Black Collective
The Roots Collective
The Smile Trust
Shifting Public Narrative
Maven Leadership Collective
YWCA South Florida
Florida Memorial University-Social Justice Institute
Building Community Power
Community Justice Project
Dream Defenders
Florida Student Power Network
Miami Workers Center
PowerU Center for Social Change
S.O.U.L. Sisters Leadership Collective
Struggle for Miami’s Affordable HousingWeCount
Powering Individuals & The Arts
Insights: Understanding Equity & Justice
The video and audio clips reflect insights from what the Foundation has learned on our journey, which we hope can ground a shared understanding to advance more rich conversations.
“Equity looks at the disparities and the outcomes. Justice looks at the systems creating the problems.”
Insights
Systems matter. If water leaks keep flooding your home, you can bail water and patch holes, or at some point focus your attention and resources on the plumbing system.
Our society is built on systemic rules, laws, policies, and practices. They define how we experience issues ranging from policing and justice, to protections and rights, to child welfare, health care, community development and access to resources. Inequity perpetuates disparities. Injustice creates disparate harm. Within these systems race remains the most significant determining factor.
People have asked about why we focused so heavily on changing systems. If you or I live in a house where water leaks keep flooding it. it is fine and all to keep cleaning it up and patching holes, but at some point, we really might want to look at our plumbing system.
In our society, all kinds of systems of rules, policies, practices, allocation of resources shape our lives and opportunities in so, so many ways – Policing, banking, justice, child welfare, health care, planning and zoning, tenants rights, workers rights.
