Allston Brighton CDC (ABCDC), along with 20 other organizations, have so far committed to a Racial Equity Pledge launched by the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC). The pledge affirms our commitment to work internally and in partnership with others to make our organizations more diverse, equitable and inclusive.
“I am happy that the ABCDC Board unanimously opted to join the Racial Equity Pledge” said ABCDC’s Board President, Kwasi Agbleke. “As a board we have acknowledged its relevance by starting a new Racial Equity Committee a year ago to address racial inequity in our community and this pledge enforces our commitment.”
“We are excited to be working with our members to help each other and push each other to be what we aspire to be – diverse, inclusive, equitable and effective organizations working to eliminate racism in all its forms,” said Joseph Kriesberg, President of MACDC. “This will be our North Star as we work to turn our pledges into actions.”
In the summer of 2020, during the surge in civil rights actions following the killing of George Floyd and other people of color, CDCs, individually and collectively, joined with others to speak out against injustice and to reflect on their own practices and culture. Community organizers from CDCs across the state came together to push for more racial equity within the CDC movement. They asked MACDC’s leadership to embrace a racial equity pledge to be shared with its members.
MACDC’s board voted to establish a committee to work with the organizers to develop this pledge and a plan for implementation. The pledge was launched at MACDC’s Annual Meeting in November 2021.
“The Racial Equity Pledge was created for our members, by our members to encourage action. Together we are learning, growing, and challenging ourselves, through a transparent and inclusive process. Equity is at the core of our work. Understanding how racial inequities manifest in our organizations, programs, policies, and neighborhoods is essential in community building,” said Shirronda Almeida, Director of the Mel King Institute.
Emilio Dorcely, CEO of Urban Edge and a board member of MACDC, who was involved in the pledge from its inception said, “CDCs have long been at the forefront of calling for equity and justice in communities all across the country. The MACDC racial equity pledge is an opportunity for CDCs across the state to embed racial equity and justice into their work and organizational practice.”
By signing this pledge, ABCDC agrees to embrace four values:
- committing to learning and addressing the different levels of racism so we can take action to dismantle those inequities;
- our staff should be diverse, equitable, inclusive, and representative of the communities we serve;
- our board should be diverse, equitable, inclusive, and representative of the communities we serve; and
- authentic representation in programming/services.
We are also committing to implement at least one specific action toward advancing each of these values within the next year. Our Racial Equity Committee is continuing to work towards updating our policies and procedures to reflect our commitment towards racial equity and creating a more inclusive organizational culture.
Kimberly Lyle, Director of Strategy and Development at Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, was also involved in the development process of the pledge. She said, “MACDC’s racial equity pledge is a catalyst for deeper engagement with our board and staff about how to imbue racial equity within all aspects of our organization’s external work and internal culture. The pledge is a useful tool in identifying achievable and meaningful actions towards these goals.”
ABCDC will continue to work with MACDC, the Mel King Institute, and other CDCs on the implementation of the pledge. To learn more, visit MACDC’s Racial Equity webpage.
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About Allston Brighton CDC: Allston Brighton CDC builds a stronger, more stable community by representing and supporting the interests, engagement, and leadership of Allston Brighton’s diverse communities, institutions, individuals, and families of all incomes. Rapidly rising housing costs disproportionately affect the neighborhood’s most vulnerable residents, creating housing instability and displacement of low- and moderate-income individuals from critical community assets like public transportation, jobs, health care, their families, and more. ABCDC strives to create a vibrant neighborhood where people of many incomes, races, and genders can live and work.
