From the desk of Debra Ness
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John:

In the sobering wake of the disastrous 2016 election, the National
Partnership has challenged each and every attack on women and families
by Donald Trump.

We continue to be horrified by his brazenly racist policies,
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immoral agenda,
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relentless lies and
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impeachable corruption,
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and we have redoubled our efforts to stand strong and speak truth to power.

Together, we have fought back.

But there's more to this story.

In addition to our external resistance, we started looking inward as
an organization to grapple with the issue of racism - the
pervasive, systematic and insidious reality of racism in the United
States.

Racism is everywhere.

No organization is immune. And that includes the National Partnership,
which has been led and staffed predominantly by white women since its
founding in 1971.

For us, what began in 2017 as a comprehensive assessment of our
organizational priorities and practices - to be the most
effective advocacy organization possible in the Trump era -
rightly transitioned into an intentional and intensive process to help
ensure that the National Partnership promotes racial equity, centers
the lives and lived experiences of women of color, and combats all
forms of racism, discrimination and oppression.

That's why we recently set a significant, six-year staff
diversity goal, for all levels of seniority, and are improving our
hiring practices in an attempt to build a more diverse pool of
qualified applicants for each and every open position.

To be authentic, transparent and uncomfortably vulnerable, we invite
you to walk alongside us on this journey. Please check out the Racial
Equity page on our site and the "Why" document that explains why
racial equity is a top priority for our internal and external work.
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A few days ago, we printed a "Why" poster and encouraged staff to sign
their name as an expression of commitment and solidarity. It now hangs
outside our recently renamed "Dolores Huerta Conference
Room" for all visitors and staff to see.
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We are also engaging diverse new vendors and consultants, such as
Freedomland Media, an amazing firm owned and operated by two Black
women who produced this video.
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I share this inside perspective because, while we have a long way to
go, I'm encouraged that we are taking steps in the right
direction to ensure we live and work by our values.

The work of advancing racial equity is ongoing, and it will take time.

We cannot ignore that our nation was built on white supremacy and that
progressive movements have perpetuated harm by not working through a
lens of racial equity and inclusivity.
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We recently wrote about this complicated history when we decided not
to celebrate Women's Equality Day because the women's
suffrage movement betrayed Black women, indigenous women and other
women of color.
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To the best of our ability, the National Partnership is working to end
our complicity in upholding the status quo.

We're interrupting our past behavior, and I am immensely proud of each
and every staff member who is working to center women and people of
color and doing so in an intentionally inclusive, anti-racist way. And
I am so thankful for the trailblazing women of color on staff, past
and present, who are helping us advance racial equity with integrity.

We will stumble. We may even fall down along the way. But we will keep
forging ahead, together.

That's how we plan to do our part, and I hope you will join us.

With your help, let's impeach racism ... once and for all.

With deep gratitude,

Debra Ness
President



________________________________

National Partnership for Women & Families
1875 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: (202) 986-2600
Fax: (202) 986-2539
Email: [email protected]
Web: [link removed]

© 2019 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.
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