Our Vision
ACT for Alexandria (ACT) envisions a community where all residents can achieve their full potential and where the color of one’s skin, ethnicity, or citizenship status do not determine their outcomes in life.
Although ACT has always been dedicated to improving the lives of all Alexandrians, we have not been explicit about the need to dismantle systemic and institutional racism until recently. The lives of all Alexandrians will improve when people of color can live freely without being restrained by racism. By prioritizing racial equity, we can help create an environment that will also lead to the dismantling of other forms of oppression, including ableism, ageism, classism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia. (please review the resources at the end of this document for details on definitions of these terms)
Context
The City of Alexandria, a community of 160,000 residents, is home to a wonderfully rich diversity of races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds. But, because of systemic and institutional racism, Black, Latinx, Asian, and indigenous people do not have the same opportunities to thrive. Compared to their white counterparts, these groups are more likely to experience housing instability, food insecurity, and have worse health outcomes. Such inequality hurts us all. When some of our neighbors can’t thrive, our community can’t thrive.
For example, the Alexandria City Public School (ACPS) system identified racial equity as a top priority due to concerning, long-standing differences in student performance. In the 2018-19 school year, ACPS reported 67% of Black students and 52% of Hispanic students passed reading tests compared to 89% of white students. What impact does this lost potential have on the individuals and the community as a whole?
Unfortunately, these disparities have been in place for decades; the Secret Seven, a group of black activists fought for equity for Black students in ACPS schools during the 1960s. They are one example of leaders in Alexandria’s Black, Latinx, Asian, and indigenous communities serving as organizers and change-agents, taking action to combat racism and discrimination. We honor and are inspired by the work of these past and current leaders and seek to be a responsive, supportive ally.
The history of racism and discrimination in our community mirrors the history of our nation. As noted in the ALL Alexandria Race and Social Equity Resolution adopted by the Alexandria City Council, Alexandria was built on the land of the Indigenous Peoples of the Conoy paramount chiefdom and the Powhatan paramount chiefdom, was colonized by European settlers, and was a hub in the nation’s domestic slave trade. This history is difficult to acknowledge. However, considerations of the past (both the stains and the triumphs) can fuel innovation and action in the present to ensure that the arc of history bends towards justice.
Our commitment
We will:
- Use our power and influence in service to community members who have been marginalized and discriminated against because of their race.
- Invest resources in community leaders and in programs and ideas prioritized by people most impacted by systemic racism.
- Take responsibility for learning about and understanding the impact of systemic and institutional racism in our community.
- Examine the ways our organization perpetuates racism, bias and discrimination at the interpersonal, institutional, and systemic levels and take steps to change our behaviors, practices, and policies.
Our commitment is rooted in ACT’s organizational values which stress the importance of listening to and learning from others, serving as a bridge builder and connector, taking on big challenges, respecting the diversity of the people of Alexandria and being intentional in what we do.
2022 Action Plan – Steps along our journey; ACT’s progress implementing our racial equity commitment
ACT for Alexandria envisions a community where all residents can achieve their full potential and where the color of one’s skin, ethnicity, or citizenship status do not determine their outcomes in life. We are committed to achieving racial equity by investing our resources, increasing our knowledge, and adapting our work to support community needs as the world continues to evolve.
Although we are dedicated to achieving this mission, we know that this work is just the beginning.
We understand that combating racial inequality is not an “issue of the moment,” but an ongoing challenge that requires investment, dedication, and adaptability. As we look forward to a world less under the pandemic’s influence, we know that our Racial Equity work will have to evolve to address other needs and issues that arise.
Last year, we presented our 2021 Action Plan for Racial Equity. Below is a detailed explanation of our work and objectives over the past year, in addition to upcoming projects and innovative strategies. We’ve made progress in many areas, and in others, we have not fully lived up to our intention. Here are a few things we’ve learned along the way:
It’s all about relationships.
Our strong relationships with community partners enabled us to forge new ground. We implemented grant programs focused on vaccine outreach, the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, and advocacy around federal COVID relief funding. Our relationships with community partners enabled us to connect with BIPOC communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. However, we still have a lot of work to do to build relationships with Alexandrians most harmed by systemic and institutional racism. We were not able to attend the local grassroots meetings community conversations that we were hoping to. We did not hit our target of 10 community members serving on our board and to have a board that is 25% people of color.
Take small steps forward, even if the path forward is not yet clear.
We took small steps to initiate projects that have the potential to have a big impact. For example, we launched a racial equity fund with $75,000 in donations. Our vision is for a fund that can take a multi-year, systemic approach to building a racially just community. It will require significantly more resources, but this initial seed funding is helping us move forward. In addition, we launched the Youth Philanthropy Council with ten Alexandria high school students.
We need to continue to build our capacity to do more.
The 2021 Racial Equity IMPACT Forum featured a session highlighting community members’ lived experiences. Their presentations created new understanding and helped bridge differences. Our desire is to have storytelling and community voices infused in all our communications efforts. In 2022, we’ve made a commitment to hiring our first ever Communications Manager.
Reviewing our commitments – what we’ve done and what we’ll do next:
We will use our power and influence in service to community members who have been marginalized and discriminated against because of their race.
What we did in 2021:
- Hosted an IMPACT Forum session highlighting community members’ lived experiences
- Launched an advocacy campaign to encourage nonprofit, faith-based organizations, and community members to support the Guaranteed Income Pilot
- Created and shared case studies of ALIVE!, Casa Chirilagua, Just Neighbors, Nueva Vida, Senior Services of Alexandria, and Society of St. Vincent de Paul
What we will continue to do in 2022:
We want to change the narrative on poverty and bring more marginalized voices into the conversation, letting them guide us in our understanding and decision making.
- Continue the Youth Council
- Launch a Community Fellows program
- Use storytelling from residents to change the narrative about race and poverty in Alexandria.
We will invest resources in community leaders and in programs and ideas prioritized by people most impacted by systemic racism.
What we did in 2021:
- Awarded $46,110 to 16 nonprofits for Vaccine Outreach and Awareness Mini Grants, awarded $2,500 to 3 nonprofits for Advocacy of ARPA and Guaranteed Income programs, awarded $15,000 to 10 nonprofits for Guaranteed Income Interview Mini Grants, awarded $10,000 to 5 nonprofits for Child Tax Credit Mini Grants
- Awarded $145,000 to 8 nonprofits for Sleeves Up, ALX COVID-19 Vaccine Partnership Program
- 100% of mini grant dollars supported communities most impacted by systemic racism
- Offered mini grants to support the advocacy and civic engagement around ARPA CAES and Guaranteed Income pilot recommendations
- 186 attendees attended the IMPACT 2021 Forum
- Opened Racial Equity Fund with balance of $75,000
What we will continue to do in 2022:
We want to support the people who are already doing critical work and be intentional about where our finances are going.
- Strengthening nonprofits by providing trainings, resources, and financial assistance
- 36 nonprofits will receive support from the Alexandria Resilience Fund to address the mental health and wellness needs of their staff (who tend to be people of color)
- Increased investment (via grants) in organizations that address economic stability/mobility, housing, and education in zip codes 22305, 22304 and 22311 and the historic African American communities in 22314 and 22312 (Citi)
- Committing to 80% of ACT’s total grant dollars going to communities (specific zip codes) most impacted by systemic racism
We will Take responsibility for learning about and understanding the impact of systemic and institutional racism in our community.
What we did in 2021:
- Created a racial equity statement that included action items for 2021
- 7 Community members now participate in ACT board Committees
What we will do in 2022:
We’re going to continue to look to our own community and increase our understanding of racial injustice here in Alexandria.
- Create a DEI learning agenda for the Racial Equity committee
- Educate our board so that the majority of ACT board members report increased awareness about/understanding of racial equity
- Reach the benchmark of 10 community members participating in ACT board committees
We will examine the ways our organization perpetuates racism, bias and discrimination at the interpersonal, institutional, and systemic levels and take steps to change our behaviors, practices, and policies.
What we did in 2021:
- 21% of ACT board members are people of color
What we will do in 2022:
We will continue to hold ourselves accountable to our goal of racial equity by examining and altering our own practices.
- ACT will complete a racial equity audit and identify action steps to create racially equitable operations
- 25% of board members will be people of color
An Invitation
Creating a racially just community requires the commitment and action of many. It will not be easy, and we will make mistakes along the way. As we move forward, we invite you to:
- learn alongside with us as we deepen our understanding of institutional and system racism,
- share your personal experiences to inform our work and priorities,
- take steps to be an ally to people most impacted by racism, and
- hold us accountable for our commitment by letting us know when fall short.
We look forward to working in partnership with you. If you have thoughts or comments about this statement or ACT’s work to support a racially equitable Alexandria, please reach out to Heather Peeler, heather.peeler@actforalexandria.org.
Resources
Aspen Institute Glossary for Understanding the Dismantling of Structural Racism
ALL Alexandria Resolution: Committing to Race and Social Equity