3. Moving Forward

3. Moving Forward

The RE practitioners and their clients in this report envision what the next level of racial equity organizational development looks like. First, there needs to be a more accurate description of this work, because harmful narratives about racial equity can breed cynicism and skepticism and question the effectiveness of this work, especially at a time when far-right oppositions cast aspersions on race-conscious practices, as the Supreme Court has done in its recent decision to gut affirmative action in college admissions. Second, racial equity capacity building has been refracted mostly through the lens of individual and organizational development. The RE practitioners in the REACH cohort believe that we need to think more aspirationally about how racial equity and racial justice need to be embedded in the broader movement ecosystem. Both require a deeper investment by the ecosystem, including funders, in this work. While the forces of white supremacy have been pushing back against the progressive gains, we need to push back harder, and more collectively. This is not a time for retreat but for reinforcements.