Equity
Equity and inclusion are values that are central to the Emily K Center and the work we do. Our staff and board members are committed to this being an organization in which racial equity is a demonstrated belief and practice.
June 1, 2020 Statement on Racial Equity
The Emily Krzyzewski Center has been grounded in values like opportunity and inclusiveness since its founding in 2006. We have always viewed education as a tool that all students can use to create their futures.
Yet, as we have been tragically reminded, neither education nor anything else serves to guarantee the basic human rights of Black lives in our country.
Systemic racism is historical, pervasive, and hurtful. It affects not only the day-to-day experience of our students, but also that of members of our staff and Board. Helping students attain their college goals remains a worthy purpose; but understanding, questioning, and pushing back against the systems that serve as barriers goes hand in hand with that mission.
We condemn racism and discrimination in all its forms.
We have and will continue to think critically about racial equity in the context of our work and are committed to pursuing change within and outside of our organization. At a time when we must be strong and just, we are determined to be both.
Adam Eigenrauch
Executive Director
Operational Commitments to Racial Equity
In the fall of 2019, the Emily K Center developed and committed to a set of four operational commitments to racial equity:
Developing Shared Understanding
Equip all staff and Board members to be informed and participatory partners in conversations about race and racial disparities and the work of the Emily K Center by providing and encouraging learning and development opportunities, thereby establishing a common baseline understanding of racial equity.
Continuous Learning
Foster an environment in which staff and Board members are well positioned and supported in pursuing further learning and development opportunities with regard to racial equity, creating a cohort of internal stakeholders that are well informed and that feel empowered to advance racial equity work within the Center.
Shifting Policies and Practices
Create policies or practices that promote racial equity and revise or eliminate policies or practices that do not, thereby institutionalizing intentionally established commitments and paths for action that further racial equity as an organizational priority.
Strategy Co-Creation
Explore and develop ways to integrate the voice and perspectives of families into the work of the Center, elevating their role beyond that of “service recipients” and acknowledging their value as assets by sharing the power to shape and define our success goals with them.