Module 6 EARLY MESSAGES AND RACIAL EQUITY

There are many approaches to philanthropy, all of which are deeply connected to how individual grantmakers see the world, make decisions, and interact with others. To understand the different lenses through which people and institutions do their grantmaking, we have to explore how we as individuals have been conditioned with certain messages and expectations that inform how we process information and interact with the world. Particularly, when it comes to social justice and applying a racial equity lens to grantmaking, we must reflect on how we have been socialized and continue to carry that information with us as we make decisions today.

• Understand what a racial equity lens is, how it works, and how it can be applied to grant-making to animate social justice.
• Reflect on how foundations apply a racial equity lens to their grantmaking.
• Examine the impact of early messages, including where these messages come from, what they condition us to believe, and how deeply they inform our understanding of others and how we operate in the world.
• Reflect on the messages we personally received around race and ethnicity and how these messages shape the way we see the world today, and our perspective on social justice.

• Read excerpts from “Grantmaking with a Racial Equity Lens” GrantCraft. For a more in-depth list of resources related to racial equity and philanthropy, see page 19.
• Watch this excerpt from the PBS Documentary “A Class Divided”: “A Daring Lesson” and “Day 2”
• Read “Why Is It So Hard to Talk To White People About Race” 
• Read “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria” by Beverly Tatum (pages 52-74; “Identity Development in Adolescents”).

• Quiroz, Julie. “Walking Forward: Racial Justice Funding Lessons from the Field,” Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity: Critical Issues Forum, Vol. 5, Moving Forward on Racial Justice Philanthropy. June 2014.
• Salomon, Quiroz, Potapchuk Villarosa. “Timeline of Race, Racism, Resistance and Philanthropy 1992- 2014,” Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity: Critical Issues Forum, Vol. 5, Moving Forward on Racial Justice Philanthropy. June 2014.

• We have recommended several resources for this module that honor the depth of information explored in this module. The optional resources are great to share as “for continued learning” next steps with your participants.
• The content in this module will take one to two sessions to cover, with a possible third session if you want to screen more of the PBS documentary “A Class Divided” and do a community discussion.