Community Teamwork commits to MACDC Racial Equity Pledge
Lowell, April 8, 2021 – Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI), along with 20 other organizations so far, has committed to a Racial Equity Pledge launched by the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC). The pledge affirms Community Teamwork’s commitment to work internally and in partnership with others to make our organizations more diverse, equitable and inclusive.
Karen Frederick, CEO of Community Teamwork, said, “The MACDC Racial Equity pledge is an opportunity for Community Teamwork to more deeply embed racial equity and justice into our work and organizational practice. It is a catalyst for deeper engagement with our board and staff about how to embed equity within all aspects of our organization’s external work, programming, and internal culture.”
“We are excited to be working with our members to help each other and push each other to be what we aspire to be – diverse, inclusive, equitable and effective organizations working to eliminate racism in all its forms,” said Joseph Kriesberg, President of MACDC. “This will be our North Star as we work to turn our pledges into action.”
In the summer of 2020, during the surge in contemporary civil rights actions following the killing of George Floyd and other people of color, CDC’s individually and collectively, including Community Teamwork, joined with others to speak out against injustice and to reflect on our own practices and culture that perpetuate systemic racism and inequities. Community organizers from CDC’s across the state came together to push for more racial equity within the CDC movement and asked MACDC’s leadership to embrace a racial equity pledge to be shared with its members.
MACDC’s board voted to establish a committee to work with the organizers to develop this pledge and a plan for implementation. The pledge was launched at MACDC’s Annual Meeting in November 2021.
“The Racial Equity Pledge was created for our members, by our members to encourage action. Together we are learning, growing and challenging ourselves, through a transparent and inclusive process. Equity is at the core of our work. Understanding how racial inequities manifest in our organizations, programs, policies and neighborhoods is essential in community building,” said Shirronda Almeida, Director of the Mel King Institute.
By signing this pledge, Community Teamwork agrees to embrace four values:
- Commit to learning and addressing the different levels of racism so we can take action to dismantle those inequities;
- Staff should be diverse, equitable, inclusive and representative of the communities we serve;
- The board should be diverse, equitable, inclusive and representative of the communities we serve; and
- Authentic representation in programing and services
Led by CTI’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Saadia Ahmad, Community Teamwork is committing to implement at least one specific action toward advancing each of these values within the next year. So far, this has included tracking data on application and promotion processes to ensure more equitable practices and preparing the launch of the organization’s first set of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). This includes compensating ERG leaders, a practice upheld by only five percent of organizations with ERGs. ERGs are employee-led, CTI-supported groups of employees who share an identity, goal, or life experience, who come together regularly to support one another, discuss topics of shared interests and concerns, and hold educational gatherings for the organization.
“Two nonnegotiable components of sustainable, impactful DE&I work are accountability and creativity. Joining the MACDC’s Racial Equity Pledge as an Early Adopter provides us with the opportunity for both: to hold ourselves and one another accountable in ensuring that our values actually align with our organizational practices, and to have a space where we can come together to openly talk through our ideas and challenges and support one another. Effective DE&I work is a community effort, not an individual effort, and this pledge provides that community,” said Saadia Ahmad, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Community Teamwork.
About Community Teamwork
Community Teamwork is a catalyst for social change. Our driving mission is to help people help themselves with child care, family supports, nutrition, fuel assistance, housing, skills training, employment, financial education, and individual asset and small business development. As a Community Action Agency, a Regional Housing Agency, and a Community Development Corporation, Community Teamwork helps nearly 50,000 individuals from 63 cities and towns in northeastern Massachusetts gain greater economic independence.
About MACD
CMACDC is a membership organization that seeks to build and sustain a high performing and adaptive community development sector that is supported by private and public investment and sound public policies. We advance racial and economic equity by creating healthy communities where everyone lives in housing they can afford, benefits from economic opportunities and can fully participate in the civic life of their community.
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