Equity, Justice, and Belonging
Our commitment to change with accountability.
The CU team approaches our work with spirit, joy, and a deep responsibility to each other and to the civic health of our nation. As an organization striving to strengthen the civic health of our communities and democracy, we recognize that living up to the values of liberty and justice for all starts with each of us.
Our team has been reckoning with what it means to be equitable in our practices, to promote justice, and to create a sense of belonging for all. We choose these words intentionally as we see them in service of our mission of building a culture of powerful, responsible citizenship.
Our evolving commitments
Our team has made a series of commitments toward ensuring equity, justice, and belonging are active elements of our work.
Commitment 1
Build self-awareness as colleagues and CU staff; assess our personal cultural competence so we have a sense of where and how we’re entering this work together.
Commitment 2
Establish context and a foundation; learn core concepts so we’re similarly oriented to what’s necessary — and have shared language to engage in equity, justice, and belonging work together.
Commitment 3
Build a just and equitable internal team and organizational culture so that everyone in our web feels like they belong and are supported.
Commitment 4
Clarify and articulate what justice, equity, and belonging mean in relation to—and as part of—core CU concepts and frameworks so we can effectively and explicitly weave this perspective into our programs and communications.
We know we have much to do to fully live out these commitments. We also know that deepening trust, relationships, and affection are the backbone to a healthy organization and civic culture. These goals take time, dedication, and willingness to have hard conversations. So we’re digging in, and we hope you’ll join us and keep us accountable.