The Equity Institute
YWCA’s Equity Institute is dedicated to promoting racial equity at all levels. In order to do so, we engage with individuals, community groups, and institutions. Our full range of training & education, community engagement programs, racial equity resources, and annual events offers opportunities for all to develop the knowledge and resources to move towards racial equity.
We believe that all people have the right to be heard, and we believe in the value of listening. We also believe that education exposes truth and leads to greater understanding, and ultimately, to action.
Start or continue your racial equity journey here.
Contact the Equity Institute team to learn more!
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Unite Against Racism
This year’s Unite Against Racism event is the launch of a transformational journey, where solidarity becomes not just a lofty ideal, but a guiding principle in our quest for meaningful change and our work for justice. Together, we can shape the future we want to see.
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Racial Healing Week
Racial Healing Week, presented by YWCA Evanston/North Shore, takes place every January in support of the National Day of Racial Healing and Martin Luther King’s birthday.
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Resource Library
Explore our resource library to find videos, books, podcasts, and local resources to deepen your understanding of equity.
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Workshops
Our new "Foundations" series is coming soon in 2024. Check back for more information!
“The YWCA is able to ask the tough questions. And they are able to allow room and space in a very comfortable environment to have those discussions so that people feel comfortable and courageous. They bring different people to the table to have difficult conversations around equity and around racial justice that Evanston has never had the platform to do before.”
Monique Parsons, McGaw YMCA President/CEO
Final Note ↘
Our racial equity programs will:
deepen the knowledge that individuals can utilize to become more effective anti-racist advocates
help build commitments to policies and practices that create long-term, sustainable change
invite open dialogue and discussion towards mutual understanding raise awareness of oppression on the interpersonal, institutional, and systemic levels
We invite you to email or call Equity Institute Learning Manager, Heather Sweeney at hsweeney@ywca-ens.org to learn more. And we encourage you to live the mission with us.
Listen and learn more from our racial equity educators!
Learn more about our young men’s leadership and “Building Healthy Relationships” programs by listening to this “It’s Skokie” podcast. It features Antonio Rice (Violence Prevention Educator) and Eileen Hogan Heineman (Former Manager, Equity Institute Community Outreach) talking about our violence prevention and racial equity work in Skokie — programs which are available in many other communities in northeastern suburban Chicagoland.