The History of the Equity Action Project

Did you know?

The Western Colorado region is home to numerous organizations that have been traditionally White-led and White-serving. There is a notable deficit in representation and inclusion of the BIPOC community (particularly the Latino/x community which represents about 23% of Manaus’ service region), the LGBTQ+ community, people living with disabilities, and other underinvested folks in positions of power. But, since the onset of the pandemic and the racial justice movement of 2020, many organizations began searching for ways to become more equitable and anti-racist but did not know where to begin.

Some organizations began unintentionally tokenizing local BIPOC leaders by hurriedly inviting them to participate on their board of directors without understanding the unique challenges that BIPOC and other underinvested members may face when coming onto historically White boards.

Where we come in

Manaus is a social justice nonprofit that creates collaborative and sustainable solutions by connecting experts, leaders and the community in an inclusive way that allows for authentic and meaningful connections and problem solving. Our team began developing the Equity Action Project (EAP) in May 2020, which was designed in response to the injustices that the COVID-19 pandemic illuminated along with the racial justice movement. This project was designed to be an innovative capacity-building and peer-support program that also addressed the scarcity of DEI and anti-racism trainings offered in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valley region.

Our Response

The EAP kicked off in January 2021 as an REI collaborative training whose mission was to create a community of organizations and individuals that work collectively to dismantle oppressive systems, and to forge a region that is better prepared to include and empower diverse leadership. Cohorts were created that included up to 5 organizations and 20 individuals. By the end of 2022, we anticipate 152 alumni representing 31 organizations from Rifle to Aspen to have completed the training.

After the first cohort was completed, the need for ongoing alumni support and connection became apparent, so, we launched the EAP Alumni Network. The EAP Alumni Network provides ongoing learning opportunities for alumni, brings in expert consultants to connect with alumni, and creates a space for equity advocates to come together and share resources. Since its launch, the EAP Alumni Network has held over 10 additional monthly sessions with several different consultants on topics from effective community engagement to hiring diverse talent and building an inclusive workplace. (After completing eight cohorts over the course of two years, the REI training will no longer be offered. Instead, we are shifting our focus towards supporting the current alumni as they deepen their equity work.)

As we recruited organizations to participate in the REI training, we connected with individuals that were interested in engaging in equity work but were unable to participate in the training on behalf of their organization. We responded by developing the Equity Speaker Series. The Equity Speaker Series is a community program that provides access to experts in the realm of equity and anti-racism. These free events provide a space for community members to come together, learn from experts, and explore how we can all practice greater equity in our personal and professional lives.

Through all of this, we continue to strive towards creating more equitable and representative organizations, and a more inclusive region.