To pursue our mission, we study gaps and inequities, ask tough questions about structural racism and deliberately center diverse voices in problem-solving. We build our own skills to deliver solutions that center racial equity, with particular attention to equitable ways of thinking and working, and we help our clients do the same in projects with a goal of increasing equity. We believe:
We recognize this country’s history of systemic racism against Black people and we are collectively responsible for amplifying the voices of and supporting Black students, families, leaders, and Education First staff.
We understand that people of color, especially those experiencing poverty, experience significant barriers in education, economic stability, health, life expectancy, and rates of incarceration.
We acknowledge communities of color are not a monolith and are affected by oppression differently due to intersectionality. In our internal work and client-facing work, we seek to understand how racism interacts with various systems of oppression (e.g., racism + sexism, racism + classism) and affects people, processes and outcomes. (source)
We cannot effectively support our staff and clients to problem solve and innovate without centering the people most proximate to the problem, especially those at the margins.
People make up the systems, policies, and processes that govern our experience, and we must support our staff and our clients to explore their role in reimagining what could be possible to address systemic and institutionalized racism, and other forms of inequity. (source)
At Education First, all staff feel they belong and are respected, heard, supported, and valued. We study and act on racial inequities and gaps internally to ensure race does not predict our staff experiences. Staff have tools and support to create a workplace centered on Racial Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (RIDE). Education First actively works with our diverse base of clients to center racial equity in the redesign of systems, policies and processes in education and will elevate the power, voice, and agency of people most proximate to the problem.
