Our Equity Work

How It Works

• Sign up to take the challenge.
• Beginning on February 1, you will receive an email each Monday.
• Each week's message will have information, links to articles, videos and more about a specific topic. The challenge is to spend time each week learning and getting a better understanding of the equity issues we face in Wisconsin.
• You can participate solo or form a small group to discuss weekly topics. We will provide access to discussion guides and other resources throughout the challenge to help you facilitate conversation.
• We will present you with ideas on actions you can take to help improve equity issues in your community

Why

United Way of Racine County fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our community. That work calls us to confront the challenges and disparities in our community and state. In each pillar of our work – Health, Education and Financial Stability, which we recognize as the building blocks for a good quality of life and strong community – Wisconsin residents face disparities along racial and ethnic lines. 

A 2019 report by COWS (PDF), a nonprofit think tank based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, finds that Wisconsin’s white residents have “relatively good” economic, health, and educational outcomes while Black residents fare worse than Black people nationally. Black babies in Wisconsin are three times more likely to die before reaching their first birthday than white babies. One in three Black children in Wisconsin lives in poverty, a rate that is 3.5 times higher than that of white children. Black students are 7.5 times more likely than white students to face out-of-school suspension, the second worst disparity in the country. 
 
While the pandemic reinforces the fact that every person's health is intertwined with the health of others in their community, racial and ethnic disparities observed in state health data demonstrates that Black, Brown, Indigenous and other communities of color are suffering a disproportionate impact and bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Wisconsin ALICE Report found that nearly 66% of Black households and 48% of Hispanic households fell below the ALICE threshold, compared to 32% of White households.
 
This year, our country again confronted the painful, long-standing reality of racial inequity and the deadly results of racism and injustice that permeate so many communities. We saw that confrontation come to a head in our communities and on our streets – and in this difficult moment, we’ve seen our local organizations rise to the challenge of acknowledging and confronting racism in our community. The stark reality of racial disparities, racism and inequity throughout Wisconsin calls us to recognize, understand and act against racism and racial inequity.
 
We know that when we Live United, we must Live United for everyone.
 
We’re grateful for those who have led the way in their communities, not just to acknowledge the inequities and injustices, but to do the work and commit to active anti-racism. The 21-Week Equity Challenge is just one step toward personal and community growth. Please, join us.

Sharing the Challenge

Below are some sample posts and graphics you can use to promote the 21-Week Equity Challenge through your social media channels. Feel free to use these as they are or to change them to fit your style. To use the graphics, click the image; it will open in a new tab, where you can right click and save it to your computer.

General Promotion​​​​​​​

Join folks around Wisconsin uniting to learn and grow together for the the #EquityChallenge - a 21-Week exercise to deepen understanding of how inequity and racism affect our lives and communities. Visit UnitedWayRacine.org/Equity#21WeekChallenge to sign up. The challenge starts Feb. 1.

Personal Promotion

​​​​​​​I just signed up for the UWRC-hosted #EquityChallenge! Join me to deepen your understanding of inequity and racism by visiting UnitedWayRacine.org/Equity#21WeekChallenge.

Tools and Resources

• Challenge Tracking Tool for Participants (PDF) — Download and save or print to track your activities and reflections.
• Group Discussion Guide (PDF) — United Way of Central Iowa-hosted challenge guide.
• Net Impact: The 10 R's of Talking About Race: How to Have Meaningful Conversations 
• Dr. Eddie Moore 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge 
• Racial Equity Tools Library

About the Logo

The 21-Week Equity Challenge logo is a call to unite in learning and growth and work toward anti-racism in our community. With inspiration from the 21-Day Equity Challenge of Central Iowa, United Way of Wisconsin worked with its advisory group to select the image of the raised fist, calling on the gesture’s core meaning of unity and solidarity.

About the Challenge

The 21-Week Equity Challenge is adapted by United Way of Wisconsin from the work of Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. Director of the Privilege Institute in Green Bay, WI. Dr. Moore designed the challenge to not only help people better understand the issues surrounding equity and inclusion, but to do so in a way that would build a long-lasting habit of learning by stretching it over 21 days. Unite Way of Wisconsin adapted the concept to 21 weeks, encouraging participants to engage with a topic throughout the week by revising the questions and taking more time to engage with the materials.