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The YMCA is for Diversity and Inclusion

Our Commitment to Inclusion

The Y is made up of people of all ages and from every walk of life working side by side to strengthen communities. Together we work to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, age, cultural background, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender identity, ideology, income, national origin, race, or sexual orientation, has the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity. Our core values are caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility—they guide everything we do.

As community tensions rise in the wake of multiple acts of police violence, the veil of how racism is embedded in our society is removed. The Y is an organization focused on addressing the most critical needs of our community and dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion for all. As such, we must begin to address how to undo racism and become “anti-racists” at an individual, organizational, and societal level. We seek to more effectively lead as an anti-racist, multicultural organization, yet as we embark on this journey together, we do so with humility, fully cognizant that as a local and national institution, we have so much more work to do.

Anti-racism is the work of actively opposing racism by advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life. Antiracism tends to be an individualized approach and set up in opposition to individual racist behaviors and impacts. (Definition by Race Forward)

We invite all Y communities to take this journey with us and begin to unpack what it means to be anti-racist. We know that the first step includes unlearning previous notions and educating ourselves as individuals committed to this journey. We encourage you to begin your individual anti-racism educational journey with us by diving deep into understanding racism from its origins to its impact on society today.

To learn more about our efforts regarding advancing our Anti-Racism Journey in the YMCA Movement, please CLICK HERE.

Looking for ways to talk to your family and friends about racism? Here are some resources to help you:
  • Anti-Racism Activities for Kids – CLICK HERE
  • Let’s Talk! A Guide from Teaching Tolerance – CLICK HERE
  • A list of resources from PBS on how to talk to your kids about anti-racism – CLICK HERE
  • Teaching Ideas for Classroom Conversation on Race – CLICK HERE
  • Resource List – Center for Racial Justice in Education – CLICK HERE
  • Understanding racism and inequality in America – CLICK HERE
  • Anti-Racism Resources from the Y-USA African American CEOs – CLICK HERE
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The YMCA is for Diversity and Inclusion