Social Justice and the Elimination of Racism

YWCA Columbus pursues policies that would retract systemic racism and affirm the needs and desires of marginalized communities to thrive. Operating from the truth that the United States is a settler colonial nation founded on the unpaid labor of enslaved Africans and the genocide of Indigenous peoples that continues to uphold white supremacy, we recognize that racism has been codified into the United States’ laws and practices – integrating racial capitalism into its functions – and must be remediated. We fight for social justice by pursuing equity for marginalized people, utilizing the lens of anti-racism to ensure that all people are supported to reach their full potential.

Racism is a form of prejudice enacted by people in positions of systemic power – historically white people – to oppress those outside of the group in power. From interpersonal racism to systemic racism, understanding the history of racism and how it functions to keep Black and Indigenous people and other people of color oppressed is necessary to eliminating it. With foundations rooted in settler colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism, racism has tentacles into other forms of oppression, interlacing oppression against class, ability, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, immigration status, and other forms of identification. With this understanding, we defend against intersecting systems of oppression that continue the dehumanization of marginalized groups, from attacks on education equity to the destruction of Black life through acts of police brutality.

Establishing an affirming stance on the lives of all people, we orient our work to the North Star of a liberated future, where all people are free from racism. Our part in the work centers on our local Central Ohio region and community but is connected to a greater call for global liberation. We stand in solidarity with globally oppressed groups, and work towards a world of peace and justice for all.

We envision a world where all people are freed from oppression; where Black and Indigenous people can claim reparations for the loss of their ancestors and for the ongoing harm inflicted by the U.S. government; where people of color can pursue education, careers, and community without fear of physical or mental harm; and where policies affirmatively support marginalized people.

How we believe we will achieve this:

• Equitable and honest K-12 curricula that encompasses diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility for all Ohio students

• Appropriate, culturally and environmentally sensitive public safety mechanisms for all

• Safety in schools, housing, healthcare, and public spaces, and social, economic, and financial success for the LGBTQ+ community

• A strong democracy and the right to civic engagement for all

• Health equity for all