Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Building a place where we all thrive.

At Amara we strive to create a diverse culture grounded in equity and inclusion. We recognize racism and white supremacy have and continue to foster power structures that have become embedded in white-led organizations including our own, rewarding privileged and abled persons while excluding BIPOC, persons with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ people. Our failure to acknowledge these inequities in the past means that we played a role in perpetuating the system.

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Our DEI initiative begins with the recognition of our place in a society that has historically and continues to uphold systemic racism—a commitment to change the system from our place within the system. We acknowledge that this begins by remedying our relationships with historically marginalized peoples. 

Our diversity, equity and inclusion initiative aims to build a culture where Black, Brown, Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ people hold decision-making and leadership power within our organization. Amara is committed to being a workplace where all people feel welcome and affirmed. We also recognize that building a diverse and inclusive staff is necessary for transformational change throughout the child welfare system. To achieve this, we strive to recruit from the diverse communities we support and most importantly, this also means, that we listen and engage our communities. Together, we can create a more equitable and inclusive society that values all children and families. To support our efforts, we have implemented the following: 

• A DEI Board of Directors Committee led by Board members 
• A staff-led DEI Council  
• A strategic plan that centers racial equity 

Our Commitment

Our mission is to work together and to learn from one another in order to disrupt historical levels of oppressions and exclusions both within Amara and the broader child welfare system.

Moving forward, Amara is firmly committed to:

• Building a staff and Board which includes meaningful representation of the diverse communities with whom we work
• Outreach and engagement with Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities to build deeper connections and to identify barriers and opportunities to achieving racial equity
• Training staff on inclusive communication and practice

Resources

Actions you can take as a white ally:

• Authoritarian State or Inclusive Democracy? 21 Things We Can Do Right Now by Eric K. Ward, Western States Center
• Black People Need Stronger White Allies – Here’s How You Can Be One by Stephanie Long
• For Our White Friends Desiring to be Allies by Courtney Ariel
• Anti-Racism Resources for White People
• 5 Ways White People Can Take Action in Response to White and State-Sanctioned Violence by Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)

Tools for interrupting and reporting acts of hatred: 

• Bias and Hate Incident Report – Stop the Hate
• Bystander Intervention Training – Right to Be
• Toolkit for Interrupting Oppression – Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

Resources for kids:

• Black Lives Matter Instructional Library – Diverse children’s books read aloud by the author