The Equity Challenge is an opportunity to expand our shared knowledge and understanding of the historic and persistent inequities that play a role in our social and economic landscape here in Southeastern Michigan.
The 21-Day Equity Challenge was originally developed in 2014 by speaker and educator Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., who created the concept as a way for participants to build habits of seeing and addressing racial inequity. In 2015, Food Solutions New England adapted the challenge as an annual way for their supporters to learn about racism in relation to the work the organization does. Since then, many companies and organizations have adapted their model to highlight inequities and injustices in communities across the country.
Following the national reckoning on racial inequity and police brutality in 2020, United Way for Southeastern Michigan embarked on an effort to expand both our incorporation of diversity, equity and inclusion into our organizational practices and culture, as well as create sustainable change in our region.
Drawing on content pioneered by United Way chapters like United Way of Washtenaw County and United Way of Des Moines, a small team of United Way for Southeastern Michigan staff developed a 21-Day Equity Challenge specific to Greater Detroit.
We recognize that every person is on their own journey of understanding equity and inclusion. It is our hope that no matter where you are on this journey or what your lived experiences are that you can gain something new from participating in this challenge.
We’d like to thank the staff, contributors and partners who played a part in planning, developing and distributing this Equity Challenge to participants across Southeastern Michigan.
A major thank you to our Equity Challenge Community Group Organizations. The Equity Challenge Community Group informed materials and topics chosen for the 2024 Equity Challenge, gave feedback on challenge content, developed challenge emails and shared stories of their work and communities to enrich challenge materials.
21-Day Equity Challenge Community Group
- Advancing Macomb
- Ann Arbor YMCA
- Avalon Healing Center
- City Year
- Community Housing Network
- Friends of Royal Oak Township
- Kelz Creates
- Lakeshore Legal Aid
- Movement Advancement Project
- Nonprofit Enterprise at Work
- Steve Fund
- Washtenaw County Health Department
- YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit