C06 Session: Building Capacity for Racial Equity

Building Capacity for Racial Equity:  An Overview of Approaches, Strategies and Tools

Thursday, August 3, 11:00am - 12:30pm

Track:  Cultural Competency

Presenters

Description

Capacity-builders working to strengthen communities of color are continually challenged by racial disparities that face African-American, Latino, Asian-American and Native American families.   The fact is, race matters; almost every indicator of child and family well-being shows troubling disparities/disproportionality by race.  This session is designed to provide tools, strategies and solutions to assist capacity builders in their efforts to strengthen neighborhoods.  Presenters will provide an overview of different frameworks for addressing race and equity, summaries of community efforts that are attempting to address racial equity in key areas (housing, education, etc) and emerging tools that can assist in this difficult work.  In addition, participants will have an opportunity to discuss the barriers for doing this work with different groups, the racial impact of policies, and the implications for capacity building.

About the Presenters

Susan Batten, The Annie E Casey Foundation

Susan Taylor Batten, Senior Associate with the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF), has over fifteen years of experience in directing, evaluating and advising both public and foundation-related efforts to improve outcomes for children, youth and families.  Prior to joining Casey, she served as Vice President at The Center for Assessment and Policy Development where she directed projects for national foundations in the areas of leadership development and supports for young parents and their children.  While working with the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, she oversaw national evaluations of federal child nutrition programs and helped to increase accesses to food programs for the homeless population.  Prior to USDA, Ms. Batten worked for several years for the Government of the District of Columbia on comprehensive children’s initiatives and, in particular, efforts to coordinate early childhood programs and policies across the city. 

At Casey, Ms. Batten served as staff in the Community Change Initiatives Unit which provides communities and other partners with information, resources and supports to help transform neighborhoods into family supportive environments.  Currently, Ms. Batten coordinates a portfolio on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.  In this role, she works across the Foundation to strengthen its focus on addressing racial disparities in its grantmaking.  Her duties also include assisting Casey in its efforts to ensure equitable and inclusive management and administrative practices (workforce diversity, grantee diversity, vendor practices, etc.).   

Mrs. Batten received her Bachelor's degree in English and Political Science from Fisk University, and received her Masters in Social Work from Howard University in Washington. DC.

Maggie Potapchuk, MP Associates, Inc.

Maggie Potapchuk is president of MP Associates. In the past 18 years, she has designed and facilitated diversity and anti-racism training programs, provided technical assistance on change projects, created awareness and dialogue programs, and developed tools to build the capacity of organizations and communities to address racism and privilege issues. She was Senior Program Associate with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies' Network of Alliances Bridging Race and Ethnicity, a national effort to provide support to 185 community-based race relations and racial-justice organizations. Her publications include "Cultivating Interdependence: A Guide for Race Relations and Racial Justice Organizations," "Holding up the Mirror: Working Interdependently for Just and Inclusive Communities" and "Steps Toward an Inclusive Community," which includes the "Inclusive Community Assessment Tool." She was co-author for the National League of Cities' "The Selma, Alabama Initiative: Community Assessment Report." Maggie was technical assistance manager for the Initiative to Strengthen Neighborhood Intergroup Assets (DC/VA) to support long-term residents and new immigrants to work together on neighborhood issues. From 1995-99, Ms. Potapchuk was Director of the Dismantling Racism Program at the National Conference for Community and Justice–St. Louis Region. The program received national recognition for the CommUnity-St. Louis project and Dismantling Racism Institute. She is one of the four authors of the monograph on which this session is based.