It’s been said, “To illuminate racism, we need to name it, frame it and explain it.” That’s why it’s important for us to define social justice versus racial justice through our trauma-informed care lens.
YWCA Central Alabama’s mission is to empower women and eliminate racism, but what does that look like?
Our social justice work reduces barriers within the communities we serve, and our efforts provide equity and fairness for women, families and children in the areas of:
- Civil & Human Rights – To protect the rights of marginalized communities, increase their equal protections and equal opportunities and seek racial justice
- Economic Empowerment & Advancement – To increase economic opportunities for women, girls and marginalized people
- Health & Safety – To improve the health and safety of women, girls and marginalized people
- Quality Education for All – To ensure inclusive and equitable education experiences, enhance early education and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline
The YW advocates for and supports public policies that relate to these four areas. Our racial justice work helps eradicate systems of oppression designed to marginalize individuals or groups due to their racial, cultural or ethnic identities.
Our goal is to dismantle systemic racism.
We take a variety of strategic approaches to conducting our social justice and racial justice work, from special projects such as our YWe Talk Orange Chair Series to our core work in child development, ending intimate partner abuse and providing housing that meets crucial community needs.
