Livelihood NW’s ANTI-RACISM STATEMENT
Livelihood NW recognizes the realities of systemic racism in our world as well as local communities and strives to uphold an anti-racist culture, policies and procedures, by continuously examining our organizational and individual biases and working to learn, improve, and overcome them.
“I believe that as a small nonprofit with a mission of purpose such as ours, we can have a greater impact by committing to being an anti-racist organization, understanding what this truly means, identifying how we can improve, followed by intentional action.” - Lara Damon, Executive Director, Livelihood NW
Livelihood NW understands that we cannot fully execute our mission to serve historically underserved communities without continuously examining our internal culture and committing to the following actions:
Recognizing white privilege and where it applies to our staff, leadership & board
Educate ourselves and our organization to combat implicit & explicit racial biases
Understand that silence is not an option
Commit to creating economic opportunities for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and non native english speakers
How does Livelihood NW combat systemic racism & oppression?
Our services are developed to be accessible, with minimal barriers, and free from oppression
For example: Services are offered with minimal fees, in languages other than English, advisors carry a “meet clients where they’re at” mentality, and help clients navigate barriers, red tape, and regulation.
Our programs are designed to combat systematic oppression by providing resources to individuals who have historically been denied access to opportunities
For example: Programs have criteria where enrollment preference is given to BIPOC individuals, women, people living in disadvantaged neighborhoods, low-income individuals, LGBTQ+, etc
Our services are in place to strengthen the collective and individual voice and power of racially diverse business owners
For example: Livelihood NW advocates on behalf of small businesses by engaging in political and community feedback opportunities. Livelihood NW is part of a larger ecosystem of local and national networks, including the Inclusive Business Resource Network, Ascend Cities, and Interise Streetwise MBA, to collaborate with partners and influence decision makers about the true needs of underserved small businesses and business owners in the community.
Our programs are designed to build the skills and knowledge of our clients so they are better equipped to realize economic gains, and combat the outcomes of systemic oppression.
For example, Livelihood NW supports and delivers opportunities for skill building, network building, access to capital, access to markets, and more.
Our organization recognizes white privilege, and that it is the responsibility of our white staff members to continue to educate themselves/ourselves on their/our individual biases, to work to dismantle them, to understand that silence is not an option when it comes to racial justice, and to make space for others to be heard, make decisions, and lead.
Learn More
learn more about racism, History, and navigating privilege by exploring the links below
Hidden History of Black Oregon
A racist history shows why Oregon is still so white
Nancy Jimenez on White Privilege
Is there a resource we should add to this list? Let us know.