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Leadership development groups commit to developing shared curriculum on racial justice
ASU Lodestar Center programs among eight organizations committing to integrate training into their programming to build stronger, more inclusive leaders
August 3, 2021 (Phoenix, Ariz.) – A collective of leadership development organizations that work across the state have agreed to develop a shared curriculum focused on racial justice and equity.
The result stems from a year of conversations spurred on by the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and many other people of color and the subsequent unrest and increase in hate crimes across America. The collective, comprised of American Express Leadership Academy at the ASU Lodestar Center, Arizona State University's Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, ASU Leadership Institute, Greater Tucson Leadership, Public Allies Arizona, Scottsdale Leadership, State of Black Arizona, Tempe Leadership and Valley Leadership, came together to identify how they could impact inequities and provide better resources to individuals interested in leading in the community. The resulting curriculum will be integrated in different formats throughout each organization’s programming, starting in 2022.
The goal of this shared curriculum is to create common language for dialogue; providing knowledge around the need for more equity and inclusion practices and policies; providing shared analysis and concepts for examining and working toward racial justice; and tools for identifying how to apply a racial equity lens to one’s own leadership practice for structural or organizational change.
Quotes from leaders of the collective:
“Our vision is to empower leaders to have honest conversations about the communities we live, work and play in, and how we as Arizonans can engage to make them stronger. As we began talking last summer, we saw an opportunity to create a shared space to explore how we can foster a paradigm shift for advancing racial justice and racial equity in Arizona,” said Teniqua Broughton, executive director of State of Black Arizona and the group’s facilitator.
“It is encouraging how our leadership network came together in a unanimous commitment to advance racial justice. These conversations are important, yet it is our collaborative’s commitment to action by advancing knowledge and tools for leaders to enact a more just and equitable society that is most promising,” said Dr. Robert Ashcraft, executive director of the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation and Saguaro Professor of Civic Enterprise. The ASU Lodestar Center runs the American Express Leadership Academy and Public Allies Arizona.
“We must have the courage to look, courage to learn, courage to speak, courage to listen and courage to change so that we can move toward a more inclusive Arizona,” said Scottsdale Leadership Executive Director Lee Ann Witt.
“Conversations about race and equity are happening around kitchen tables and throughout the workplace – and they also must happen when we talk about the future of our community. Through this partnership, we will give people the tools to apply that lens and, ultimately, create a more inclusive Arizona,” said Valley Leadership CEO Dave Brown.
About the Arizona State University Alumni Association
Founded in 1894, the ASU Alumni Association connects ASU’s half-million Sun Devils living around the globe. Dedicated to serving and uniting all graduates of ASU, the Alumni Association hosts programs and oversees numerous groups that enhance the alumni experience and help alumni engage with their alma mater, which U.S. News & World Report ranked the No. 1 University for Innovation ahead of MIT and Stanford for the sixth year in a row (2016 – 2021). For more information, visit http://alumni.asu.edu.
About the ASU Lodestar Center
Arizona State University’s Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation educates, empowers and connects nonprofit leaders to accelerate social impact. Housed within ASU’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions and its School of Community Resources and Development, the ASU Lodestar Center believes that the quality of life in communities is enriched with impactful philanthropy and effective nonprofit leadership. For more than 20 years, the ASU Lodestar Center has provided education, research, practical tools and convenings for nonprofit professionals, philanthropists and volunteers who seek to solve problems and realize their communities’ highest aspirations.
About Greater Tucson Leadership
Founded in 1980, Greater Tucson Leadership (GTL) is a 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan leadership organization dedicated to providing leadership education, community development and civic engagement programming for the Tucson region. GTL hosts annual leadership programs in which class participants expand their knowledge of our region and become strong community leaders. GTL provides a platform to create understanding of community and critical issues, encourage discussion and problem-solving, cultivate appreciation for differing perspectives, and inspire leadership at all levels of community.
About Scottsdale Leadership
Since 1986, Scottsdale Leadership has graduated over 1,200 individuals who are prepared to take on leadership roles across our communities. Through powerful, transformative experiences during its leadership development programs, Scottsdale Leadership enhances the ability of leaders and creates engaged citizens who ensure a sustainable future for our community. For more information call Scottsdale Leadership at 480-627-6710 or visit www.scottsdaleleadership.org.
About State of Black Arizona
The State of Black Arizona (SBAZ) creates a platform for the synthesis of data, demographics, and research that informs the community on the status of African Americans in Arizona. The data is intended to help community leaders and organizations with action planning and decision-making related to the issues and concerns of the state. We believe as a result of this work; the data will compel both the decision-makers and the grassroots community to move towards concerted efforts that provide solutions to improve the lives of all Arizonans.
About the African American Leadership Institute
The African American Leadership Institute (AALI) is committed to the individual development of African American leaders for the purpose of increasing African American participation in key civic, political and workforce related leadership roles. AALI serves as the principal educational and networking resources; harnessing expertise and advocacy on African American leadership issues that are affecting and impacting our communities. The institute is a 10-week masterclass program of weekly classes conducted in the evenings with an all- day leadership retreat during the institute. The AALI curriculum builds from participants’ experiences, emphasizing personal and professional development with a practical identity, current and relevant local and state issues, media relations and strategic direction among other topics.
About Tempe Leadership
The mission of Tempe Leadership is to attract, develop, educate, and empower individuals through our adult and youth leadership programs and to make a positive impact in the community through our Tempe Cares, Conversations in Leadership and alumni programs.
About Valley Leadership
Valley Leadership gives Arizonans the tools to solve challenges together. We do that by empowering Arizonans to lead through our learning opportunities and mobilizing them to make a difference on our state’s most pressing issues through our Impact Maker. With a track record of over 40 years of strengthening Arizona leaders, we are working to provide more opportunities than ever before to engage and empower Arizonans to lead. The Impact Maker gives us a unique opportunity to partner with the community on our greatest challenges and find solutions together. Learn more at valleyleadership.org.