At YWCA locations across the United States, YWCA employees, clients, and community members have come together to take a Stand Against Racism. Stand Against Racism is a movement of the YWCA that aims to eliminate racism by raising awareness through annual events. Here, the YWCA and community partners, including the Pride Foundation and The Arc of King County have held over 40 events – just in the city of Seattle!

The YWCA’s Health Access Department participated in a few different events held at our YWCA Opportunity Place and Seneca locations.

Donmee and Julie with YWCA Health Access' Ariana, Ingrid, Devin & Emelia.

Today, I tagged along with Health Access Associate Director Ariana Cantú, Women’s Health Outreach Program Manager Ingrid Berkhout, Health Care Access Advocate Devin Seman, and Healthy Birth Outcomes Outreach Specialist Emelia Udd (seen above) to a slam poetry session at the YWCA Angeline’s Center for Women before attending a panel discussion on racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system. Along with the women of Angeline’s, we heard from four extraordinary, local African American poets. It was incredibly powerful to hear from these four writers and to explore issues springing from racism through the art of poetry.

After leaving Angeline’s, the five of us went to listen to the Disproportionality in the Criminal Justice System and the Impact of Permanent Punishment panel. It was moderated by the Honorable Richard A. Jones, and the panel speakers were Council Member Bruce Harrell, the Honorable Judith Hightower, Mona H. Bailey of the University of Washington’s Center for Educational Renewal, Rosa Melendez of the US Department of Justice – Community Relations Service, and Jennifer Shaw of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington State.

Panel on Disproportionality in the Criminal Justice System and the Impact of Permanent Punishment at the YWCA Opportunity Place

Also in attendance was a group of 8th grade students from Seattle Girls’ School. Their presence highlighted and framed much of the conversation. Mona H. Bailey declared, “Education, education, education can close the prison pipeline. . . . Progress happens because people take action . . . and sustain it. . . . Let’s redirect the pipeline to productive citizenship.” Judge Hightower made an appeal for all us to systematize anti-racism work – beyond Stand Against Racism Day. In this spirit, Council Member Harrell offered the Seattle Girls’ School students some advice: “Have good friends who look differently than you. And then join an orgnization doing this kind of [anti-racist and social justice] work. And get out of your comfort zone.” Rosa Melendez offered: “If you’re a leader in your school, stand up for what’s right. . . . Treat others the way you want to be treated.”

What I walked away from this panel discussion with was the impact that policies have on different populations – whether intended or unintended. As Mona H. Bailey said, “Policies and procedures [may] appear neutral, but . . . in reality have disparate outcomes.” There is a lot of work for us to do, as individuals, organizations, communities, cities, states, regions, and as a nation. The first place I’ll start is to be in relationship with others who “look differently than” me and to push myself to have conversations about and around race, that may feel awkward and uncomfortable at first. My hope is that through these relationships, I’ll hold myself accountable and be held accountable by others – so that the unintended consequences of my actions are less and the positive impact I’m able to make is greater.