EQUITY and JUSTICE for ALL

Racism and discrimination have no place in our society, and Metro United Way joins others in calling for justice for reforms that will help prevent tragedies like Breonna Taylor’s from happening again. We envision Greater Louisville as a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, and we can only achieve this vision if we all, together, strive towards equity and denounce racism and violence.

We are hoping to channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action. On this page, you’ll find resources to help you learn about systemic racism and other ways to help bring about real change. We will be updating this content frequently.

How we do this is a work in progress and evolving every day.

Stop and Listen

In this video series, we ask you all to Stop and Listen to members of our staff as they share their stories in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and what it really means to them.

GET
INFORMED

Metro United Way’s diversity, equity, and inclusion statement, programs, trainings, and more including Black Male Achievement, Racial Wealth Gap Simulations, and our Diversity Equity & Inclusion Speaker Series.

Metro United Way Racial Equity FAQs

Changing the Narrative for Boys & Men of Color

2019 State of Metropolitan Housing Report in Louisville

Racism. Where do you fall?

Health Impact Assessment of Expungement Policy in Kentucky

Equal Justice Initiative—Tragic Death of George Floyd Reveals Continuing Problem of Police Violence

Center for Policing Equity—The Science of Justice: Race, Justice, and Police Use of Force

The National Museum of African American History and Culture—Talking About Race

Dear White People: Here Are 10 Actions You Can Take To Promote Racial Justice In The Workplace – forbes.com

Equity in the Center

Prosperity Now – Racial Wealth Equity

More books to read:

Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners: books for children and young adults
31 Children’s books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD
The Brown Bookshelf
White Like Me by Tim Wise
Tears We Cannot Stop by Michael Eric Dyson

Resources for Families:

PBS—Let’s Talk: How to Talk to Kids about Race, How to Help Kids Navigate Difficult Times, 5 Engaging Questions to Discover Your Child’s Thinking, Daniel Tiger’s Life’s Little Lessons, Alike & Different; Sesame Street’s Resources for staying healthy and building resilience, and Worry and Anxiety
PBS’s Teaching Your Child About Black History Month
NPR—Talking Race with Young Children
CNN—How to talk to your children about protests and racism
Raising Equity
Common Sense Media—Books with Characters of Color, Black History Movies that Tackle Racism, and Movies that Inspire Kids to Change the World
Learning to Give’s Justice-Related Service-Learning Toolkit for different grade-levels
An online portal to help families, individuals, and communities talk about racism and commit to being anti-racist.
How white parents can talk to their kids about race. – HuffPost

History of Why Black Lives Haven't Mattered, by Sheena Wright of United Way of NYC

TAKE
ACTION

Fill out your Census to be sure our neighborhoods have the resources needed and deserved

Request an absentee ballot in Kentucky to VOTE

Check Indiana primary election results

Indiana General Election voter registration

Contact Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer

Contact your Louisville Metro Council member

Contact Ken tucky legislators

Define ourselves by our aspirations, not our challenges: Next Narrative for Black America

Sign Color of Change’s petition to end the War on Black people

Sign the Color of Change petition to get #JusticeforFloyd

Sign the Color of Change petition to get #JusticeforBre

Sign the Change.org petition to federally require psychological screenings for police employment

Donate to the Louisville bail project

Support Black-owned restaurants and other Black-owned businesses in Louisville.

Check-in with your Black friends (with something more thoughtful than just “how are you?”)

Have conversations that are difficult. It’s ok to be uncomfortable.

DONATE directly to our DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION work

Donate

We fight for the education, financial independence and health of every person in Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby and Bullitt counties in Kentucky and Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties in Indiana.

We impact the most people, in the most ways,
for the most good in our community.

Metro United Way is a 501(c)3 U.S. nonprofit organization.