Racial Equity Statement

Love and justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters. ~ Angel Kyodo Williams

What we have witnessed in the streets of this country since the public murder of George Floyd is a profound expression of pain and outrage from Americans of all colors. This horrific event finally made unavoidably public what people of color and Black Americans in particular have always known, that existing structures of systemic racism have been instruments of control to marginalize and brutalize people of color since the founding of the country. It is the responsibility of all of us, especially white people, to help change this.

Zen Caregiving Project has always been dedicated to the proposition that all beings are interconnected and interdependent, that the pain and suffering of another is the pain and suffering of us all. It is the foundation of our mission to turn towards suffering in all its forms and act on the desire to bring an end to that suffering.

What is needed now is action. We acknowledge there is more we can do to actively reach out to communities of color and promote diversity in our staff, board and volunteer community. We recognize the privilege and conformity that has allowed us to overlook the need to work toward strengthening racial equity within our organization.

We support: Diversity – Equity – Inclusion – Cultural Humility

Statement of Action

We pledge:

To continue ongoing outreach to communities of color in recruiting volunteers
To increase the diversity of our board by reaching out to communities of color in recruiting new board members
To recruit more teachers of color for community meetings and volunteer retreats
To continue to offer scholarships for our programs
To seek partnerships with organizations who serve diverse communities
To buy from Black-Owned Businesses for business expenses whenever available