Principles

The following statements represent the foundation of RSJ’s work. We use these principles to guide our decision-making and strategies.

Center those most impacted.

Our commitment to ending racial disparities centers the people most impacted by racism and other forms of oppression. We intend to share power with those most impacted by cocreating policies, collaborating on decision-making, and directing funding and resources to those who need it most.

Justice should be the first consideration, not the last.

Anti-racist practitioners integrate a racial justice framework into all facets of their work. It is never an afterthought. We take the time necessary to weave racial justice practices into our work.

Healing is a necessary pathway to justice.

We seek to model restoration through care, conversations, and dialogue. We look towards the teachings of the Mayan indigenous tradition In Lak’Ech and Zulu proverb Ubuntu to center human connection.

Inclusion is intersectional.

We intentionally acknowledge intersecting identities within racially oppressed communities that are Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian, and all People of Color. We recognize that women and nonbinary people of color are disproportionately taxed with undue burdens of emotional labor in working for racial justice.

Reflection is a means of r/evolution.

We are products of the systems that we are trying to undo. Therefore, we cannot transform systems without transforming ourselves. We acknowledge the impacts of colonization, white supremacy, and racial oppression on our ways of being. Making time for self-reflection allows us to lead with integrity.

Learn more about RSJI

Visit the About page to see a summary of RSJI, and visit the What We Do page to learn about our work.