Three months ago, the Canopy released a statement that included, without hesitation:

“Our core belief that “every individual matters and contributes” means we firmly believe that until Black Lives Matter, we cannot say every individual matters. Racial inequities and injustices have no place in the society we envision.”

At that time, the Canopy committed to making the systemic changes needed so ALL participate and prosper. It is time to follow up on that commitment. Staff at the Canopy have crafted five key commitments, each with their own milestones and action items that result in both immediate and long-term actions.

• Assess and reflect to illuminate what we don’t yet understand by completing an organizational equity assessment, examining our past and the harm done as the Canopy assumed a neutral facilitator role in the face of ongoing injustice, and creating space for healing and internal transformation
• Align investments with equity by examining the Canopy’s budget through an equity lens and using our buying power to invest in organizations and businesses that meaningfully commit to the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Lead with equity-focused policies and processes by revising the Canopy’s annual strategy and initiatives, examining human resource policies, and embedding equity goals into our annual reviews
• Overcome white supremacy culture within our organization and work by expanding methods of expression beyond a focus on the written word, providing and accepting real-time feedback without defensiveness, distributing power and decision making, and appreciating team members’ full range of talents and gifts
• Revamp the Canopy’s Community Learning Model with a careful review of how principles of equity are at the heart of each step in the process and creating a standard of practice for each element

Each staff member has participated in shaping our action map for racial equity. After engaging as a team in Denver Public Library’s Advancing Racial Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Symposium, we started brainstorming. During the Canopy’s monthly team day, we brainstormed all our ideas, identified themes, and prioritized what was both important and what we could start doing immediately.

Some action items have happened organically. Hugh, Canopy Office Manager, recently updated our Food and Catering Vendor list to include 55 BIPOC-owned businesses in the Denver area. Alice, Ageno, and Joselinne incorporated art and music into their most recent facilitations as ways of moving beyond a reliance on the written word. The Canopy Board of Directors recently approved the Canopy joining advocacy efforts aligned with our vision and core beliefs. This resulted in the Canopy joining 55 other non-profits in signing a letter urging Governor Polis to oppose Proposition 116, the income tax rate cut.

For other actions, however, the Canopy knows accountability is a must to make sure things happen. For each commitment, we created 2-4 milestones we want to achieve over the next year. Staff will work collaboratively to build out the action steps needed to achieve each milestone in our task management system, Asana. While we know that systems change work is far from linear, sharing it publicly is a key step to ensure that the work will remain a priority, just like any other project. Please help keep us accountable — the next time you see one of us, ask us about our progress on the five commitments.

Have other ideas of how we can stay true to our vision? Let us know.