CURE 2022: Year in Review

As the end of the year approaches, the CURE team is taking time to reflect on this past year and express our appreciation to you for being a part of our community and the powerful work we are engaged in collectively to bring forth equity and justice. We are deeply grateful for the labor, passion and contributions of our team of racial equity practitioners and consultants, and in alignment with our commitment to self-care, rest and joy, CURE will be closed for our annual winter break December 22 through January 4. 

We are thrilled to share a brief summary of our accomplishments and ongoing partnerships this year. In 2022 we: 

Deepened Partnerships and Provided Research and Facilitation to Support Racial Justice  

• Convened Black policy experts and advocates to support the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Data for Black America Project.
• Collaborated with ZERO To Three Policy Center to create a racial equity policy analysis rubric and style guide.
• Continued our focus and commitment to housing and community development organizations, including facilitating our Racial Equity Organizational Change process with Housing Partnership Network and launching a new engagement to support racial equity strategy and evaluation design with Stewards for Affordable Housing Futures.
• Conducted a landscape review to open funding opportunities to Black, Indigenous and People of Color grassroots organizations focused on transforming the criminal-legal system.
• Partnered with Florida Memorial Social Justice Institute to conduct research including focus groups and interviews that will tell the story of a coalition of 12 Black-led organizations based in Miami-Dade County. 

Created Resources to Support Racial Equity Change Facilitators 

• Released Charting the Journey: Strategies to Guide Racial Equity Organizational Change, a comprehensive guide to support racial equity transformation processes.
• Launched the Leading Racial Equity Organizational Change Program which includes a five-day intensive training taking place in Washington, DC in March 2023 and online community for ongoing peer exchange, coaching and support from CURE. Registration is open now with remote offerings coming soon.
• Hosted our Understanding Institutional and Structural Racism (UISR) Train-the-Trainer workshop designed to provide race, equity and inclusion practitioners with an established curricula and training tools for building shared language and understanding with staff and racial equity working groups and committees. Participants included in-house racial equity facilitators and consultants representing a diverse range of nonprofit organizations and government agencies including the CT Community Nonprofit Alliance, Committee for Public Council Services, Monterey County Health Department, Legal Services Center and Massachusetts Advocates for Children.

Shaping Conversations on Key Issues 

• Participated in several panels held across the country that explored topics including Black health equity, strengthening social movements, how philanthropy can support racial equity, and how community development finance institutions can change policies to address racial equity.
• CURE’s Dr. Judy Lubin joined the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s inaugural National Racial Equity Initiative (NREI) Task Force for Social Justice to empower action-driven change. 
• With the historic confirmation of Supreme Justice Ketanji Brown, we offered reflections and commentary with YES! Magazine and Black New Channel’s AMplified with Aisha Mills and released a statement expressing our joy, pride and celebration.
• Highlighted the ongoing legislative threats to racial equity in states across the country, exemplified by Florida’s Stop Woke Act.

We thank you for your support and partnership and look forward to learning, growing and building with you in the coming year. 

With gratitude and wishes for a restorative and joyful holiday season,

The CURE Team