Racial Equity Institute Training

To date, with support from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, 320 people representing 104 grant recipient organizations have participated in workshops by the Racial Equity Institute in Cleveland.

The GroundWater and Phase I workshops are presented by the Racial Equity Institute (REI). Both these workshops are an intensive introduction to historical, institutional and systemic racism; challenge deeply-held assumptions; and reveal with sobering clarity the devastating impacts of persistent racial inequity on our nation’s most marginalized populations. Currently, all CAC staff members have participated in REI training.

Canalway Partners

Cultural partners that have participated in REI training with support from CAC include:

 

Thank you to all of our cultural partners who have participated in REI training. Together, we will move one step closer to creating a more equitable arts & cultural community and society.

What Our Grant Recipients Say

Contemporary Youth Orchestra

“Our training session occurred in the last 30 days, and while we have not yet implemented concrete changes, we are actively discussing new ways of thinking about how we approach inclusion, equity and diversity. The training offered evidence and data that was new to us, and forces us to examine our own assumptions and view our programming plans through a different lens.”

Cleveland Restoration Society

“As historic preservationists, it is our responsibility to tell the full story about place. While we were consciously doing this, the training expanded the story we tell to go beyond the individuals to the systems that are in place when we discuss racial inequity. It also reinforced our commitment to bringing stories to light that may have otherwise been overlooked”.

 

Waterloo Arts

“Making a more racial equitable arts community is something I think a lot about and something I don’t have a lot of answers for. Racial inequity permeates all levels of our society and many of the solutions people have tried to implement in the past, haven't changed things. Many social programs address an immediate need but also seem to perpetuate a status quo, while what we really need is for people-of-color to have "a piece of the pie." I appreciated the presenters at REI ended the morning by saying they didn't have the answers, either”.

 

Dobama Theater

“Increasing audience diversity and welcoming those audiences into the theatre has become a national topic. And although Dobama strives to be a place where everyone is welcome, there are many facets to this: what are the demographics of our community? How does that manifest on our stages or in staff positions? Are patrons treated differently due to unexamined biases? We are reminded, through groups like REI, that examining our own "house" is as important as looking outwards for social justice”.