United Way: You Can’t Be Anti-Poverty Without Being Anti-Racist
United Way of the Greater Triangle (UWGT) has the bold mission to eradicate poverty and increase social mobility through the power of partnerships. In pursuit of that mission, we serve a four-county region -- Wake, Durham, Orange, and Johnston -- in which more than 200,000 residents experience poverty every day.
For 133 years, United Ways across the country have served those crushed under the weight of impoverished environments. That service has looked, felt, and sounded like charity: direct social services in response to existing, immediate needs. Yet the issues have not gone away; they have gotten worse and that’s especially true for Black and brown communities.
The next 133 years demand more but the “what” won’t change. We have known the key levers of poverty for decades: early childhood care and education, literacy, high school graduation, career readiness, affordable housing, mental health, and food.
United Way of the Greater Triangle’s investment strategy honors the importance of these focus areas by dedicating two of the three core pillars of our work to supporting children and parents from Cradle to Career and acknowledging that safe and affordable housing, access to nutritious meals, and homes free of violence and substance abuse lead to Healthy Families.
Investing in those levers alone won’t create a pathway to social mobility. That’s why the third leg of our community impact strategy, Equity In Leadership, promises to empower marginalized leaders, amplify the stories of community that celebrate strength, and prepare the entire community for the full inclusion and success of people of color and women.
Yet even that is not enough. We believe that you can’t be anti-poverty without being anti-racist and in pursuit of that core belief, we must create and employ tactics that empower individuals and families most oppressed by the conditions of poverty.
That’s why equity and anti-racism are infused into every corner of our grantmaking strategy. Through our Anti-Racism Community Fund, which was launched in 2020, we’ve been able to create anti-racism funding opportunities across all three core pillars that support successful anti-racist programs already in existence and help Triangle nonprofits build their own anti-racist capacities.
United Way of the Greater Triangle is proud to join the existing anti-racism movement, providing visibility to our audience and access to our platforms, adding to a narrative campaign that engages the community in solution-oriented conversations about race, changes interpersonal interactions, and shifts decision-making to support the inevitable success of the entire community.
No matter where you are when you read this, you have the power to take your next step in this movement. Take the initiative to research anti-racism locally and nationally to learn about the movement and its history. Identify the leaders in your area that are leading the movement or reach out to us for a list of leaders worth following. It's up to you to boldly adjust your personal or organizational mission and focus to be who your community needs you to be.
Written By: Nick Allen
Chief Program Officer - United Way of the Greater Triangle