New Narrative’s Equity and Inclusion Journey

New Narrative is committed to an equitable and inclusive cultural transformation. A part of New Narrative’s journey has been the investment in the Human Resource department for the hiring of a Vice President of Equity Culture and Talent to build the agency’s capacity for racial equity work through the building of the agency’s Equity in Action Committee and Equity Action Plan. New Narrative’s long-standing goals are to flatten the hierarchical leadership model and center the participant experience in this organization.

In 2022, New Narrative employees wrote the agency’s Equity Statement (see below). The path to a more equitable and inclusive workplace was set through many months of staff engagement and an offsite retreat with New Narrative’s Executive Team.

Since then, a group of employees has been working to roll out the statement to all staff. This group will administer an all-staff survey, using the feedback to critically evaluate our organization-wide racial equity training moving forward.

Equity Team photo collage
Equity Logo for New Narrative featuring a blue raised fist in the center of a yellow circle with words around the border reading "Equity in Action=Power | Responsibility | Accountability"

Equity Statement

New Narrative stands for racial equity. As New Narrative defines it, equity is everyone obtaining what they need when they need it to achieve their highest potential. In addition, we recognize the Power, Responsibility, and Accountability we have to our key stakeholders. New Narrative is accountable for its dedication to acknowledging harmful history and impacts. Leadership continually updates and reports the organization’s progress to its employees, participants, community, and board of directors.

At New Narrative, Equity In Action is defined by elevating marginalized voices, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Refugees and Immigrants, People with Disabilities, People who experience Neurodivergence, and Criminal Justice-Involved individuals, as well as others not named herein who experience bias, racism, and oppression inherent to inequitable systems maintained by white supremacy.

Our Equity Statement is a living document central to our equity work and reflects our ongoing progress towards diversity, equity, and inclusion. To read the full statement click on this link.

Equity in Action Team

Vision:

The Equity in Action Committee envisions a workplace where all participants and employees feel a sense of true belonging. The Equity in Action Committee aims to promote and develop awareness, resources, and initiatives to dismantle oppression systems as outlined in the organization’s Equity Statement.

Purpose:

To assist New Narrative Executive Leadership Team in improving equity and inclusion within our organization with a focus on employee and participant experience that allows both to thrive, not just survive.

What's Next?

We know it is essential to have many voices at the table to support changing the narrative around what cultural transformation means and how it can be achieved. To accomplish this, New Narrative plans to put together an Equity in Action Team. The interview panel will consist of frontline and leadership staff. The Equity in Action Team will be an accountability partner with the Executive Team to carry out the Equity Action Plan.

Ultimately the Equity in Action Team will partner with the Executive Team in developing the agency’s Equity Action Plan.

Equity action plan: Set equity goals, Collect data, Identify needs, Develop plan, Implement plan, Measure results and adjust.

Getting Staff Involved

Staff engagement plays a big part in the cultural transformation, so New Narrative is investing time and money into racial equity training for all staff. In addition to this training, New Narrative is developing a Leadership College to ensure our leaders are trained on inclusive and equitable leadership and management practices.

New Narrative employees have the opportunity to take part in identity-based affinity groups which meet on a regular basis. These include a BIPOC Affinity Group and a Queer/LGBTQIA2S+ Affinity Group. These are spaces led by and for employees with shared identities to celebrate joy, talk about challenges, offer support, and find community at New Narrative.

At New Narrative, we know that visual representation matters. As we continue to develop the trainings and messaging for equity and inclusion, we are also putting together a set of branded materials to concretely communicate our vision for the organization.

two New Narrative staff, both BIPOC women, throw peace signs at the camera while wearing their dark blue New Narrative tshirts.
New Narrative DEI Stickers (round) and notepads