Advancing Racial Equity Series

Listening and learning from communities of color.

The Advancing Racial Equity series creates an opportunity for the community to listen to and learn from BIPOC leaders and experts and engage in the work alongside us.

As United Way continues on this racial equity journey, we acknowledge that there is still more work to be done. We won’t see a community where everybody thrives until we have a racially just community. Join us on this journey and at our next event.

Upcoming Event

Advancing Racial Equity: Trust-Based Philanthropy

Part of United Way of King County’s racial equity commitments is to engage in conversation with community about our racial equity journey, work and aspirations. Please join us for an evening of learning together.

Participatory grantmaking is a powerful racial equity tool. We will hear from a panel about their approaches to implementing this tool, the pros, the learnings, and how it can be applied to all aspects of life.

You’ll have an opportunity to ask questions of the panelists, check out a part of the Bruce Lee Exhibit before it moves, and network with fellow community members. Light refreshments will be provided.

Featured Speakers

Past Speaker – Doug Baldwin Jr.

Managing Director of Vault 89 Ventures, CEO of Ventrk, and Founder of the Family First Community Center Foundation.

As the recipient of the Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service Award, Doug is a philanthropic activist with a passion for creating empathic solutions to complex problems. The former Seattle Seahawk and Super Bowl Champion is, most importantly, a devoted husband and father.

Past Speaker – Laura Clise

Founder and CEO of Intentionalist

Laura has been recognized for her leadership, including a Human Rights Campaign Award for Exceptional Individual Achievement, the Female Founders Alliance 2020 Unsung Hero Award, Seattle Magazine Most Influential 2020, GSBA Business & Humanitarian Awards Business Person of the Year 2021, Puget Sound Business Journal – Outstanding Voices 2021, as a 2021 OL Reign Legend, and a 2022 recipient of the Bertha Pitts Campbell Equity Award.

Past Speaker – Efrem Fesaha

CEO & Founder of Boon Boona Coffee

Efrem Fesaha is a first-generation Eritrean American. In 2011, Efrem returned from Eritrea where he became inspired by the Café culture and returned to Seattle with the desire to venture into coffee. Boon Boona Coffee was launched with the aim of sourcing the highest quality coffee from Africa. Efrem won the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Washington Small Business Person of the Year award for 2022 and most recently was named 2022 Pacific Northwest Small Business Person of the Year.

Past Speaker – LaTosha Brown

Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Fund and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute

LaTosha Brown is an award-winning visionary thought leader, institution builder, Cultural Activist and Artist, and Connector. She is the Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Fund and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute. These initiatives are designed to boost Black voter registration and turnout, as well as increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities.

Past Speaker – Clint Smith

Author and staff writer at The Atlantic

Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of the narrative nonfiction book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, which was a #1 New York Times Bestseller, and the poetry collection Counting Descent, which won the 2017 Literary Award for Best Poetry Book from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award.

Visit Clint Smith’s website >>

Past Speaker – Nicole Lynn Lewis

Author, Founder and CEO of Generation Hope

Nicole Lynn Lewis is a former teen mom who put herself through college with her three-month old daughter in tow. She now works every day to change the statistic that less than 2% of teen mothers will earn their degrees before age 30.

Past Speaker – Zamzam Mohamed

Co-founder, Voices of Tomorrow

A native of Somalia and Kenya, and a Seattle resident since age 13, Zamzam is an activist for social justice and racial equity for Immigrant and Refugee communities. Zamzam co-founded Voices of Tomorrow (VOT), an organization that works closely with community partners to eliminate racial inequities in the early learning system.

Visit Voices of Tomorrow’s website >>

Past Speaker – Andrea Caupain Sanderson

Chief Executive Officer, Byrd Barr Place

For 20 years, Andrea Caupain Sanderson has worked passionately to make a positive impact on issues of racial and social equity. As Byrd Barr Place’s chief executive officer since 2008, she has built a strong foundation for future growth by effectively leading the organization through critical change and innovation.

Visit Byrd Barr Place website >>

Past Speaker – Sean Goode

Executive Director, Choose 180

Sean Goode is the executive director of Choose 180, which works to decriminalize youthful behavior by creating alternatives to the criminal legal system. Sean has worked with youth in at-risk communities and worked in educational advocacy implementing programs to support young people’s readiness in education. Sean is also a member of the Black Community Building Collective.

Visit Choose 180 website >>

Past Speaker – Regina Elmi

Co-founder and Executive Director, Supporting Partnerships in Education and Beyond

Regina Elmi is the co-founder and executive director of Supporting Partnerships in Education and Beyond, a nonprofit that helps mobilize community voices to disrupt systems by developing and implementing innovative methods for strong partnerships between parents, educators, community partners and organizations. Regina is also a member of the Black Community Building Collective.

Past Speaker – Marshaun Barber

Executive Director, Reclaiming Our Greatness

Marshaun Barber is the executive director at Reclaiming Our Greatness which aims to provide culturally appropriate support to communities of color who are experiencing housing and food insecurity, and who may also need assistance navigating healthcare, education, and justice systems. Marshaun is also a member of the Black Community Building Collective.

Visit Reclaiming Our Greatness website >>

Past Events

Advancing Racial Equity ft. BIPOC Businesses

To honor Dr. King’s legacy of economic empowerment of communities of color, we were joined by a dynamic panel of entrepreneurs and business leaders of color to learn about how these leaders are investing in people and strengthening their communities.
Read more about this event.

Advancing Racial Equity with LaTosha Brown

LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter joined us for an inspirational presentation about advocacy, voting rights and how we can all take action towards a just and equitable nation.
Read more about this event.

A Conversation with Clint Smith

We welcomed New York Times best selling writer, educator, and poet, Clint Smith to our (virtual) community for a conversation about racial equity and his book How the Word is Passed.
Read more about this event.

Invest in this racial equity work

Sponsor the Black Community Building Collective (PDF)

Sponsor the Indigenous Fund (PDF)

Stay connected with this work

Thanks to the following companies for investing in racial equity in our community: