Today my boss asked me to attend a webinar in her stead. For a brief 30 minutes, I watched a Zoom presentation with CEO Karin Norington-Reaves of the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, a Black woman with over 25 years in the field. (That’s longer than I’ve been alive.)
She has helped thousands and thousands of people become financially stable, focusing on Black and Brown communities in Cook County, and is herself an example of nonprofit leadership making a tangible difference.
Curls framing her smiling face, Karin shared about contact tracing and responded to attendees’ questions pertaining to workforce development. In the webinar, I also learned that in Cook County, it is racial equity week!
That’s why I’m writing now. Many of you followed my blog for Intersected, the racial equity project that has now moved to intersectedproject.org, and I wanted to include you in the opportunity to keep pursuing racial equity, particularly if you’re in Chicagoland and can attend any of the teach-ins, town halls, screenings, or conversations.
For those wanting to join any events, including daily racial healing circles, here is the lineup. Hispanic Heritage Month begins today, and it’s included in the celebrations as well.
In today’s work webinar, Karin pointed out that Black and Brown folks are overrepresented in low wage work, public facing jobs, essential worker roles, and thus are more apt to contract coronavirus. She called out data that shows how even educated people of color make less money than their white counterparts. Therefore, she said, workforce development is a racial equity matter.
Workforce development is a racial equity matter.
Karin Norington-Reaves
For those of you in this field, keep up the good work and continue to strive for increased efficacy. Employment affects people’s livelihoods.
For those involved in other forms of racial equity work, keep fighting the good fight as well! And be sure to subscribe to Intersected for weekly reads and calls to action!
Peace, Skye
katelyn skye bennett 