The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law has announced that 44 Fellows, including Nicole Neal Goodson, have been selected to participate in the 2017 Racial Justice Training Institute (RJTI). A national leadership training program, RJTI equips and coordinates anti-poverty advocates to address the role that racism plays in causing and perpetuating poverty.
"RJTI ensures that race is considered foremost in efforts to eradicate poverty," said Ellen Hemley, vice president of Training Programs at the Shriver Center. "Systemic racism, whether implicit or explicit, is at the heart of poverty in America. It is perhaps more important than ever to identify and challenge racial inequity."
Goodson will join 43 other Fellows from 18 organizations. Working in teams, and with support from skilled faculty and coaches, RJTI participants will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to address the looming federal threats to racial justice in housing, education, employment, healthcare, and more. Following the 6-month long intensive training, the Fellows will join a growing national alumni network of advocates working to advance a coordinated racial justice agenda, lead by the Shriver Center's new Racial Justice Network Director, Kimberly Merchant.
"We are proud that our advocate, Nicole Neal Goodson, has been selected for this groundbreaking, innovative program," said Deierdre Weir, President and CEO. "Our engagement with RJTI will be invaluable as we advance justice for our clients and communities moving forward."
Entering its fourth year, RJTI has cultivated 117 advocates representing 62 organizations in 23 states. The RJTI alumni network continues to work in concert on several issues, including education equity and fair housing. RJTI Fellows have also provided innovative advocacy approaches and civil litigation strategies in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
"RJTI has helped me and my organization better advance race equity, both internally and externally," says Morgan Craven, an RJTI alum and staff attorney with Texas Appleseed. "As part of the RJTI alumni network, I feel deeply supported by experts and advocates all around the country who are working towards the same goal. The importance of that cannot be overstated."
This year's cohort includes public interest lawyers, legal aid attorneys, communicators, and fundraisers. 2017 Fellows have experience in a wide range of advocacy areas, including economic justice, criminal justice reform, employment and labor reform, immigrants' rights, and consumer protection, among others. Overall, nearly two thirds of fellows are people of color, and 68% are women.
"Our program's diversity is particularly important given the current political and policy landscape," said Hemley. "The challenges ahead might be arduous, but together, we have the potential to develop solutions we could not begin to imagine on our own."
The RJTI is made possible by the generous support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Pritzker Foundation, and the Public Welfare Foundation.
Published: Fri, May 05, 2017
