RACE for Equity Conference and Results Based Accountability Workshop

The first annual RACE for Equity conference, Master Class: Moving from Talk to Action, was held March 10-11, 2020. Participants came prepared to:

  • Be introduced to Results Based Accountability (RBA) framework for data-driven decision making
  • Deepen their understanding of systemic inequities and effective strategies to address their root causes
  • Connect and network with change agents across diverse systems
  • Learn practical examples on how to use data to effectively address disparities

Amidst bottles of hand sanitizer and elbow bumps, participants learned from each other and from presenters about a range of topics, including:

  • A one-day pre-conference workshop with Mark Friedman, creator of the Results Based Accountability™ Framework
  • The groundwater approach to structural racism presented by Deena Hayes-Greene of the Racial Equity Institute 
  • An address by Dr. Alan Curtis of The Eisenhower Foundation
  • An example of how a local initiative has applied the RBA framework to advance equity, with Dr. Keisha Grey of the Broward County Children’s Services Council in Florida
  • Breakout sessions on:
    • Using a community-centered, equitable and restorative response to juvenile justice, with Michael Finley of the W. Haywood Burns Institute
    • Community health improvement and compassionate healthcare, with Brieanne Lyda-McDonald of the NC Institute of Medicine and Dee Borgoyn, author of 28 Ways of Compassion
  • A panel discussion on authentic community engagement, with:
    • Dee Borgoyn, author of 28 Ways of Compassion
    • Keith Daniel, DurhamCares
    • Zachary Epps, RACE for Equity
    • Lucas Griffin, RACE for Equity 
    • Christina Yongue, Greensboro Health Disparities Collaborative
    • Moderated by Vaughn Mamlin Upshaw, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

The conference gave NCECF staff lots to think about, including:

  • How the RBA framework could be used to support a racial equity lens in our internal and external work 
  • New ways to look at Pathways to Grade-Level Reading Measures of Success and other data
  • New ways to measure our impact and communicate with funders and partners
  • How state-level organizations like NCECF can best practice and promote authentic community engagement

Based in Durham, NC, RACE (Results Achieved through Community Engagement) for Equity was established in 2018 with a goal to achieve and scale results through authentic and sustained community engagement. They advocate for equity to play a central role in the work of every organization, agency, institution and system dedicated to improving the quality of life of the populations they serve. Deitre Epps, CEO and Founder of RACE for Equity, has over 25 years of experience in providing education, training, and technical assistance to health, human services, and education leaders to support evidence-informed strategies towards improving individual and community well-being. Learn more on the RACE for Equity website