By Tramayne Osbourne
When the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) announced the 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge as an effort to encourage Junior League members to have honest conversations about racial equity, I’ll admit I was skeptical. My experience taught me that these conversations usually stayed just that– conversations. Meaningful change rarely followed. Besides, I didn’t need to take a racial equity challenge. As a Black woman, I’m all too familiar with the challenges of inequity. But I signed up anyway. I wanted to see for myself whether the Junior League could not only talk the talk of anti-racism, but walk the walk.
Before the first day of the challenge, participants were sorted at random into small groups. My group included women from the Junior Leagues of Baltimore, MD and West Palm Beach, FL. Unsurprisingly, I was the only Black woman. I was used to being one of a few, if not the only, Black person in the room — including in my Junior League Provisional class. Throughout the challenge, I recalled how those experiences influenced my sense of belonging in the Junior League, the communities we serve and the world at large. The emotional labor of unpacking those hard truths was draining. I was grateful for the other participants’ compassion as they listened to my stories. We couldn’t always relate to each other, but we always offered an empathetic ear.
Our daily conversations grew heavier and more uncomfortable. I found it especially difficult to confront the racist systems I learned to live with. I openly wept over the unfairness of mass incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline. It was also hard to stomach my own ignorance, especially about how systemic racism affects other people of color. I was forced to reconsider the whitewashed version of American history I was taught in school. I also had to confront my compliance with racist practices that linger today. My family grappled with whether to continue celebrating Thanksgiving. For some Indigenous Americans, the day is merely a reminder of the European colonization that began their oppression. Last year, we chose to adopt new Thanksgiving traditions rooted in Native culture. It’s our way of acknowledging the contributions of the Wampanoag, the tribe present at the first Thanksgiving, and their legacy.
Throughout the challenge, the other women and I explored how our Leagues could use a racial equity lens throughout our work in our respective communities. The more we learned about racial equity, the more we understood where our Leagues efforts succeeded and where they failed. Together, we brainstormed ways to make racial equity an integral part of our Leagues’ community work.
Twenty-one days is hardly enough time to dismantle systemic racism. But it is more than enough time to get started. I’m grateful to AJLI for doing their part and for continuing to provide League members with the resources and tools to do theirs. To learn more about how the Junior League is working to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, visit AJLI.org.
