The RAARE Woman Collective: Empowering white women as racial equity leaders. | Opinion
In my years of working as the CEO of Harper Slade, assisting companies around the world in fostering diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environments, I’ve witnessed remarkable progress. We’ve taken significant steps towards creating spaces where black and brown talent can not only survive but thrive. Yet, the urgency of addressing racial inequity has never been more pressing. It’s time to create a world where racism can’t live, not only in offices but also in our homes and communities.
I am immensely proud of the work we have done, but I also recognize that achieving racial equity requires a holistic approach. It demands a commitment to change on multiple fronts, and that’s why I’m excited to introduce the RAARE Woman Collective, a groundbreaking coaching and events program designed to empower white women as racial equity leaders.
As someone deeply engaged in the struggle for racial justice, I have come to understand that women are often the stewards of conscience. We possess a unique power to advance this crucial work in the spaces over which we have the greatest influence, including our homes and communities. This conviction is what drives the RAARE Woman Collective’s mission. When we make a choice, we give life to that choice…literally and figuratively and we can do with racial equity. It’s a simple as making a decision that wherever I am, racism can’t be.
Our program recognizes the pivotal role white women can play in dismantling systemic racism. It’s not enough to be non-racist; we must actively strive to advance racial equity. The RAARE Woman Collective equips white women with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to do just that.
The name “RAARE” stands for Radical Action Advancing Racial Equity. These principles are the foundation of our program. We want to fully leverage the power white women have amassed professionally and in community leadership, as well as the influential position they hold as wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters. We also acknowledge their proximity to white men, who, on the issue of racial equity, must be moved. With all this we will build systems, frameworks, plans and language to dilute the venomous sting of racism. The RAARE Woman Collective is our vehicle for driving this change.
The urgency of our mission cannot be overstated. Four centuries of racial inequity have left deep scars in our society, and we must act swiftly to heal and remediate them. The economic, social, and moral costs of inaction are too high to bear. We cannot afford to let racism persist for another generation. We are quickly marching toward an apartheid country, where the demographic majority have little to no political, economic and societal inclusion. There are active systems at play to assure the evisceration of black economic, educational and political well-being.
The RAARE Woman Collective offers a comprehensive curriculum that covers a range of topics, including the historical context of racism, managing guilt and shame, how white women can LEAD in racial equity strategies and more. We believe that many white women have the desire to be leaders in this space but lack the skills, community, confidence and support to do so. By fostering an environment of learning while instilling change management discipline, we empower white women to grow racial equity IN them first and THROUGH them second.
I understand that some may question the focus on white women in this initiative. It’s important to clarify that our intention is not to prioritize one group over another but to recognize the influence white women have and the potential they hold as leaders in the fight against racism. On far too many occasions we are told about all the harm white women cause to black and brown people. Unfortunately, the stories of those who are in the trenches, fighting for a world of inclusion, engaging in self-study and trying to articulate new realities for them and their families, those stories are left untold and unsupported. White women have a unique opportunity to challenge and reshape their own narrative on who they are relative to the topic of racial equity.
The RAARE Woman Collective is a movement, a coaching experience and event/retreat series that is unprecedented. Our program launches with a LIVE event November 2-4 in Louisville, Kentucky at the historic Brown Hotel. Two hundred women have been invited to attend from all over the country for three days of coaching, amazingly rich content, and three days of connecting, community building, and networking all geared toward reimagining a racism-free world.
We still have tickets left. Register now at www.rarewomancollectivelive.com.
Dr. Nikki R. Lanier is the CEO Harper Slade Racial Equity Advisory and Founder of the RAARE Woman Collective.