Equitable communities are places of opportunity where all children and families can develop, grow and contribute — where people recognize that community well-being depends on the participation of every person.

Making communities more equitable requires all of us to confront how racism and bias affect our history and present-day experiences, to heal from the resulting fractures to our relationships and to begin reshaping the systems that hold back so many among us.

By first acknowledging and understanding the root causes of inequity, communities can then come together to envision and chart a course for the transformation.

Advancing racial equity and racial healing, engaging communities in solving their own problems and developing leaders capable of guiding change on this scale are essential to creating vibrant, equitable communities. These three approaches, known as our DNA, are embedded in all we do.