Context

Racial Equity can be defined as “a state in which life outcomes are no longer predictable by race.” Forward Through Ferguson works to catalyze a St. Louis where systems work well for people of all races. This transformative vision centers a St. Louis where race and zip code will no longer influence life outcomes like obtaining a quality education, earning a living wage, and having affordable housing in a safe neighborhood. The Build Racial Equity Capacity strategy from FTF’s #STL2039 Action Plan includes:

• Conducting workshops, interventions, and assessments that support institutional transformation
• Creating and sharing curated toolkits to support institutions transforming towards Racial Equity
• Publicly tracking institutional and regional progress towards Racial Equity with accountability to the Ferguson Commission Report
• Amplifying success stories of institutions transforming towards Racial Equity
• Convening REDI (Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) and Organizational Development practitioners to foster synergy and measurable progress towards Racial Equity

Wayfinder

FTF acts as a wayfinder, not as a replacement for diversity, equity, and inclusion trainers. We help people and institutions find their starting point, strategize the journey forward, create next practices, and discover how to be a radically accountable partner in systems change.

Register below!

General Consultation

General Consultations assist organizations through FTF’s systems-change approach to Racial Equity. Our General Consultations are not Diversity and Inclusion training or a substitution for explicit level-setting within your organization. We are committed to supporting organizations’ work as wayfinders and guides who will help you own the trajectory of your institution’s Path to Racial Equity.

Outcomes—What are the options for our consulting?

• Facilitated, collaborative planning time to build your capacity for Racial Equity utilizing a systems-change lens
• Application of the principles of Racial Equity work to a particular initiative within your institution
• Connections to services offered by local DEI and Organizational Development practitioners or potential sector-based partners
• Racial Equity Action Planning
• Customized versions of FTF workshops facilitated for individual institutions

Inquiries: General Consultations are offered on a case by case basis. Inquire* through this intake form, or by sending an email directly to faybra@forwardthroughferguson.org

*Please Note: Due to high demand, our General Consultation bookings are full through May 2021. You may still inquire about scheduling General Consultation for the second half of 2021.

#STL2039 Workshops

Two consecutive 4-hour days for teams of up to 5 (e.g. Tuesday and following Tuesday)

Participants are invited to attend in teams of three to five from their institution to this two-day workshop on systemic, actionable Racial Equity visioning. Facilitators will leverage materials from the Ferguson Commission Report, FTF’s Path to Racial Equity Tool, the #STL2039 Action Plan, and more. Participants will determine and name the role their organization can play in accelerating action towards #STL2039 — a racially equitable St. Louis region by 2039. Please note that there is a week in between the dates of the workshop modules to allow participants to share learnings with their organizations and build the responses.

Outcomes — What will we do?

• Establish shared language and understanding around Racial Equity and systems change
• Conduct an organizational assessment of systemic barriers facing your work and strategies to address them
• Draft an initial, outcomes-based #STL2039 vision for your organization with alignment to the Regional Equity Indicators Dashboard and the Ferguson Commission Report’s Calls to Action

Application & Fees: Workshop fee is $2,950.00 per team (group of max 5 people). Limited scholarships available.

REGISTER FOR AN #STL2039 WORKSHOP:

Select Dates:  NOVEMBER 9TH & 16TH

Systems Change Primer

Now Virtual! A 3-hour workshop for individuals.

The Systems Change Primer is a workshop (presented virtually in 2021) designed to refresh and reiterate the key tenets of Systems Change methodology as explicitly tied to achieving Racial Equity. Facilitators will offer a shared learning and guide the participants in a radically candid discussion on the strategies needed for systemic advocacy of Racial Equity.

Outcomes—What will you get?

• In-depth presentation on the systemic landscape that fuels racial inequities in St. Louis
• An organizational assessment of systemic barriers facing your work and strategies to address them
• Insights into the necessary perspectives for systems change and the roles best suited for your institution
• An overview of FTF toolkits and recommendations for Racial Equity transformation

Registration & Fees: The Systems Change Primer is $150 per individual registrant*. Team members within an institution, collaborative partnerships, or institutions from the same sector are encouraged to apply and participate together.

REGISTER FOR THE 2021 SYSTEMS CHANGE PRIMER:

Select a Date:  NOVEMBER 30TH

_{*To inquire about scholarships or to receive an invoice or arrange payment by cash or check, please contact faybra@forwardthroughferguson.org.}

APPLICATION FOR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS SCP:

In addition to our public Systems Change Primer, Forward Through Ferguson offers a Systems Change Primer workshop for St. Louis City, County, municipal, School Boards, and Missouri elected representatives. This virtual workshop is offered for free—the normal cost has been covered by community sponsorships.

Select a Date: SEPTEMBER 30TH

Racial Equity Roundtable

Yearly membership for Education Cohort and Cross-Sector Cohort starting July 2021.

Cross Sector Roundtable

The Cross Sector Roundtable is a membership-based, 10-month equity engagement opportunity. Institutions of varying identities will convene to problem-solve, self-assess, build relationships, and expand their depth of Racial Equity understanding and practice. The shared learnings, case studies, and follow-up tasks are aimed to catalyze shifts in organizational development and transformation work.

Cross Sector applications are available here: http://bit.ly/CS_RERT2021

Check out our recorded Cross Sector Roundtable informational session here:

Education Roundtable

The Education Roundtable is a cohort-based, leadership development opportunity for k-12 local educational institutions. Leaders at traditional public school districts, charter networks, parochial/private school, governmental education agencies, education-focused nonprofits, and institutions with a vested interest in the health of the PreK-12 education system are invited to apply for our Education Roundtable: an 8-month cohort, where participants will meet for shared learning, relationship-building, case studies, and collaborative action-planning activities. Participants are welcomed to join in teams of 2-3. 

Applications are available here: bit.ly/ED_RERT2021

Check out our recorded Education Roundtable informational session here:

Outcomes—What will you get?

• Leadership development leveraging Transformational, Antiracist, and Systems Change strategies
• In-depth case studies of participating institutions and problem solving practices
• An accountable and radically collaborative network of organizational leaders
• First access to new FTF toolkits and resources for Racial Equity action planning and transformation

Registration: Membership in the Cross Sector Roundtable roundtable is limited to two representatives of your organization, at least one of whom is in leadership. The Education Roundtable requires at least two participants and may not exceed three.

• Education Racial Equity Roundtable
• Cross-Sector Racial Equity Roundtable

Racial Equity Capacity Assessment

Now Virtual! A Facilitated Assessment for an Organization, Coalition, or Partnership

The Racial Equity Capacity Assessment process surveys stakeholders within an organization, coalition, or partnership. The assessment is designed to clearly identify the entity’s current capacity and starting point in order to reveal key areas of focus for ongoing Racial Equity capacity-building.

Outcomes—What will you get?

• Facilitated preliminary conversation on desired outcomes and customization
• Presentation to survey participants to establish shared language and terms
• Completed Racial Equity Capacity Assessment with stakeholders
• Guided conversation to understand results and strategize initial next steps
• Written final report with key recommendations

Registration & Fees: The Racial Equity Assessment process fees based on number of participants and customization, beginning at $10,000 for up to 50 process participants. Registration for Racial Equity Capacity Assessment is currently closed. Sign up for our monthly newsletter to receive announcements about future registration. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Forward Through Ferguson?

Forward Through Ferguson (FTF) was established as a 501(c)3 to be a catalyst for lasting positive change in the St. Louis region as outlined in the Ferguson Commission Report. Embracing the Commission’s mandate. FTF centers impacted communities and mobilizes accountable bodies to advance racially equitable systems and policies that ensure all people in the St. Louis region can thrive.

Is FTF a diversity and inclusion trainer?

No. FTF does not operate as a diversity and inclusion trainer or practitioner. FTF was created to carry forth the community insight and vision of the Ferguson Commission, which identified the need for defining the path for individuals, organizations and institutions, and the region to move from awareness of racial inequities to transformational action that eliminates those inequities.

We are invested in building St. Louis’ muscle for activating on Racial Equity and Systems Change. In practice, this means we’ve served as infrastructure builders and “wayfinders”—helping organizations, institutions, and sectors assess where they are, orient themselves on the path to Racial Equity, develop a plan of action, and connect to capacity-building resources (including trainers, specialists, tools and models).

Who does FTF work with?

Forward Through Ferguson, in the tradition of the Ferguson Commission, works with organizations across traditional power hierarchies and sectors while working to maintain ultimate accountability to affected communities of color. FTF has worked with service and advocacy nonprofits, grassroots organizations, government offices and officials, foundations, research institutions, school districts, and corporations.

Tools and Frameworks

Part of our mission is to capture learnings and outcomes into tools for catalysts across the region, of all kinds, who want to advance Racial Equity. Some of the Racial Equity tools we’ve helped produce include:

• The Path to Racial Equity Worksheet
• Advancing Positive Change Toolkit
• Six-Month Racial Equity Foundation
• #STL2039 Action Plan
• State of the Report: Tracking Implementation on the Ferguson Commission Report
• St. Louis City Equity Indicators Dashboard
• Regional Equity Indicators Dashboard
• State of St. Louis: State of Police Reform