RACIAL EQUITY PROGRAMS & RESOURCES

The Leadership Center for Excellence (LCE) is committed to community-based leadership training, and we are on a journey of building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization and society where everyone belongs.
Please use this resources page to learn more about how we can all more effectively lead our communities by listening, learning, and acting.
To help us learn more about racial equity programs across the Commonwealth of Virginia, please complete this form.
RACIAL EQUITY INITIATIVES
2023 Racial Equity Summit
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
8:45 - 10:45 a.m. ET
Virtual
While the path to racial equity depends on several factors, a quality education is critical. Education is largely seen as vital to success in the United States, and our school systems prepare millions of students to be productive members of society. Our schools are essential to ensuring a strong workforce, as well as building youth leadership and future community leaders. Throughout our nation’s history, we have struggled to ensure equitable access to a quality education. Disparities in tax bases, low teacher pay, the “school to prison pipeline,” educational standards, student loans, early childhood education, and racial segregation are just a few of the factors that impact our ability to educate our students.
Join our 3rd Annual Racial Equity Summit to hear from experts and explore the evolution of Virginia’s educational system, how to create a racially equitable system, and our individual and community roles in ensuring our school system prepares all students for a lifetime of success. Together, with education at the center, we can move toward achieving racial equity in Virginia.
SPEAKERS

Francisco Durán, PhD
Superintendent
Arlington Public Schools (APS)

Fabiana Parker
Virginia’s 2023 Teacher of the Year
English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher
Manassas City Public Schools

Chris Quinn
President and CEO
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce

Ashley R. Craig
Community Engagement and Partnership Specialist
Library of Virginia
MODERATORS

Kate Bates
President and CEO
Arlington Chamber of Commerce

Krysta Jones
Racial Equity Advisor
Leadership Center for Excellence
2022 Racial Equity Summit
Thank you to everyone who joined us on December 7, 2022, (see full agenda) for this free virtual summit to hear stories that illustrate racial equity programming at work and network with attendees.
Watch the Recording
2021 Virginia Statewide Summit on Racial Equity
We hosted a virtual Virginia Statewide Summit on Racial Equity on Tuesday, December 7 from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. ET (view agenda). The event celebrated and elevated racial equity work across the Commonwealth of Virginia. The summit was a unique opportunity to learn from leaders who are creatively inspiring their communities to listen, learn, and act. Together, we are striving to reach racial equity.
Watch the Recording
2021 Racial Equity Listening Sessions
Sponsored by Amazon
In October 2021, we hosted four, separate, regional listening sessions across the Commonwealth of Virginia to discuss diversity, inclusion, and racial equity.
The listening sessions brought together elected officials, economic development and chamber leaders, statewide leadership programs, volunteer centers, and civic engagement leaders.
The regional session goals were to create a brave space for local leaders to hear about statewide programming while at the same time, listen to one another’s hopes, realities, and challenges around achieving racial equity in their local communities.
These events were by invitation only.

Special remarks were made by Dr. Janice Underwood, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia
SPONSOR
Thank you to our sponsor for supporting our racial equity initiatives.

RESOURCES
Learn more about ALL Alexandria’s Vision and Goals on achieving racial and social equity.
Explore a resource guide for organizational assessment tools for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities.
Learn more about how Network2Work matches quality job-seekers with available jobs that pay a decent wage and lead to a career.
Learn more about the ONE Virginia Plan to position the state as a national leader in building a statewide strategy to advance DE&I.
Listen. Learn. Act to End Racism is a Points of Light initiative in partnership with Morehouse College that is designed to empower businesses, nonprofits, and individuals to use their influence to fight against systemic racism.
Learn more about Arlington County’s Vision, where an equitable Arlington is one where all are valued, educated, healthy, and safe regardless of race.
Explore the collection of 24 essays, 7 video interviews, and 8-episode podcast series focused on racial equity in Richmond. The goal of the Richmond Racial Equity Essays project is to explore what an equitable Richmond looks like, especially as it relates to racial equity and highlight the strategies that will help us get there.