"A Better Wake" Environmental Scan

The Triangle Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Alliance and its partners developed the A Better Wake Blueprint, outlining 40 goals and 150 action items to address racial inequities across various sectors. Over the past year, The Alliance partnered with RTI International to conduct an environmental scan to map local organizations' efforts, identify gaps, and provide insights to inform our next steps in implementing the Blueprint.

Across 20+ interviews with community organizations, the environmental scan reveled several key themes including resource and capacity challenges, and optimism for sustainable DEI growth, among others.

Based on the environmental scan, RTI proposed the following recommendations to help advance the race equity goals outlined in the Blueprint.

• Revisit and Update Blueprint Goals: Refresh goals to reflect post-pandemic priorities and ensure alignment with current community needs. 

• Implement Data Collection and Evaluation Systems: Create an ongoing system to track race equity progress and ensure transparency. 

• Provide Support for Race Equity Organizations: Tailor resources for organizations facing equity backlash, and offer legal protection, advocacy, and financial assistance where possible. 

• Capacity Building for Grassroots Organizations: Invest in funding mechanisms and capacity-building programs to support smaller, under-resourced groups. 

• Develop a Communication Strategy: Implement a community-centered approach that highlights real-world impacts of race equity initiatives, and builds a narrative of what’s possible in dismantling racial inequities. 

Be sure to follow the Triangle DEI Alliance for updates and next steps.