Advancing equity & social justice in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
January 11, 2024
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously once said, “I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education, and culture for their minds and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.” On Monday, January 15, we will honor the civil rights leader who dedicated and gave his life to advancing social justice across the United States.
King fought for civil rights for all people in the face of systemic racism, oppression, ignorance, and violence. And his legacy reaches far beyond the civil rights movement, including food justice and other intersecting issues around hunger.
Though there’s been notable progress since his assassination in 1968, our nation is still far away from his “promised land” of equality and justice for all. Too many people today still face continuous obstacles in life, whether due to their race or ethnicity, their financial situations, or all of the above. Our food system still does not meet the needs of all people; not everyone can access the food they choose, where they want it, and when they need it.
This is one reason that equity is a core value of the Blueprint. We recognize that everyone does not all start from the same place. And because of that, we must acknowledge the intentional and unintentional barriers arising from bias or systemic structures – and work to adjust and overcome those imbalances. It’s essential to our collective impact work in addressing hunger across Colorado.
Here are some of our key practices to center equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in our collective impact work:
Language justice: We aim to ensure there’s space for participants to speak in the language that they feel most comfortable using. We offer simultaneous interpretation in Spanish and English, along with closed captioning, at all Blueprint-hosted meetings and activities. We also provide all public communication in both languages.
Compensation: We value and welcome participation by those with living or lived experience. As part of our commitment to equity, compensation is available to anyone who voluntarily participates and is not representing an organization as a paid employee. View the Blueprint’s stipend guide to learn more.
Accessible funding opportunities: We actively develop accessible funding opportunities to support community-based organizations – often those who are traditionally overlooked for funding – to increase healthy food access in their local areas and neighborhoods. They’re intentionally designed to minimize barriers, with only limited requirements to encourage instead of deterring or disqualifying interested applicants. Additionally, the Blueprint creates shared opportunities for community members to lead decision-making around grant program development and distribution of funds.
Equity resources & opportunities: We encourage other organizations to start or continue their own equity journey. The Blueprint offers opportunities and resources like a yearlong equity challenge, which includes a peer learning series, and an equity continuum and self-assessment tool with one-on-one support available for organizations.
Learn more about our equity framework – and how you can take steps to help create a more equitable and well-fed future for all in Colorado.