FAQs

YCO Anti-Racism Council FAQ

What is the purpose of the Anti-Racism Council?

The Anti-Racism Council is a group of YMCA team members who are working directly with the YMCA CEO, Board and Executive Team to reduce and eliminate racism and racial harm at the YMCA. This work will include engaging the Board, staff and leadership teams in bold actions, deep work, healing practices through policies, training and systems that cultivate a culture of personal responsibility, equity and timely administrative response to reports of racism.

Who is on the Council?

A list of current council members can be found here. Our membership is comprised of both full and part-time staff members, across all parts of the organization, and from intentionally diverse backgrounds.

How were Council members selected?

The Council grew out of the YMCA’s DIG Committee, and thus many of its original members are those that had already been using DIG as a vehicle to address systemic racism. The Council has so far experienced two additional recruitment phases. The first quickly followed the Council’s formation, when a few members of the Senior Leadership Team were added both for their expertise and to ensure anti-racism work was secured as an organizational priority. Most recently, 8 additional members were recruited from across the organization to further diversify the experiences and opinions represented within the group.

How did the Council begin?

In the wake of tragic deaths like that of George Floyd, Ahmad Aubrey, and Breonna Taylor, as organizations across the country began to speak louder and take greater action against racism, the YMCA’s DIG Committee began to look at how the YMCA of Central Ohio could become a more inclusive institution for our staff and the people we serve. Combined with the statements published by Franklin County and the City of Columbus declaring racism as a public health crisis, these events created the leverage needed to enact change. It was clear that the YMCA would have to address racism with the same fervor and intensive systems that allowed the organization to weather COVID-19. A new working group, the Anti-Racism Council, was therefore created to specifically address systemic racism within the YMCA.

Are the Anti-Racism Council and DIG Committee the same thing?

No. These two groups exist in a common space but are purposed with very different work. While the Anti-Racism Council is an intentional working group to eliminate racism within the YMCA of Central Ohio, the DIG Committee continues to create educational programs and supportive resources for all dimensions of diversity.

How can I get involved?

The Council is seeking new members. Use the contact form on this website to get more information.

As the Council begins to operationalize the solutions we are currently designing, we expect to need additional help on specific sub-committees within the group. If you would be interested in supporting a particular sub-committee of the Anti-Racism Council, contact Bertha Obayuwana at bobayuwana@ymcacolumbus.org. Current committees are Recruitment, Communications, and Education - these are subject to change.