United Way of Washtenaw County to Launch 21-Day Equity Challenge: 2023 Edition

ANN ARBOR – United Way of Washtenaw County (UWWC) invites the community to participate in the 2023 Edition of its original 21-Day Equity Challenge to build the community’s awareness of the ways that bias, prejudice, privilege, and oppression show up in our work and lives. UWWC has a vision that by 2030, your zip code will no longer predict your opportunity in life. At present in Washtenaw County, it does. The Challenge will run from January 9th to January 29th, 2023.

“We believe it benefits us all to have greater collective capacity and courage to identify and address the different ways that bias, prejudice, privilege, and oppression show up in our work and lives,” shared Pam Smith, President and CEO of United Way of Washtenaw County. “It has been so gratifying  to see more than 10,000 people participate locally in the Challenges we have offered.”

Society has shifted since UWWC last offered an Equity Challenge.  In response, the 2023 Challenge has been updated so that it is relevant for both first-time and returning participants as well as people of all races.  New content includes: Honoring Michigan’s First People; White Privilege and White Supremacy; Voter Suppression Today; and Authentic Self Care. Also new this year is Creative Expressions, with actionable opportunities to engage with equity through the arts, developed by local artist Yen Azarro.

The 2023 Edition of the Equity Challenge will also be presented in a new format with four domains each day– Listen, Read, Watch and Act– so that participants can better choose how they want to engage with a given topic.

Sponsors for the 2023 Equity Challenge include: Toyota Research and Development, Rich Chang, Steve Day, Yodit Mesfin-Johnson, Ann Arbor YMCA, Edward Ginsberg Center of the University of Michigan, Washtenaw County Racial Equity Office, Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium, and Washtenaw Intermediate School District.

About the Equity Challenge: 2023 Edition:

• The Equity Challenge is a commitment to devote 10-15 minutes a day for 21 days to learning the different ways that bias, prejudice, privilege, and oppression show up in our everyday lives.

• Participants are invited to explore this work on their own, with friends and family, or organization-wide.

• Participation in this challenge is 100% private, free and anonymous.

To learn more, sign up as a participant, or add your organization as a community partner for the 21-Day Equity Challenge: 2023 Edition, visit www.uwwashtenaw.org/get-involved-equity.

To become a sponsor of the 21-Day Equity Challenge: 2023 Edition, visit www.uwwashtenaw.org/equity-challenge-toolkit.

About United Way of Washtenaw County
As part of our 100-plus-year history, United Way of Washtenaw County brings people, organizations, and resources together to create a thriving community for everyone. Our focus areas of Health, Education, and Financial Stability provide the building blocks for a strong community and create opportunities for individuals and families. Our virtual Volunteer Center is an easy, online way for people to connect with nonprofits in the community and our 2-1-1 helpline connects more than 8,000 people annually to critically needed services. To learn more, donate, or volunteer visit uwgive.org.