Equity Statement
Street Books is committed to the pursuit of equity—both internally and in the world at large—by fighting for systemic change together with those most affected by the violence of poverty. This is a commitment that we will model in our own lives and within our organization. We will use an anti-oppressions framework to guide our operations as we work to build mutual, authentic relationships by showing up consistently to share books, resources, and friendships that reflect the communities’ own needs, identities, and desires. We will work in solidarity with our patrons with love, support community organizing, and show up for human rights. This is really important to us. We will consistently and continually commit resources, time, and effort to it.
Street Books Shared Equity Definition - January 2023
Equity is a verb--it’s about action. Equity is a process. We are in it for the long haul, and we understand the work is always evolving and by its nature cannot be complete. And, as adrienne maree brown describes, active equity is the “deepest form of love.”
We will use an intersectional, anti-oppressions lens for all that we do, assessing whether what we do, who we serve and what books we provide dismantle oppressions and uplift the whole community, and most especially those who are the most impacted by the systems of control and oppression that operate in the very air we breathe (racism, classism, sexism, capitalism, etc.). We believe these systems can be changed to systems of common good and healing but we must work for those changes, including always working on ourselves with love, resources, and a powerful and strong commitment.
Our Service Focus - We will:
Use our anti-oppressions lens to assess where and how we put our energy - who we serve, who we are not serving, who we partner with, where we go/locate our operations, etc. What do we need to change?
Have a written equity and anti-oppressions policy that we revisit and update with intention together as a whole organization
Go to our patrons so they don’t have to come to us (as houselessness is exhausting and traumatizing)
The Right Books – We will:
Ensure that our patrons can see their lives reflected in the books we offer
Have a variety of books and genres, with a focus on underrepresented writers
Seek and share books with tools for ending systems of oppression and effectively changing individual acts of oppression
Relationships:
We will prioritize the building of mutual, authentic relationships and stand up for our patrons’ basic human rights
We will stay committed to liberation and not give up on each other. We will challenge individual and systemic oppression with respect, believing that in healthy community we will challenge harmful beliefs and help create the conditions for them to be transformed
We will make mistakes and when we do we will be accountable, listen and believe each other and commit to learning
Internally:
We will provide good wages and jobs so anyone can work here because everyone who works deserves a livable wage
We acknowledge that different members of the Street Books team need different things to thrive
We will have an annual plan of action that is measurable that help us continue learning and effectively change systems of oppressions
We will be clear and consistent about our systems change perspective, strategy, and work (for example deciding if reform is enough in a violent capitalist system) and be strategic and clear in what ways these beliefs inform our work
We will create structured time and space for this work and these conversations
We will establish a foundational set of trainings and expect that all staff, contractors and board members will engage in the ongoing process of learning as we work toward our collective liberation
We will strive to be a reflective, curious, receptive learning organization so we can implement our mission and meet our equity goals with vision and integrity.
We recognize this is a living document and we will revisit it regularly as we learn and grow.