Leadership coaching/consulting rooted in equity, justice, and belonging
Wondering what The Justice Walk is all about?
Justin Farmer and I had a great conversation about why I do this work and what it “looks like.” Click on the image to listen!
Our Mission
The Justice Walk provides guidance, support, and accountability partnership for folks, primarily white folks, on their journey to reckon with and move beyond our socialization into a white, male, cis-het, able-centered culture into a truly just world where every individual has access to opportunities to become their whole self, regardless of their identity.
Who might work with The Justice Walk?
👟 Leaders from organizations doing transformational equity work who need dedicated time to re-imagine their role to create policies, practices, and cultures that: encourage every individual to show up as their full selves; embrace them when they do and; provide equitable access to opportunities to thrive
That could include:
👟 White people working to understand the harm caused by the centering of whiteness across systems and institutions who are committed to transformations change in their and their organization’s policies and practices
👟 Directly-impacted people who want to continue their leadership development with a coach committed to promoting equity and belonging
Why the lens of equity, justice, and belonging?
Our systems, institutions, and society were founded on the belief that only the white, straight, male ways of operating are “right.” That the needs and wants of white, cis-het males should be prioritized over those of anyone else. Such a narrow lens informs and intersects with all forms of discrimination (race, class, gender, sexual identity, physical or mental ability, etc.), resulting in inequitable and unjust access to opportunities, even inside our organizations. The philanthropic and nonprofit sectors developed out of these same foundations and mostly adopted values around “helping” that patronize directly-impacted people, assuming they do not know what’s best for themselves and cannot act on their own behalf. I’ve been part of that way of working in the past.
However, we can all contribute to building new bedrock-level values that encourage and embrace different ways of seeing, being, and doing that ensure every individual can thrive in our organizations and communities. Ways that center the needs of those traditionally most marginalized. The Combahee River Collective has stated, “if Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.”
john a powell, from the Othering and Belonging Institute, gives this definition of belonging: “Belonging means more than just being seen. Belonging entails having a meaningful voice and the opportunity to participate in the design of social and cultural structures. Belonging means having the right to contribute to, and make demands on, political institutions. Belonging is more than just feeling included. In a legitimate democracy, belonging means that your well-being is considered and your ability to design and give meaning to its structures and institutions is realized.” This means going deeper than ensuring organizations are accessible and inclusive. It also means shifting power.
I am committed to the ongoing journey to put the principles of equity, justice, and belonging into action, to shifting power. I will bring that commitment into relationship with you.
Who Am I?
Why Am I Leading This Walk?
Photo by Chion Wolf
I’m Abby Anderson, founder of The Justice Walk. I am a white, straight woman who ran a statewide social justice policy and advocacy organization for over 15 years. I’ve experienced the moments of realizing that some of my leadership decisions and actions were inequitable and inadvertently caused harm. I’ve traveled the path of transformation, working with colleagues to co-create an evolved organization centering directly-impacted people and actively supporting their leadership. I’ve worked with leaders from a variety of organizations to examine their organizations’ policies and practices, as well as their own leadership beliefs and practices, to help them take steps in the direction of equity and belonging.
Unlearning ingrained ways of being and acting is hard. On my journey I often felt lost, lonely, or scared, unsure if I was heading in the right direction. I was tempted to give up. I started the Justice Walk in the hopes of providing the kind of support and guidance I’d wished I’d had but couldn’t find. I don’t have all of the answers. I haven’t learned all of the lessons. I can meet you where you are, offering what I have learned, while continuing my own growth. The faster we learn how to show up as part of the solution, the faster we’ll be part of a truly just world where every individual has access to opportunities to become their whole self, regardless of their identity.
I received my coaching certification through the Academy of Creative Coaching.
