Press release from the City of Asheville:
The City of Asheville is glad to announce the recipients of the first Asheville racial healing mini-grants. The City received 34 applications, of those eight were selected. The intent of the racial healing grants are to invest in projects already established in the community. The mini-grants represent a total community investment of almost $40,000.
The following organizations will receive funding:
- BeLoved Asheville
- Burton Street Peace Garden
- Center for Participatory Change
- KemeticArts24
- MLK Remembrance Coalition
- Southside Rising
- Umoja Health Wellness and Justice
- West Buncombe Community Organizing
These grants are intended to:
- Intentionally provide financial support to community members/groups who are already working toward racial healing.
- Build toward a more trusting relationship between City government and those who have been disenfranchised and underinvested in by local government.
- Inform a definition and vision of Equity for Asheville, including how the City of Asheville government should participate in the healing process.
At the conclusion of the grant cycle, each project will share input from their participants to answer two questions: What is their definition and vision of equity in Asheville and what role should City of Asheville government have in participating in racial healing?
The City of Asheville received the NC Innovation and Implementation Grant from the Government Alliance on Race and Equity to partially fund this project. GARE is a national network of government jurisdictions working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. The City is a member of GARE and has worked to train City staff on equity and inclusion to create more capacity for operating and decision-making with equity in mind.
For more information, visit ashevillenc.gov/department/equity-inclusion/racial-healing-mini-grants.
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