Local equity consultants open up about their work

CHANGEMAKERS: Demand is surging for local equity consultants Marisol Jimenez, left, and Tamiko Ambrose Murray, right. Organizations that successfully change oppressive cultures need to be humble, brave and open to making mistakes, they say. Headshots courtesy of Jimenez and Ambrose Murray

From breweries to clothing lines, businesses are clamoring to address internal biases and racism in the workplace. As inquiries pour in, local equity consultants Marisol Jiménez and Tamiko Ambrose Murray are busier than ever. 

The pair met eight years ago at a Racial Equity Circle hosted by Asheville’s Center for Participatory Change. They instantly clicked, growing first as friends, then collaborators. “We’re like soulmates,” Jiménez says with a laugh. “She pushes me to grow and heal.” 

Past lives as community organizers taught Jiménez and Ambrose Murray to approach consulting not just as facilitators, but as healers and social workers. Their work employs the theory of change, which entails defining and mapping out all of the steps necessary to create long-term outcomes. Services range from racial equity workshops to one-on-one interviews soliciting feedback from a business’s employees. 

No two days are the same. In September, the consultants led a Zoom discussion with a client in New York City before turning around to debrief with a local nonprofit. One of their most meaningful interactions involved a farming organization in Iowa, about a month after fierce August storms ripped through the region. Course participants still didn’t have power, Jiménez recalls. But the Iowa team still wanted to talk about the equity work they were doing within their network. “In a moment of deep crisis and scarcity, backed into a corner, they were still committed to doing the racial equity work,” she says. 

Ambrose Murray chimes in. “Even though they were primarily white folks, they were still committed to advancing equity, listening to others and sharing their power.” 

Some businesses are genuinely ready to address harmful practices and have tough conversations; others are looking for a check in a diversity training box. The two women feel a deep commitment to this moment of racial reckoning in America, but they also know the sudden surge in demand exceeds their joint capacity. They see a need to be discerning with their clients as they decide which groups are authentic and ready to change.

“As work wives and best friends, we share many of the same values, including who we hold ourselves accountable to,” Ambrose Murray says. “This is what I am called to do. I’m committed to the community and committed to the struggle. 

She continues: “This is healing work, not just for us, but for our ancestors and our children and for our children’s children’s children.”

This article is part of COVID Conversations, a series of short features based on interviews with members of our community during the coronavirus pandemic in Western North Carolina. If you or someone you know has a unique story you think should be featured in a future issue of Xpress, please let us know at news@mountainx.com.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Molly Horak
Molly Horak served as a reporter at Mountain Xpress. Follow me @molly_horak

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

4 thoughts on “Local equity consultants open up about their work

  1. Harold

    Is this a joke?

    The only “equity consultants” (equity as in $$$) I know work at Goldman Sachs.

    What kind of crackpots would pay these two grievance grifters for their word salad rubbish…

    • NFB

      “grievance grifters”

      What does the Republican party have to do with this?

      1
      1
    • bsummers

      I think the fact that you only know one definition for the word “equity” is maybe a clue why you don’t get this.

      noun
      1. the quality of being fair and impartial.
      “equity of treatment”

      2. the value of the shares issued by a company.
      “he owns 62% of the group’s equity”

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.