Dear Friends and Fellow Walkers at Lace on Race,

We are thrilled to be addressing you as the first Board of Directors for the Lace on Race Center for Racial Equity. As Lace has said, we recognize that the entire nonprofit industry is, by design, racist and classist: in the money needed to file for the status; the prestige accorded to organizations who become non-profits; and the lack of respect or even suspicion cast on those that do not, among other ways.

We intend to subvert as many of these racist, classist elements as we can. We are committed to leveraging our non-profit status for the benefit of other racial justice organizations while weeding out the elitism and hierarchy that can disrupt our praxis without active care. For us, this begins with our Bylaws, the rules and limitations we have established for ourselves. We have deliberately drafted our Bylaws in accordance with our ethos of flat and round; that is, none of us sits above another, and all have an equal seat at the table. For clarity and transparency, we are publishing our Bylaws here on the website. You are invited and encouraged to familiarize yourself with who we intend to be as an organization, and be part of keeping us on course.

The Lace on Race Center for Racial Equity remains grounded in our conviction that white supremacy is an addictive conditioning, aggregated over centuries into self-reinforcing systems of racist behaviors and relationships. The approach Lace has pioneered over the past three years opens pathways to dismantling racism through use of established methods for addiction recovery and relational growth. Not surprisingly, this recovery and growth is sometimes messy and always challenging. We have seen small private relapses and spectacular public exits. We will continue to establish firm boundaries and clear expectations. When our fellow walkers act out, we will all continue to call them in.

In that spirit, we want to address an absence you may notice as we move forward. Sadly, we have parted ways with Holly Raines, our community’s inaugural intern. Lace on Race has always emphasized adherence to our guidelines across our community. As leadership and staff and now as the board of directors for a formal organization, we have an even greater responsibility for our praxis to be in alignment with the ethos we promote. Holly’s participation had become increasingly intermittent, and she chose on multiple occasions not to meet the expectations and commitments clearly set out for her, which she agreed to, when she began her internship. Although she still expected a seat on our board, she declined to complete a process of reconciliation and repair that was initiated with her. As a result, she has been excused from intern and board member responsibilities. We very much wish Holly all the best in her current and future endeavors.

We are now preparing to embark on our own exciting future, and we have our sights set high. At our initial board meeting, we ratified our Bylaws, elected officers, and formed committees. While that sounds very dry, these are only the necessary first steps along the path. We also confirmed Lace Watkins as Acting Executive Director, and formed a Hiring committee to draft the job description and requirements we need to begin a formal hiring process. This will ensure that our executive leadership continues to be top notch and has clearly established expectations, accountability, and oversight. Lace will certainly be a candidate, but she insists, and we agree, that a transparent and public hiring process is necessary for congruent praxis.

Soon we hope to begin sponsoring other organizations in alignment with our ethos. We plan to pursue consulting and speaking opportunities. Someday we would love to begin endowing scholarships! And, of course, we will continue steadfast engagement in the Lace on Race Café and Chef’s Table. Underpinning all of this, we want to offer to others the unique Lace on Race blend of internal change work and relational ethics in service to racial equity that we firmly believe is crucial to this work. 

As we grow, we will need help! In developing the positions needed to accomplish these goals, we will formalize expectations both for the specific role and for general praxis in alignment with our ethos. Role descriptions and expectations will be clearly documented as part of a policy manual that we are currently drafting. As with our Bylaws, we intend to publish our policies here on the website. These documents will further establish who we say we want to be, and we hope you will all take part in holding us accountable to that.

We look forward to continuing this journey with you, both online and out loud in the wider world. We’ll see you in the Lace on Race Café, and are excited to walk this path with you in commitment to lessening and mitigating the harm endured by Black and brown people, perpetuated by white people and white supremacy.

We are, with Hesed,

Your Board of Directors for 2021

Laura Berwick (Chair, Documentation Committee)

Leonie Cesvette (Director At Large)

Annie Champagne (PR Committee)

Rhonda Eldridge (Non-Profit, Hiring, & Documentation Committees)

Marlise Flores Boedeker (Interim Comptroller, PR Committee)

Julie Helwege (PR, Hiring Committees)

Danielle Holcombe (Interim Treasurer, Non-Profit, PR Committees)

Jessica Lee (PR Committee)

Catherine Seaver (PR Committee)

Clare Seward (PR Committee)

Christin Spoolstra (Hiring, Membership, Documentation Committees)

Christina Sonas (Secretary, Membership, Documentation Committees)

Vicki van den Eikhof (Non-Profit, PR, Membership Committees)

Chris Wojdak (PR Committee)

& Lace Watkins (Acting Executive Director)