Dismantling Racism and Building Equity
Racial Equity Training and Workshop Services, Coaching, and more
Racial equity and anti-racism has to be a commitment that is made to ourselves, our communities, and the agencies in which we work. As an organization, CCSI continues our work of over 30 years to eliminate systemic and institutional inequities across our community. We offer a range of services from workshops and trainings, to data analysis, consultation and coaching. Connect with us at askccsi@ccsi.org for more details.
Supporting your journey toward dismantling racism and building racial equity
Identify commonly marginalized populations served by your organization, and implement programs and practices that improve equitable outcomes.
Develop a strategic plan that links your organization's business outcomes with diversity, equity, and inclusion results.
Engage in training, professional development, and learning experiences to improve awareness and knowledge, build skills and competencies, and drive practice change.
Check out some of our team's recent articles and webinars:
- Take Care That DEI Efforts Do Not Tokenize Employees, Rochester Business Journal
- Increasing Diversity Means Taking a Deeper Dive Into Systems in Place, Rochester Business Journal
- Racism: Public Health Crisis AND Business Imperative, Conscious Capitalism ROC Summit
CCSI Anti-Racism Code of Practice:
Instead of remaining complacent and reactive to the effects of structural and institutional racism on historically minoritized people, CCSI has taken a proactive approach to combat racism in its commitment to creating racial equity and inclusiveness within our organization. Our Anti-Racism Code of Practice accompanies the CCSI Code of Business Ethics to hold CCSI accountable in actions, decision-making procedures, hiring practices, and community partnerships to be an exceptional place for individuals to grow and build a career, while expanding our capacity to invest in communities as an anti-racist organization.
Additionally, the Anti-Racism Code of Practice is used as the cornerstone of the CCSI strategic planning for organizational and operational goals, program management, and capacity-building efforts. The objective is to align the CCSI goals and practices with anti-racist and anti-oppressive lenses to best support our workforce, the communities, programs, and people CCSI engages with daily.
Learn More About Our Offerings
Diversity & Inclusion
CCSI supports organizations in developing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategy that is aligned with and embedded into your organization’s culture, mission and goals. The strategic plan includes goals that link organizational business outcomes with DEI results, as well as goals that call for systemic change through individual approaches to education and learning.
Poverty Simulations
This powerful exercise is designed to help community leaders, health and human service providers, area businesses, and other community stakeholders deepen their understanding of the day-to-day challenges faced by those living in poverty and how current systems, policies, and practices create barriers.
Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI)
The Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI) seeks to address racism by focusing on organizational change and building community capacity for racial equity. CCSI has a team that develops concrete action plans to change policies, procedures and structures that perpetuate inequity.
Antiracist Curriculum Project
The Antiracist Curriculum Project team has worked with students, educators, and community members in the co-creation, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum and instructional resources about Rochester’s local history of racism and civil rights. These resources allow learners to explore and interpret their local history through rich primary sources, with the goal to cultivate more informed and engaged community members, to build a more just and equitable society. Watch this video to learn more.
Anti Racism Resources
We've compiled a list of useful resources to help deepen our customers understanding of racism in order to begin dismantling it. Check out the extensive list of resources here.
Customer Testimonials
Read more here.
Poverty Simulation Feedback:"I have never before experienced such a well planned, effective and efficient stimulation program. For me, I was reminded in real time, of places, feelings and struggles that are a part of my past. It reminded me of promises I had made during my hardship, to change the judgment and prejudice of the world as it was and still is. I realized I had done little with that promise. I felt sad, ashamed and angry. The tools provided and those that weren't provided, gave purpose to the risk individuals or families continue take for survival. My time spent at the event was thought provoking. The flexibility of "free will" gave understanding to why one may commit suicide, theft, drugs or allow life to live while their spirit is dead, was proof of my need to do more. I hope my Foundation and business becomes a beacon within my community and surrounding communities implementing or become a part change. Thank you Nancy Sung Shelton for another phenomenal experience!. Your talent is remarkable and is needed. You delivered an elegant and seamless experience for me and I am grateful."~Jenny Dozier
Community Member
“Cultural Competence, A Journey to Improved Outcomes" Train-the-Trainer Training Feedback:
"The CCSI Cultural Competency Training is extremely relevant given all that is occurring, and has continued to occur, in the world.
The training challenged me to look at myself honestly and to recognize, identify and reflect on the biases, beliefs and privilege in which I was raised along with acknowledging the educational, economic and political systems that propagate inequality. It revealed to me the lens in which I view Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
The training took me out of my comfort zone--- a necessary journey if one is seeking to recognize, in order to eliminate, implicit bias, microaggressions, systemic racism and oppression.
The training inspired me to change the way I view, and walk in, the world. I am grateful to the trainers, and my fellow cohort members, for supporting me, teaching me, and helping me grow as a human being. I am forever thankful."
~Jerry Farnett, LMSW, CASAC 2, MA Case Manager/Community Care Hub
Adjunct Instructor/Alcohol & Substance Abuse Counseling Program
Onondaga Community College/SUNY
NYS OASAS Provider for Cultural Competency Training
Kesha Carter, CDE, PHR
Kesha Carter is the Chief Diversity Officer for CCSI. There she leads the organizational strategy on diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and antiracism. She has facilitated DEI workshops, conversations, and trainings, both locally and nationally. Prior to coming to CCSI, Kesha developed policies and programs to attract, retain, and promote a diverse workforce. In another previous […]
Marie Gillum, MA
Marie Gillum is the Senior Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant at CCSI. Within this role she works alongside organizations as they actively aim to incorporate philosophies that highlight the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizational structures. Marie has experience facilitating DEI workshops, dialogues, and presentations within the local Rochester, NY community. Marie […]