ERACCE’s History

How the work began

Most people agree racism is a tough topic, and an even tougher experience. Often, the agreement ends there. Questions like, “What is racism? How does it function? When and where did it start?” are rarely asked, and even more rarely answered. In 1994, a group of concerned citizens in Kalamazoo found themselves asking those questions and more:  “What if there is more to racism than personal race prejudice? What if institutions are intentionally designed to benefit one race over all others? What if the way they are set up continues to impede the best intentions and efforts of institutions to be all they aim to be?”

In 1997, the local governing body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the North/West Lower Michigan Synod, joined a dozen other Kalamazoo area communities of faith to continue asking vital questions about race and racism. They began exploring how hidden, persistent organizational patterns inherited from past generations and subtly embedded in their systems were preventing them from fulfilling their missions.  One year later, the Synod property of a local church was sold for $180,000. With an increasing awareness of the devastating role institutional racism plays, the Synod committed the proceeds of the sale toward planting a seed of racial justice work in Kalamazoo. The goal: to intentionally work with other local organizations to build the capacity to recognize, identify, and understand institutional racism, work together to dismantle racism, and establish new anti-racist organizational structures and practices.

After two more years of conversations, planning and organizing, in January 2000 the Kalamazoo Northside Ministerial Alliance, Kalamazoo Anti-Racism Alliance (KARA) and the Synod jointly announced the birth of Eliminating Racism & Creating/Celebrating Equity (ERACCE). Its vision: to eliminate racism in Southwest Michigan. Its method: host and subsidized the most effective antiracism workshops in North America. While the trainings would be open to any institution, the Northside Ministerial Alliance provided direction to offer priority access to local government, faith communities, law enforcement and justice system, educational institutions, and health organizations.

As they continued organizing in the community, ERACCE members offered colleagues the opportunity to participate in Understanding & Analyzing Systemic Racism workshops at the reduced registration cost, significantly subsidized by the seed money from the sale of the Church. Six workshops were offered during the first year, which hundreds of community members attended to begin developing a working analysis of racism and join a growing network of fellow colleagues who had gone through the training.

In March 2006, ERACCE grew from its grassroots collaborative beginnings into a regional community service anti-racism organizing and training resource center to meet the growing needs of partner organizations. In April 2007, after receiving support from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation John E. Fetzer Fund, the Arcus Foundation, the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, and Greater Kalamazoo Area United Way, the board approved a detailed plan for developing a Regional Antiracism Organizing and Training Team.

Through their partnership with ERACCE, numerous institutions have come to realize that as they work to dismantle racism internally and transform into systems committed to authentic racial justice, they can more effectively serve their constituents. Many have developed Antiracism Transformation Teams, which go through additional training, and are equipped to lead their institutions to dismantle individual, cultural, and institutional racism.

Today, the demand for ERACCE is growing. We are receiving an increasing number of training and organizing inquiries from local community organizations and businesses seeking assistance in addressing systemic racism. Many institutions send multiple board and staff members through Understanding & Analyzing Systemic Racism workshops. In addition to training, ERACCE has developed the capacity to provide technical assistance, organizing support, and consulting to organizations seeking support as they organize and design the right training at the right time, geared to intentionally selected participants, as part of a strategy for long-term organizational change.

ERACCE’s Reach

Institutions With Whom We Have Worked:

Governmental/Municipal: Kalamazoo County, Kalamazoo Public Library, Kalamazoo County Department of Human Services, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety

Educational: Kalamazoo Public Schools, Portage Public Schools, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency, Parchment Public Schools, Albion College, Wayne State School of Medicine

Housing: Habitat for Humanity, Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan, Kalamazoo Collective Housing

Philanthropy: Kalamazoo Community Foundation

Faith-based: North/West Lower Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Community of St. Joseph Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, People’s Church (Unitarian Universalist), Wesley Foundation, Sunnyside United Methodist Church, and On Common Ground of Three Rivers

Health/Medical: Bronson Hospital, Borgess Medical Center, Barrien County Health Department

Food Justice: People’s Food Co-op of Kalamazoo, Fair Food Matters, Fair Food Network, Good Food Battle Creek

Non-Profits: Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian Resource Center, ISAAC (Kalamazoo area Gamaliel Foundation affiliate), Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative, Michigan United, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, Hispanic American Council, Black Heritage Society, YWCA of Kalamazoo

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