Racial Equity Statement

Acknowledgements

We at Tzedek DC acknowledge our country’s historical and persistent practice of racism and its oppressive effect on our institutions, including the civil legal system. We commit to actively counter bias, prejudice, and racism, including within our own organization.

We recognize that the United States’ economic and political systems have, both through intention and disregard, created economic insecurity for people of color. Generations of discriminatory policies have established a debt collection and consumer economy that, both through intention and disregard, harms underserved minorities. Predatory debt collection lawsuits today are targeted against communities of color at disproportionate rates by design. We also recognize the relationship between wealth and race, and how that creates obstacles to establishing financial stability for many community members of color.

We acknowledge that the racial wealth gap is especially wide in the District of Columbia. Indeed, data from 2019 shows that a typical African American household in D.C. has net assets of $3,000, versus net assets of $284,000 for a typical white DC household—a gap of 8,100%. For Latino community members, the difference is $13,000 versus $284,000, a gap of 2,200%. These gaps have also been created by policies that have continued to disadvantage people of color. The destruction of Barry Farms, redlining, and urban renewal are among many of these intentional policies that limit opportunity and growth of wealth for Black DC residents.

We also acknowledge that the District is on the unceded ancestral lands of the Nacotchtank (Anacostan) and Piscataway peoples. According to a 2020 study, one in three Native Americans across the United States are living in poverty. The median income falls at about $23,000. Predatory lending practices are targeted at citizens of tribal nations, especially those who are unbanked and underbanked. Our country’s history of violence and colonization has directly affected the wealth of indigenous peoples.

We understand that poverty and racism are not synonymous. We are not anti-racist solely by virtue of fighting poverty or by representing clients who are persons of color. Racial justice requires us to engage with the underlying causes of inequity and to listen and learn from the lived experiences of others.

There is a rich, sometimes complicated, history of the Jewish community’s involvement in advancing racial equity. Tzedek DC seeks to build on this history of working together and commits to acting as a strong ally in the fight against racism and other forms of oppression. Tzedek DC was founded on the Jewish teachings of “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof,” which is Hebrew for “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” and draws on volunteers and resources from the Jewish community and many other communities in the DC area. Though Tzedek DC is not a faith-based organization (Jewish or otherwise), these traditions guide Tzedek DC's work and our goal to not only be better, but to take affirmative steps to achieve equity.

We acknowledge that race and other marginalized identities intersect. For those with multiple identities that may lead them to experience bigotry, the experience of racism, sexism, homo/trans*-phobia, ableism, and other forms of discrimination are often interrelated, and those who are marginalized in multiple ways have unique experiences of oppression based upon their intersecting identities. These intersections shape how we come to this work, impact our clients' experiences, and influence the work that we do.

Commitments

Tzedek DC commits to rejecting all forms of bias-based discrimination on the basis of race, skin color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, disability, immigration status, socio-economic status, returning citizen status, and veteran or military status.

Tzedek DC commits to providing client-centered legal services that focus on helping our clients meet their goals, understanding their perspectives and experiences, and not participating in creating the experiences that harm our client population.

Tzedek DC commits to seeking, responding to, and, where appropriate, incorporating feedback from our clients about our work throughout the legal representation process and at the conclusion of our services.

Tzedek DC commits to ensuring that our services, resources, and advocacy work are accessible to and inclusive of disabled community members.

Tzedek DC commits to referring to all people in the manner they prefer. Many people prefer identity-first language, such as “disabled people,” and others prefer person-first language, such as “people with disabilities.” We will defer to the preferences of each person. All people have pronouns that they use for themselves, and those, too, will be respected. Some people prefer terms like Latinx, Black, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), and others prefer Hispanic, Latino or Latina, African American, and people of color, for example. It is our responsibility to use the language that community members request.

Tzedek DC commits to holding at least one full-team racial justice training each year and to meeting as a team at least five times per year to discuss ways in which Tzedek DC can improve both its internal and external practices from a racial justice standpoint.

Tzedek DC commits to actively recruiting team members from historically excluded backgrounds.

Tzedek DC commits to maintaining a culture of belonging in its office where others’ experiences are valued and respected.

Tzedek DC team members commit to recognizing our own individual privileges and using them to promote equity, inclusion, and respect.

Tzedek DC commits to engaging with local communities and grassroots organizations to build diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal field, to effect systemic change, and to pursue justice.

Tzedek DC commits to regularly re-examining its racial equity statement, commitments, policies, and activities to ensure that we continue to prioritize racial justice, that we do not overlook any valuable perspectives, and that we do not forget about these promises and their importance.