Re-imagining an equitable region is core to NCG’s Equitable Recovery framework. Rather than a return to what once was, can we disrupt, re-imagine, and restructure what’s possible? Kim Williams, Hub Manager at Sacramento Building Healthy Communities (Sacramento BHC, a part of The California Endowment's Building Health Communities 10-year plan) spoke with Crispin Delgado NCG's Public Policy Director, about where philanthropy can continue to step in, how to take a community-centered approach, and why movement-building needs to be at the center. Read the full conversation below!

Crispin Delgado: Thinking about the impact of the pandemic and convergent crises of the last two years, which areas have had the most impact on the communities you support and with whom you build movement?

Kim Williams: At Sacramento BHC we’re serving communities who have been historically underrepresented. Prior to the pandemic, these communities already faced disparities and the pandemic only exacerbated these challenges. Homelessness, housing affordability, and lack of healthcare resources are unavoidable crises in the Bay Area.

Additional crises that have been brought to the forefront include the digital divide, movements for racial reckoning, and an increase in gun violence. The extreme digital divide for young people, especially young people of color, meant they did not have access to Wi-Fi and, consequently, struggled academically. Far too many youth fell through the cracks during the transition to distance learning and are feeling the consequences as they return to in-person learning.

And more than ever we’re seeing more movements for racial reckoning fueled by an increase in gun violence. The local community was still reeling from the local tragedy and murder of Stephon Clark at the hands of law enforcement. Then more recently, the community again wrestled with the horror of racial injustice as a result of the unimaginable murder of George Floyd. And the most recently, Sacramento made national headlines yet again as a result of the largest mass murder in the City’s history, leaving community members angry, scared, and exhausted.

Crispin Delgado: How have community partners stepped up to meet the immediate needs of the community?

Kim Williams: During the pandemic, community partners made dramatic shifts to serve community members and took on new and expanded roles to provide for the basic needs of young people and families. For example, just before the pandemic, Sacramento BHC had been focused on advocacy campaigns for the re-allocation of the law enforcement budget.

Crispin Delgado: It’s amazing that BHC was focused on advocacy around re-allocating the law enforcement budget, and it makes me curious, in what ways were these dramatic organizational pivots made?

Kim Williams: The organization had to adjust quickly to serve food to local families, provide Wi-Fi and meet the basic needs of families due to the crisis. Unfortunately, some community-based organizations could not pivot or shift and have since closed their doors.

Read the full article about equitable recovery at Northern California Grantmakers.