Women of Color
Women of Color
Women of Color
Women of Color
Women of Color
Women of Color

Our vision

We envision a CommonWealth of authentic inclusion where racism and sexism no longer dictate the outcomes of women of color and our communities.

Our Mission

Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition is dedicated to eradicating the racial inequities among women of color created by structural, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized racism. We will address racial inequities through authentic inclusion in the areas of political and civic leadership, education justice, economic power and sustainability, criminal justice reform and health and wellness. Our success will maximize the benefits and contributions for all aggrieved communities of color and the Commonwealth as a whole.

Women of Color
Women of Color

Who we are

We are women of color who identify as Black (or African Descent), Latina or Hispanic(non-white), Asian, Middle Eastern, Native American, or (indigenous Descent). We recognize and celebrate the intersection of social identities in our work including but not limited to race, gender and sexuality. Our framework challenges ethnic, anti-black racism, classism, and heterosexism which disproportionately affect Black and Latina women.

"We are the voice of change."

Political and Civic Leadership

Increase the percentage of women of color in elected and
appointed positions in local, state and federal government...

More
  • Increase the numbers by 5%
  • Educate to understand the power and importance of civic engagement
  • Educate to understand the history of people of color
  • Work to develop policy and legislation to shift the paradigm of inequities in our 5 areas of focus
  • Increase the number of active registered voters ages 18-25
  • Increase the voter participation rate

Education Justice

Preparing our children for 21 st century global education,
focusing on K - 12 grade levels...

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  • Equity funding for schools
  • Demand representation that reflects the population it serves
  • Steering, graduation, zero tolerance, discipline
  • Reduce suspensions and disciplinary actions
  • Increase representation in advanced placement classes

Economic Power
Sustainability

Eliminate the wealth gap for Women of color
and our communities...

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  • Increase access and opportunities
  • Increase Financial Literacy
  • Increase asset building
  • Increase percentage of WOC in Decision making positions
  • Increase access and opportunities to WOC Businesses and contracting
  • Increase Contracted opportunities by the state
  • Increase Home ownership
  • Equal Pay

Criminal Justice
Reform

Reforming the justice system...

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  • Local/State policy changes
  • Increase alternative options to incarceration
  • Reduce the number of WOC in the criminal justice system
  • Ensure WOC are within as close as possible -proximity for visitation
  • Reduce recidivism rate
  • Advocate for change with the arrest rate metric used for police promotion
  • Domestic policing
  • Debtors prison
  • Active presence in lobbying local, state, fed criminal justice reform initiatives

Initial Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy Agenda

  • 1) Amend/Eliminate use of force statutes/ polices and document consequences for not following the amended statutes and policies (e.g. eliminate choke hold and other tactics known to have deadly consequences)
  • 2) Make all police data accessible/available and more transparent ( particularly for women of color and where they are located in correlation to their homes, when WOC leave their homes communities of color are impacted)
  • 3) Each community should create a task force to examine all areas of criminal justice system and propose reforms.
  • Should include:

    •   • Dept. of Corrections; behaviors/abuse of correction officers and the conditions of our jails
    •       • Reform confinement policies/conditions
    •   • Review practices requiring arrest rate metrics and quotas are used to promote police officers ( predetermined number of tickets, citations, arrests or summonses or to initiate investigative contacts with citizens for reasons dot directly related to improving public safety such as generating revenue)
  • 4) Create a Civilian Review board/Commission with Subpoena power to investigate allegations of law enforcement wrong doing
  • 5) Investing in alternative to police as crime prevention strategies; develop/utilize service models that focuses on the root cause of crime and inequities communities of color face on a daily basis;
    •   • Allocating police funding to organizations and programs that take a comprehensive and inclusive look at community based initiatives addressing core issues as poverty, education, health and safety
    •   • Allocating police funding to re-entry programs to reduce the rate of recidivism
    •   • Allocate funding on Juvenile/ young adult justice programming ( Dismantle school to prison pipeline)
    •   • Law enforcement agencies must collaborate with communities of color to develop polices and strategies in communities and neighborhoods disproportionately affected by crime for deploying resources that aim to reduce crime by improvising relationships, greater community engagement and cooperation
  • 6) Demilitarization of law enforcement
  •   • Police department that receive military weapons from the federal government
  • 7) Declare the Racism is Public Health Crisis and worthy of treatment, assessment and financial investment in order to eradicate negative health an economic impacts
  • 8) Debtors prison/Bail reform
  • 9) Body Cameras must be worn and on at all times and footage made available upon request
  • 10) Department of Justice must reassert its statutory authority to investigate individual instances of racial profiling, police brutality and violence and investigate and litigate individual law enforcement officers and police departments routinely violating civil rights. (federal)

Health and Wellness

Improve financial, spiritual, emotional, health and
wellness for Women of color and our communities...

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  • Addressing issues that create barriers, misdiagnoses, premature delivery of care
  • Increase access healthy foods, safety
  • Reduce the percentage of WOC the are currently suffering from preventable diseases
  • Increase access early detection and after care of WOC
  • Increase resources and support for WOC caregivers
  • Reduce the number of WOC and their families that are uninsured
  • Advocate for investment in community health clinics
  • Improve health data collection focusing on women of color