In early June, we asked the entire Slow Food USA network to define six action points to renew our commitment to becoming an antiracist organization. As the national office, we also have work to do to dismantle systems of oppression. We revisited the Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Manifesto and have outlined 11 initial action steps here. We are trying to make these action steps SMART— Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely — so that we have a defined work plan for our staff. We recognize that this is an ongoing journey; and we will continue to examine and to evolve our policies and work to dismantle all forms of oppression. 

Rachel Cargle offers a helpful recipe we’ll use to hold ourselves accountable to anti-racism: “Knowledge plus empathy plus action. If you take any one away, you’re performing.”

Knowledge

1. Host an EIJ Manifesto workshop for leaders by August, as a precedent for a virtual Leader Summit that will take place in September, that covers the history of this document and connects leaders so we can share and support each other in finalizing our action steps. 
2. Launch an Orientation Guide by Spring ‘21 for new chapters and volunteers, that centers work on equity, inclusion and justice, and provides resources for enacting the work on a local level.
   
3. Lead a national book club this summer on How To Be An Antiracist, for staff, SFUSA board, governors. This will be part of an ongoing effort to host antiracist training and raise funds to support training for Slow Food leaders, chapters and communities. 

Empathy

1. Set up a diverse National Advisory Council to guide SFUSA strategy and hold staff accountable to becoming an antiracist organization. Have the first meeting in Fall 2020.
2. Create and share a new Code of Conduct for our movement and network that ensures all engagement with Slow Food is a safe space for respectful collaboration, by the end of summer 2020. We will ask existing leaders to commit to this code of conduct, and include it as part of the orientation guide.
3. Continue to diversify the SFUSA board and governors so that the composition reflects demographics of the US by 2025. We will work in collaboration with these groups and provide mentorship, support, and resources to aid in this process.

Action

1. Share a draft of our National Strategy, ensuring it centers equity, inclusion and justice in all our work and complements our pledge to antiracism. We will open the document to feedback from the network.
2. Amplify (and compensate) BIPOC voices in Slow Food Live programming. 
3. Assess our online presence and digital content, with an eye towards for language and media that may undermine EIJ efforts, and amend all content for more inclusive, accurate and thorough representations of racial and social justice
4. Continue to raise money for the National Resilience Fund, to support chapters in strengthening their relationships with local partners who are led by or work with marginalized, resilient communities. Make this Fund a part of our ongoing national strategy.
5. Create a paid Slow Food Intern position, starting in FY21, to enable students with limited resources to join the team.