Our Work

Greater Spokane Progress’ work is focused on four main areas:

The Spokane Progress Plan is a member designed, goal-oriented action plan that drives our work. We are working together to transform our region to create a more equitable, peaceful, healthy, economically and environmentally just community by achieving the following goals:

  • Housing justice in Spokane
  • Immigrants and refugees will not live in fear
  • Civil and human rights, racial equity, and inclusion
  • Smart justice in our regional criminal justice system
  • A culture of peace for Spokane
  • High quality, affordable early learning programs
  • A more sustainable community to reduce the effects of climate change

GSP helps local organizations use an intersectional racial equity lens through training and support. The GSP Racial Equity Committee coordinates our Racial Equity Trainers’ Cohort to lead the racial equity training Why Race Matters: History, Systems, and Strategies to develop a collective understanding and common language around institutional and structural racism, and why addressing race matters. Using the acclaimed documentary “Race: The Power of an Illusion,” the workshop addresses how racial inequities have been build into institutions and structures throughout our country, why it is important to use a racial equity lens, and what we can do to advance racial a in our organizations and in our community.

GSP’ Taking Action to Advance Racial Equity Workshop was designed as a follow up to the Why Race Matters Workshop. This 4-hour workshop will equip you with tools to assert leadership to move your organization to take intentional steps to advance racial equity. We will do this by:

  • Building familiarity with the four drivers to advancing racial equity: Normalizing, Organizing, Visualizing, Operationalizing.
  • Identifying barriers and challenges to normalizing conversations about race.
  • Sharing tools to support organizations in developing a racial equity plan.
  • Beginning to assess our own organizations and confront challenges to taking the first step to normalizing and leading with race.
  • Articulating why talking about race is important and identifying actionable takeaways.

If your organization is interested in hosting a workshop, please contact Anne Martin at anne@spokaneprogress.org.

Spokane is increasingly diverse, and GSP’s programs are here to support communities of color, the LGBTQ community, the formerly incarcerated, and people living in poverty, with disabilities, and with mental illness to build grassroots power and increase equity. While people of color make up approximately 14% of Spokane County’s population, 31% of Spokane County student youth identify as multi-racial. People of color in Spokane are disproportionately impacted by high rates of law enforcement misuses of force, arrest, incarceration, poverty, and barriers to employment, housing, and other services. GSP organizes using a racial equity lens to address the root causes of racial disparities so that, ultimately, these disparities will not impact future generations.[/ms_accordion_item] [ms_accordion_item title=”Supports Progressive Policy and Electoral-Issue Campaigns:” color=”” background_color=”” close_icon=”” open_icon=”” status=”close”]GSP supports on-the-ground campaigns by providing organizing tools and strategies, and engaging organizations in campaigns. GSP builds diverse campaign coalitions and develops action plans that use an intersectional racial equity analysis and center the leadership of communities of color and other impacted communities.

Learn more by clicking on any of the links below.