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ERASE Racism Receives Kellogg Foundation Grant to Increase Racial Integration

  • 01/30/17

Long Island, N.Y. — ERASE Racism has begun the next stage of a project to increase racial integration in Long Island public schools by educating and organizing parents, students and educators; strengthening pipelines for teachers of color and educating teachers in effective practices to address diverse student populations.

The project is funded by a two-year, $200,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan.

“Far too many children of color live in racially isolated neighborhoods in metropolitan areas,” said Elaine Gross, President of ERASE Racism, adding, “Achieving our mission requires that we actively pursue racial equity for all children by addressing structural racism and its consequences, within communities and the institutions serving them.”

According to Census data, Long Island is one of the most racially segregated metropolitan regions in the nation. Its fragmented public school districts mirror the high level of segregation in the region. ERASE Racism will educate and organize parents, administrators, educators and state and local elected officials to embrace and promote racially integrated learning environments.

Leveraging the expertise of more than 100 members of its Education Equity Working Group, ERASE Racism will produce resources on best practices/strategies, challenges and potential solutions. This will include creating a user-friendly “Blueprint for Integration” document based on most recent legislative, educational, and experiential accounts of the integration terrain. The organization will also work with school districts to help implement integration strategies. The ultimate goal is to expand the number of Long Island school districts that institute integrative practices and policies.

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