YWCA Columbus is proud to announce the launch of the American Electric Power Foundation Center for Racial Equity at YWCA Columbus.

The new Center will include YWCA Columbus’s existing diversity, equity, and inclusion training services as well as new programs focused on civic engagement, community dialogue, advocacy, leadership empowerment, and harm repair and prevention.

“At YWCA Columbus, we believe in change. But more than that – we believe in transformation,” said Christie Angel, YWCA Columbus President and CEO. “Transformation means dismantling the systems that create and perpetuate inequity. It’s not a goal we can achieve alone. That is why YWCA Columbus partners with the American Electric Power Foundation and other organizations who believe in using their resources to advance social change.”

The launch of this new Center was made possible thanks to a $1M transformational grant and multi-year partnership from the American Electric Power Foundation’s Delivering on the Dream: Social and Racial Justice grant program.

“We are thrilled to see this grant come to life and proud to be a partner in YWCA Columbus’s work toward racial equity,” said Janelle Coleman, President of the American Electric Power Foundation. “We created this grant to address systemic racism and injustice, and the new Center for Racial Equity will do just that.”

YWCA Columbus believes that producing social change requires us to change hearts and minds and dismantle the systems that uphold white supremacy. They approach social change through education, engagement, and empowerment.

The expansion of YWCA Columbus’s racial equity programming aims to increase racial literacy and empathy and empower leaders with the tools to advance positive social change across the Columbus community. The organization believes this will lead to a community who better understands systemic issues, engages in critical conversations, and adopts equitable polices.

“Our community is reckoning with centuries of systemic inequity and oppression and coming together to build lasting change. YWCA Columbus is proud to be a partner in this transformative work,” said Caroline Woliver, YWCA Columbus Director of Leadership and Social Justice.

YWCA Columbus is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and create a Columbus of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. YWCA Columbus is part of an international movement serving over 2 million in the United States and 25 million worldwide. For comprehensive information about this important work, go to ywcacolumbus.org.