21-Day Racial Equity Challenge by Share Crawford

The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) offered junior league members the
opportunity to participate in a 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge. AJLI encouraged participants to
be introspective and investigate their own feelings about race, gender, and other intersections
of identity, even if it is uncomfortable. The challenge sought to have participants engage in a
daily discussion with other challenge participants in the organization using reflection questions
as a guide. Most importantly, participants were advised to be vulnerable, and if willing, to
acknowledge day-to-day feelings on the challenge.
I was placed in a small group of 6 women by AJLI based on the requested meeting time that
best worked with my schedule. Monday through Thursday the assigned small groups met via
zoom to discuss the daily prompts sent via e-mail. The e-mails included links to sources, short
videos, TED talks, and other informational materials relevant to the day’s discussion. On
Fridays, AJLI conducted a community session mid-afternoon as way to wrap up the week.
Going into the challenge, I had no idea what to expect. The topic for Day 1 was Racial Identity
Formation and Racial Socialization. Participants were asked to consider:
1. What is a racial identity?
2. How has my race impacted my life?
3. How were my ideas and beliefs about race formed?
I knew as soon as I saw the prompts that I was indeed going to have to rise to the challenge of “getting uncomfortable”.
I was paired with a group of intelligent and insightful women from up and down the east coast.
We hailed from a variety of backgrounds (i.e. banking, real estate, and law) and possessed
various levels of experience in Junior League.
Daily these women joined the discussions prepared to do the hard work and confront our own
feelings and experiences. We each took turns leading the discussions and began each zoom call
with how we were feeling that day.
Together we tackled topics such as white supremacy, white privilege, microaggressions, and the
racial wealth gap. We learned new terms, encountered wholly new concepts, and dug deep
into how these various issues impacted us in ways that we never even had considered.
Something amazing occurs when openly sharing with a group of women. You find ways in
which you are similar but you also learn from your differences. It was in these moments of vulnerability that we formed a deeper bond with one another. It was not uncommon for one of
the ladies to cry quietly or shed a tear, but that was always followed by lifting one another up.
It was not all sad…we laughed often.
The 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge positively impacted my life. I learned from the experiences
of other women while having the opportunity to share my own unique experiences. I clearly was not the only one to feel this way. My group decided to continue meeting once a month to
check-in with each other and to hold each other accountable. We found each other on social
media and have chosen to keep in touch.
I encourage each member of the Junior League of the Grand Strand to participate in this 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge. Get informed. Reflect. Grow.

-Sharde Crawford, Diversity & Inclusion Chair