The Urban League of Rochester Seeks to ‘INTERRUPT RACISM’

ROCHESTER (Feb. 5, 2024) - The Urban League of Rochester (Rochester, NY) wants to INTERRUPT RACISM.

INTERRUPT RACISM is an Urban League program that tries to actively address racial inequities. The program is designed for local businesses aiming to cultivate equitable work environments by identifying and rectifying policies or behaviors hindering diversity.

Dr. Candice Lucas, Senior VP for Equity and Advocacy at the Urban League, explains that the 12-month program, launched in 2024, involves 15 organizations and 100 participants. During the program, participants conduct assessments, scrutinizing policies, recruitment and retention methods, and community beliefs to uncover ingrained inequities, even when organizations may be unaware of their existence.

“We are truly working with organizations to help them understand how inequities creep into their system, even if they don’t think it’s happening,” she said.

Dr. Lucas emphasizes the importance of programs like INTERRUPT RACISM in dismantling racism within the community.

“We saw in our own community how inequities exist,” she said. “It was glaring to us in 2020 at the heart of the COVID crisis. It also showed its face when we had the murder of George Floyd and in our own community, the death of Daniel Prude.”

Organizations involved in the program are encouraged to form a change team comprising up to 10 individuals from various levels, ensuring a diverse blend of experiences.

The overarching goal of INTERRUPT RACISM is to contribute to an equitable and anti-racist community in Monroe County.

Says Lucas, “We want Monroe County to be equitable, we want it to be anti-racist. We want any one of our citizens to be able to thrive in our community.”

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