Op-ed: An engine for social justice leads the way to change

The Virginia Organizing model for change

VO made those steps possible.

In an era of Twitter campaigns and online petitions, VO has focused on grass-roots activism, showing up at city council meetings, building presence in the community and listening to community needs.

Every year the organization holds a "power analysis" – looking at who holds power over issues their constituents care about, and then figuring out how to leverage their networks to shift the power balance toward justice.

It's a remarkably effective approach.

• VO reformed criminal justice in many localities and the state of Virginia with successful “ban the box” campaigns.
  • Removed the stigma of an arrest record or conviction that disproportionately affects minority communities.
• It built coalitions that:
  • Brought tax relief to 150,000-plus low-wage earners,
  • Expanded Medicaid,
  • Shut down the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Worth copying: VO's beliefs

There's one other area where Virginia Organizing serves as a role model: Their statement of beliefs.

The 12 point list keeps the organization focused laser-like on its target of social equity, racial justice, and accountability from those in power. They all resonate with me, especially this one:

We believe that community, economic, social, and environmental policy should be developed with the greatest input from the people it is meant to serve, and that the policies should promote, celebrate and sustain the human and natural resources of Virginia.

I admire them all – and when EHS set out to craft its own statement of beliefs, we stood on VO's shoulders.

A legacy of advocacy and justice

So while VO ostensibly did our accounting, in reality their values, over 20 years, have permeated every aspect of EHS, from how we treat employees to the accountability we demand of people in power.

We're leaving VO today, but we're bringing VO's fierce, clear-eyed focus on justice, equity and a healthier world with us.