YWCA St. Paul Reaffirms Mission Amid Growing Pushback on Equity
As national efforts to undermine DEI gain momentum, YWCA St. Paul is doubling down on its century-long mission to eliminate racism and empower women. Grounded in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the organization is prioritizing housing, economic stability, and health equity — while urging urgent support for Black-led nonprofits amid shrinking funding and political hostility.
For more than a century, YWCA St. Paul has stood at the intersection of justice and community. We have been a steady, unapologetic force working to eliminate racism and empower women — a mission that has never been easy, never been universally embraced, and never been more urgent.
Today, we find ourselves in a sobering moment. The political landscape is shifting. National policies are retreating from longstanding commitments to equality. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts — once heralded as essential for a just and thriving society — are being targeted, defunded and maligned.
Across the country, nonprofits like ours are being forced to ask hard questions about how we move forward in a climate that has grown increasingly hostile to the very values that guide our work. Let me be clear: we are not retreating.
Originally published in the Spokesman-Recorder on June 29, 2025
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Justice Statement 2025: Doubling Down on Equity
In a time of increasing resistance to equity-focused work, YWCA St. Paul is standing firm in its mission. The 2025 Justice Statement reaffirms the organization’s unwavering commitment to eliminating racism and empowering women—core values that have guided its work for over a century.
“We are not backing down. We are doubling down.” — YWCA St. Paul