• Nevada leads the nation in the growth of populations of people of color. Between the years 2000 and 2003, the percentage of overall minority population growth in the state increased by 6.6%. Nevada has become truly multi-cultural. Our institutions and organizations must reflect this reality.
• In Nevada, and across the country, racial disparities in health are a moral crisis. The Nevada Office of Minority Health reported in 2007 that People of Color have higher infections and chronic diseases than the white population. The lack of health insurance, lack of diversity of physicians, as well as financial, legal and language barriers, ensure People of Color are underserved by the health care system.
• More teens are dropping out—or are being pushed out of Nevada high schools than almost any other state in the country. And the majority of those teens are students of color. They often experience the education system differently than their white colleagues, being disproportionately targeted for discipline and special education, while being passed over for gifted and talented programs. Unsatisfactory teaching conditions—from overcrowding to substandard textbooks—tend to be concentrated in low income and minority schools.

As Gandhi said “We must be the change we want to see happen in the world”. Our Dismantling Racism trainings help progressive leaders effectively address issues of social identity and inclusion by living racial justice personally and within their organizations. Only then can we effectively address and change monumental institutional racial inequities mentioned above.

PLAN seeks to build racial justice advocates within our member groups who can identify meaningful solutions to racial inequities and help their organizations to address them. We are working to:

• Hold Dismantling Racism trainings.
• Support the PLAN People of Color Caucus, a multi-racial alliance of progressive leaders throughout Nevada. For more information, contact AJ McClure.
• Develop awareness among our leaders that we can choose to participate in the maintenance of oppression by ignoring it...or we can assume responsibility for dismantling it.
• Work with state, regional and national allies to conduct research and action campaigns designed to spotlight and eliminate race disparities.