The US Equestrian Board of Directors approved a public-facing Diversity and Inclusion Commitment Statement, as well as the development of a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, at the 2020 Mid-Year Meeting.
Commitment Statement
This statement shall live on a new Diversity and Inclusion and resource page of the USEF website and reads as follows:
Action Plan
The BOD also approved the development of a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, which shall deliver specific requirements and goals of US Equestrian staff and programming, as well as provide resources to the equestrian community. The first phase of the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan focuses on education and training, harnessing the power of images, and amplifying traditionally marginalized voices. This includes, but is not limited to, the following items:
A key aspect of the Board’s approval involves the assembly of a diverse team of external thought leaders to help inform and guide US Equestrian’s development and execution of a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. Work will begin immediately to organize this team.
While there is no easy solution, the BOD agreed that it is essential to the Federation’s strategic goals and growth that US Equestrian develops a data-driven Action Plan to celebrate our existing diversity, attract more diverse members, and improve inclusivity of all equestrians. The detailed plan shall be returned to the BOD for review.
Resource Center
US Equestrian is in the process of developing a dedicated Diversity and Inclusion webpage and Resource Center. The Commitment Statement, letter from CEO Bill Moroney regarding racism, and the Racial Justice Resource Guide are currently available on the new Diversity and Inclusion webpage. The forthcoming Action Plan and additional resource guides, including an LGBTQ+ Resource Guide, will also be publically available on this page.
US Equestrian knows that we cannot tackle this important initiative alone. Your voice as a member/fan is extremely important to us. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact Ashley Swift, Affiliate and Communications Specialist, via email at aswift@usef.org.
-- via US Equestrian