The Equity Lab (formerly the Fellowship for Race and Equity in Education) is a left-wing advisory firm that advises individuals and institutions to address the concepts of race, equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI) to create a critical race theory-inspired society filled with an “equitable, anti-racist citizenry.”
Founded in 2014 to facilitate discussions about the effects of the critical race theory-inspired concept of systemic racism in our schools,” [1] [2] [3] the Equity Lab also works to disrupt the institutions, structures, and systems that it believes perpetuate racism and oppression. [4] [5] The group also works to create a “mindset shift” in the United States to reinvent society and advocates for “radical change” following the COVID-19 pandemic. [6]
The Equity Lab has claimed that American culture is rooted in white supremacy, referred to integration in the United States as a flawed idea based on “forced assimilation,” and suggested that the Black Panther Party-inspired concept of rainbow coalitions would be preferable for American society. [7]
In 2020, the Equity Lab received $1,345,000 of grants from the left-of-center Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the grantmaking brand of Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. [8]
History and Leadership
The Equity Lab was founded in 2014 as the Fellowship for Race and Equity in Education (FREE) to facilitate discussions about the effects of the critical race theory-inspired concept of systemic racism in schools. [9] [10] [11]
Michelle Molitor is the founder and executive director of the Equity Lab and the Fellowship for Race and Equity in Education. [12] [13] Molitor supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement, shared links to Black Lives Mater DC Legal Support Fund fundraisers on Twitter, [14] and was a participant in a summer workshop convened by the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Education and Society Program in July 2016. [15]
Molitor has said the Equity Lab’s mission is to commit to a critical race theory-inspired vision of an “equitable, anti-racist society” [16] and said the “most dangerous conversation about race is the one we don’t have.” [17] Molitor received an award from the McNulty Foundation’s Catalyst Fund to lead “anti-racist actions” at the Equity Lab. [18]
Activities and Funding
The Equity Lab is a left-wing advisory firm that supports individuals and institutions addressing the critical race theory-influenced concepts of race, equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI) to create society filled with an “equitable, anti-racist citizenry.” The Equity Lab works to disrupt the institutions, structures, and systems that it believes perpetuate racism and oppression [19] [20] to create an “equitable, antiracist society.” [21] [22] The Lab also works to create a “mindset shift” which would reinvent society and advocate for “radical change” following the COVID-19 pandemic. [23]
The Equity Lab works with private institutions such as the left-of-center Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies to guide its employees’ three-phase “equity journey.” [24]
The Equity Lab has said American culture is rooted in white supremacy, referred to integration in the United States as a flawed idea and “forced assimilation,” and suggested that the Black Panther Party-inspired concept of rainbow coalitions would be preferable American society. [25]
Fellowships
The Equity Lab operates fellowship programs with an “equity lens” to influence a “structural transformation” in the United States. [26] The year-long Nexus Fellows program has a $25,000 program fee [27] and is designed in response to what the Lab says is the “overwhelming need for race, equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI) in the learning profession.” [28] [29] [30]
The Seeding Disruption Fellowship accepts youth-facing professionals in Washington, D.C., and attempts to solve problems with “equity-driven design thinking” to catalyze the “movement toward racial equity.” This fellowship “intentionally disrupts patterns of inequity” to dismantle existing systems, was co-created by Molitor, and is funded by the left-of-center Education Forward DC. [31] [32]
Funding
The Equity Lab receives funds from program service fees, grants, and individual donors. [33] In 2021, the group received a $25,000 grant from the Meyer Foundation in 2021. [34]
In 2020, the Equity Lab reported revenue of $2,731,069 and expenses of $1,644,362. [35] This included $1,345,000 of grants from the left-of-center Chan Zuckerberg Initiative [36] and $25,000 from the Meyer Foundation. [37]
In 2019, the group reported revenue of $1,507,042 and expenses of $952,383. [38] That same year, the group received $140,000 from the left-of-center Education Forward DC [39] and $25,000 from the Meyer Foundation. [40] [41]
The Equity Lab received $205,000 from New Schools Venture Fund [42] and $65,000 from Education Forward DC in 2018 [43] and $350,000 from the left-of-center Silicon Valley Community Foundation; [44] $10,000 from 4Point0 Schools; [45] $80,000 from Education Forward DC; [46] and a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to support the Nexus Fellowship program in 2017. [47]