Manatee Literacy Council’s
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement

Manatee Literacy Council (“MLC”) is a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community where all employees, volunteers, and learners have the right to feel valued and respected, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, or disability. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach that provides equal opportunity for employment, learning and advancement in everything we do. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and continuously ensure that all voices are valued and heard. We are committed to modeling diversity and inclusion and to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all.

To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, MLC will:

• Ensure that diversity, inclusion, and equity are connected to our mission and to the well-being of our staff and the communities we serve;
• Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions;
• Guarantee diversity, inclusion, and equity within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and continually update and report organization progress;
• Advocate and support board-level thinking about how systemic inequities impact MLC’s work; and
• Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board, staff, advisors, and committees.