Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Racial Justice
Our commitment to anti-racism
Girl Scouts of the USA is working to become an anti-racist organization.
Our anti-racism pledge reflects who we are: an organization that is rooted in values set forth in our Girl Scout Law, including honesty, fairness, caring, courage, and respect for self and others. All of these are hallmarks of Girl Scouts’ broader commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and racial justice.
Girl Scouts stands against racism and pledges to work for a just society for all
At Girl Scouts of the USA, we build girls of courage, confidence,
and character who make the world a better place. In this moment of
suffering in our nation, Girl Scouts commits to taking action to
support Black girls, their families, and their communities. We want to
reiterate to all girls, volunteers, alums, supporters, families, and
staff that we do not tolerate racial injustice and we know that Black
Lives Matter.
We commit to doing all we can, using our
collective power, to help create the change in our communities that is
long overdue. We will do our part to dismantle systemic racism. We
recognize that this is far from easy or fast work, but we are Girl
Scouts—we believe in sisterhood, justice, and fairness—so we are in it
for the long haul. We take action when we see a need and we live by
our Girl
Scout Law, which demands we seek racial equity for everyone.
We teach girls to lead by example, and to that
end, we are committed to doing the difficult work to become an
anti-racist organization. We are making an initial financial
investment to partner with experts in the areas of race, inclusion,
and equity, with a focus on girls and women. This will support the
following actions we will take at all levels of our national
organization:
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Leadership. Girl Scouts of the USA is convening a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Racial Justice Steering Committee to help create an organization that works for all girls. This means ensuring that Black, Indigenous, Latina, and all girls of color feel supported, welcomed, and treated with dignity and respect. The steering committee is made up of national board members, national staff, and Girl Scout council CEOs who are helping guide and prioritize this work.
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Staff. This change starts from within, so Girl Scouts commits to strengthening hiring practices that help us reflect the communities we serve. We will also support and train all Girl Scout staff in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and pursue in earnest the ongoing work of recognizing and challenging our own biases and internalized racism.
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Volunteers. The strength of our organization rests among our more than 700,000 dedicated volunteers. We will provide additional resources, training, and support to ensure these champions of girls are equipped to serve all girls equitably.
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Most importantly, Girls. All girls’ voices must be heard. We will provide all girls a place where they feel heard, and where they have the resources and support they need to raise their voices and change their corner of the world.
We are asking for all Girl Scouts—girls, volunteers, alums, supporters, families, staff, and our suppliers and service providers—to commit to taking action to make the world a more equitable place.
Note: We published a version of the above—our “anti-racism pledge”—on our site on June 17, 2020, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.
