Shawn McClondon is the founder of Sister Cities Project, a nonprofit he founded in the wake of the killing of George Floyd last year, and the demonstrations and protests against police brutality and systemic racism that followed. Sister Cities Project seeks to address institutional racism with partnerships between affluent communities and more underserved communities, encouraging relationship building, in addition to resources and support for the communities in need.
“As I was listening to the national conversation about how to address the racial inequality in America, I noticed that most conversations centered around policy changes to address systemic racism and ending racism in general,” he says. “Although both things are very important, drawing on my experience with living in both predominantly Black areas and White (areas), it dawned on me that there was something else that was equally important: Black and White people just don’t have a great relationship. It is that sim