Our Mission & Vision
At the RIDC, we’re an educational nonprofit with a mission to unite the running industry to improve inclusion, visibility, and access for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
The RIDC is uniquely positioned to impact all sectors of the running and outdoor industries, from brands to run clubs, race events, and retailers, to ignite unparalleled advancements for the communities we serve.
Our vision is to see and experience the running and outdoor industries committed to racial justice where Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are welcomed, valued, and amplified.
Our Values
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We are united by a passion and commitment to running and the outdoors, recognizing their ability to bring people together and serve as powerful tools for healing and connection.
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We will address, call in, and interrupt systems of oppression, exclusion, and marginalization in the running and outdoor industries.
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We center, listen to, and learn from voices historically excluded from conversations to create space for new leaders and transform how decisions are made in the running and outdoor industries.
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We promote open, honest, and difficult conversations that meet people where they are in their learning journey. We welcome the willing, create multiple points of entry, and provide adaptive support to make progress.
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We can only address what we know, so we encourage information sharing, openness in communication and decision making, and the collection of data to measure progress.
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Progress is made when we acknowledge harms, commit to act when we see injustice, implement ideas for improving equity, and put into practice what we learn from new perspectives.
“At Brooks, we believe in the power of the run to improve people’s lives. Because of the many positive gifts the run delivers, our hope is that one day everyone who wants to run feels welcome to participate and has a safe place to do it. We know the RIDC shares this intense love of running, which makes them such a strong partner to Brooks in helping make the run more inclusive and accessible. Their efforts, including the recent launch of RUN THE BLOCK are making meaningful strides toward advancing DEI in the running industry, which we believe will ultimately foster a more diverse running community. Brooks is proud to support this program and all the great work of the coalition.”
–Dan Sheridan, CEO, Brooks
