The Equity Mindset

Introduction: A Book of Problems, Possibilities, and Practices

Mindsets are powerful. When you hear of a “growth mindset,” thoughts of building upon one's skills and continuous learning are likely to emerge. The listener pushes their mind, and subsequently their actions, to align with a more enhanced version of themselves—all because of a belief. One with a “fixed mindset” is assumed to be inflexible and set in their ways, confident in their knowledge of the world and their abilities, and thus not easily persuaded about emerging theories, skill sets, or ideas—especially if what they already know produces a desirable outcome.

An equity mindset has slightly different characteristics from a growth or fixed mindset. For one thing, equity doesn't start with thinking “What can I improve today?” An equity mindset begins with questioning one's environment: “How did this all start, how did we get here, and what does that mean for me and my space?” Another difference is that while an equity mindset calls for personal journeying, reflection, and awareness, it is not a “self‐help” approach. It is intended to support creative solutions‐making to address inequities stemming from the consequences of a white‐dominant culture. Learning under an equity mindset is not selfish; it's a choice to see one's actions as interconnected, interdependent, and on a continuum with other people and the spaces we exist in. It welcomes those who desire to be accomplices with those who are most proximate to ...