In 1984, the founders of VISIONS—three black women who grew up in legalized segregation and a white Jewish man who grew up in the civil rights movement—brought together change agents in the fields of education, law, psychology, public health, business and religion, all of whom were asking the question, “How do we include people who have been historically excluded from white, mostly male institutions?” The challenge was to understand and pioneer ways that everyone could prosper. Following the first wave of affirmative action in the U.S., the common practice had been to add more diversity without paying attention to how to best prepare the workplace, community, or church for success. Organizations failed to recognize the elements that needed to change to ensure that those being brought in would stay and thrive.
Our mission is to empower the creation of environments where differences are recognized, understood, appreciated, and utilized for the benefit of all through both time-tested and innovative training and tools, public advocacy, and consulting models addressing the personal, interpersonal, cultural, and institutional levels.
We have been certified a Minority-controlled Nonprofit by the Massachusetts State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Assistance (SOMWBA).
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What Our Friends Say
“I now truly believe I have the power to change whatever I set my energy into. I am a strong Haitian woman with great capabilities.”
— Gina, Legacy Project participant
“The VISIONS workshop was tremendously beneficial for St. Mark’s. By spending four days together and talking with candor, the senior administrative team’s trust in each other and our orientation deepened. On an individual level, I came away from the retreat with a deeper commitment to exerting explicit leadership around issues of diversity, and have already begun to do so with students and staff. We are currently working our way through a challenging situation…and I think the fact that we spent those days together helped us, as a leadership team, see a greater complexity and also be better able to bear the inevitable pain that comes along with living and working in a diverse school community.”
— John Warren, Head of School St. Marks School
“There has been a greater awareness of how to leverage differences and how those differences add value and impact successful outcomes.”
— From client survey by Pyramid Communications
