YWCA St. Paul Reaffirms Mission Amid Growing Pushback on Equity
As national efforts to undermine DEI gain momentum, YWCA St. Paul is doubling down on its century-long mission to eliminate racism and empower women. Grounded in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the organization is prioritizing housing, economic stability, and health equity — while urging urgent support for Black-led nonprofits amid shrinking funding and political hostility.
For more than a century, YWCA St. Paul has stood at the intersection of justice and community. We have been a steady, unapologetic force working to eliminate racism and empower women — a mission that has never been easy, never been universally embraced, and never been more urgent.
Today, we find ourselves in a sobering moment. The political landscape is shifting. National policies are retreating from longstanding commitments to equality. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts — once heralded as essential for a just and thriving society — are being targeted, defunded and maligned.
Across the country, nonprofits like ours are being forced to ask hard questions about how we move forward in a climate that has grown increasingly hostile to the very values that guide our work. Let me be clear: we are not retreating.
At YWCA St. Paul, we are reprioritizing, not because our mission has changed, but because the world around us has. In the face of escalating challenges, we are choosing to align our work with the most foundational framework for human flourishing: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
If we want individuals and families to thrive, advocate and lead, they must first have their basic needs met. That means food. It means shelter. It means safety, stability, and reliable access to quality care.
That’s why we are doubling down on the areas where we continue to see the deepest and most persistent racial disparities: affordable housing, economic stability, and health and wellness.
According to the Minnesota Housing Partnership, more than one in two Black renters in the Twin Cities spends over 30% of their income on housing, placing them in the “cost-burdened” category. Meanwhile, the homeownership rate for Black Minnesotans remains just 23% compared to 77% for white residents, one of the widest racial gaps in the country.
On the economic front, Black women in Minnesota are paid just 63 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men. That gap is even wider for Indigenous and Latina women. Even more troubling, 60% of Black families in Ramsey County live on an income of less than $35,000 per year, far below what it takes to afford basic necessities.
Then there’s health. Black Minnesotans face some of the state’s highest rates of chronic illness, including diabetes, hypertension, and maternal mortality. These disparities are not new, but they will be deepened by recent shifts in federal policy.
The rollback of Medicaid coverage post-pandemic and the erosion of protections under Title X are expected to disproportionately harm communities of color. Analysts at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warn that millions are at risk of losing access to care, especially in states like ours where safety nets are already strained.
YWCA St. Paul cannot fill every gap. But we are building bridges where we can.
We’ve made the difficult decision to scale back certain programs and initiatives. We’ve trimmed expenses from already lean budgets and restructured internal operations to ensure every dollar goes where it is needed most. These choices have not been easy, but they are necessary if we are to remain solvent and impactful in a climate where both philanthropic and government support is increasingly uncertain.
At the same time, we’re expanding our commitment to the people we serve. Our housing programs continue to provide safe, affordable shelter and support to families on the brink of homelessness.
Our economic advancement initiatives are connecting BIPOC individuals with training, mentorship, and job placement support that leads to thriving-wage employment. Our health and wellness programming — including our reimagined Health & Fitness Center — is helping community members reclaim their physical and mental wellbeing in the wake of generational trauma and systemic neglect.
Let’s be honest: most nonprofits are struggling right now. But Black-led organizations like ours are being hit especially hard. Traditional fundraising pathways are closing off. Government dollars are disappearing. And the organizations that have always done the most with the least are being asked to do even more — with even less.
That’s why Black philanthropy has never been more essential. YWCA St. Paul needs your support. But so do many other Black-led organizations in the Twin Cities — each doing powerful work to serve a community that continues to be deprioritized.
If you believe in this work, any part of it, give what you can to whichever organization resonates with you. The truth is, we all need support. And we all intend to stick around — but it won’t be possible without your consistent support and collective action.
We know moments like this can breed fear and despair. The temptation to scale back the vision, to play it safe, to shrink ourselves in the face of resistance is real. But we also know our history. We know that justice has always required audacity.
Our ancestors didn’t fight to maintain the status quo, they fought to transform it. So while some may attempt to delegitimize this work and reframe justice as unjust, we will not be moved.
YWCA St. Paul will continue to serve with honor, grace and resolve. We will advocate fiercely. We will tell the truth, especially when it’s uncomfortable. And we will keep showing up and showing out.
Because this is who we are.
Ashley Booker is the CEO of YWCA St. Paul. For more information, visit www.ywcastpaul.org.