Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
1791 Delegates is certified as an LGBT+ Business Enterprise® by the National LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce. Two-thirds of the staff identify as racial, sexual, or religious minorities. Meet our team at www.1791delegates.org
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
As a charity that serves the public good, 1791 Delegates recognizes that non-discrimination practices are not enough to dismantle systemic oppression. 1791 Delegates is committed to curating anti-discrimination culture in our organization, partnerships, and products. 1791 Delegates does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, caste, religion, belief, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, parental status, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, union membership, veteran status, or any other legally protected identity. 1791 Delegates does not engage in the aforementioned discriminatory practices in admissions, hiring employees, recruiting volunteers, or serving the public.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
1791 Delegates produces inclusive materials by and for diverse stakeholders, ensuring that the education content at EducationLaw.org and ReligionAndPublicLife.org is anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and honors diverse cultures. As First Amendment educators, we build culturally responsive experiences and our programs model methods for promoting cross-cultural and multicultural understanding in both content and form. Contributors bring their unique standpoint to 1791 Delegates’ educational initiatives. They do not speak for others who hold similar or overlapping identities. By inviting diverse ideas and people from different backgrounds, we train learners to see human diversity as both a strength and a strategy for co-creating a shared community. Our print and digital publications are accessible to people with various learning styles, shareable, and aesthetically compelling. We use plain language to make legal and academic concepts intelligible and culturally relevant. Our tone is respectful, honoring the intelligence and dignity of our diverse audiences.
CIVIC EDUCATION FOR THE COMMON GOOD
Our First Amendment educators reach a variety of public and private settings, including public schools and government agencies. In this context, our education researchers and curriculum writers apply the following consensus statement to teach about law and religion in public schools: “Our approach to teaching about religion is academic, not devotional; we strive for student awareness of religions, but do not press for student acceptance of any religion or nonreligion; we sponsor the study about religion, not the practice of religion; we expose students to a diversity of religious and non-religious views, but may not impose any particular view; we educate about all religions, we do not promote or denigrate any religion; we inform students about religious beliefs and practices but do not conform students to any particular belief or practice.”
NONPARTISAN CIVIC EDUCATION
1791 Delegates does not directly or indirectly participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Our civic education programs do, however, educate the public about the intersection of law, education, and religion and contextualize and critique political initiatives and legal developments. 1791 Delegates vigorously counters misinformation and disinformation in political discourse by using academic and evidenced-based research to cultivate an informed and engaged citizenry.
LEARNING STYLES
Dr. Nathan C. Walker, president of 1791 Delegates, has three learning disabilities, which he views as a core part of his identity as an anti-oppression educator. Drawing upon his direct experiences, 1791 Delegates take seriously the importance of using various learning strategies and technological tools to guarantee learners’ success. We make explicit these pedagogical strategies so that we do not simply talk about the subject matter, but we talk about how to teach and learn effectively. The fact that Dr. Walker learns differently than most people led him to spend a lifetime studying how people learn, which informs our education initiatives. Together, we advocate for organizational systems that reward all learning styles.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
1791 Delegates hosts education initiatives on social learning communities at ReligionAndPublicLife.org, EducationLaw.org, and AbolitionistSanctuary.org. Managing social networks is complex. 1791 Delegates addresses social injustices by matching technological advancements with, as Huston Smith says, “comparable advances in human relations.” Humans are social creatures. What we learn is just as important as how we learn together, which is why our motto is “Come for the Classes. Stay for the Community.” 1791 Delegates place the highest priority on building community. Our active engagement with one another does not imply uniformity of ideas or permit invidious exclusivity. We encourage a rich exchange of ideas from a variety of standpoints. However, 1791 Delegates—as owners and moderators of these private social networks—will remove any communication and suspend or expel users who violate our community policies. 1791 Delegates recognize that people make mistakes when violating our community policies. As civic educators, we believe some conflicts can become teaching opportunities. In this spirit, 1791 Delegates will allow all suspended or expelled users to appeal the decision and apply to the restorative justice program. If admitted, 1791 Delegates will provide educational counseling and programmatic support to help the user acknowledge the impact of the harm caused, express sincere remorse, and take meaningful steps toward resorting oneself back to the community.
COMMUNITY AND COMMUNICATION
Humans are social creatures. What we learn is just as important as how we learn together, which is why our motto is “Come for the Classes. Stay for the Community.” 1791 Delegates place the highest priority on building community. Our active engagement with one another does not imply uniformity of ideas or permit invidious exclusivity. We encourage a rich exchange of ideas from a variety of standpoints. However, 1791 Delegates—as owners and moderators of these private social networks—will remove any communication and suspend or expel users for aggressive language or behavior, produced civic interference, discriminatory, exploitative, harassing, causing harm, illegal, inappropriate, violating intellectual property, impersonating another, spreading misinformation, using offensive, abusive or derogatory content, violating another’s privacy, spreading spam or suspicious malware, as well as spreading violence, cruelty, or sexual activity. As First Amendment educators, we bring our expertise in Free Speech law to these complex responsibilities and take seriously the commitment to promote human expression while maintaining a safe learning community.