In 2016, community leaders and organizations came together to address the real fear of racialized violence throughout southwest Washington and in Clark County.

What transpired was an opportunity to collectively organize to address overt racism expressed in U.S. national rhetoric and policy, and how it manifests in southwest Washington at the local level. 

Through training and planning over the next couple of years, the Southwest WA Equity Coalition (SWEC) was formed and an initial Charter developed. Leaders of SWEC represented a cross-sector group of organizations and community leaders seeking to advance racial equity through policy advocacy, institutional change, and creating an inclusive culture in southwest Washington.

SWEC is as much a movement as it is an organization; one committed to collective transformation through promoting equity and inclusion in meaningful and collaborative relationships built on trust.