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The Greenlining Institute

1918 University Avenue
2nd Floor
Berkeley, CA  94704

T: 510.926.4001
F: 510.926.4010

info@greenlining.org

The Greenlining Coalition

What is the Greenlining Coalition?

Greenlining Coalition Member Toulu Thao Educates Greenspan About the Hmong Community

The Greenlining Coalition.  Greenlining remains connected to the grassroots via the Greenlining Coalition, a diverse group of community based organizations that have banded together around a common vision of social justice.  Instead of competing against each other for "crumbs", members work across race and ethnic lines to increase the "size of the pie" for all communities.

The Greenlining Coalition is perhaps the oldest and most diverse coalition of Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and Latino community leaders organized around a common purpose and struggle.  Beyond ethnic diversity, the coalition represents diverse constituents that include faith-based organizations, minority business associations, community development corporations, health advocates, traditional civil rights organizations, and minority media outlets.

The Greenlining Institute grew out of awareness in the disabled and minority communities that an organization with the capacity to speak out, in a timely and unified manner, on a broad range of issues affecting underserved communities was needed.  While there were numerous groups working in communities on a variety of issues, they frequently lacked the resources to do long range planning and research, to coordinate with other organizations, and to disseminate information to a wide network of groups.

A series of discussions among diverse community leaders led to the formation of the Greenlining Coalition in the mid 1970's.  This alliance of over a dozen minority business, civil rights, and community groups knew they could achieve more progress working together than independently.   Committed to eliminating redlining, the Greenlining Coalition encouraged banks, insurance companies and utilities to invest in minority communities and extend employment and business opportunities to people of color.  Over the years, the Greenlining Coalition grew in membership, effectiveness, and reputation.   Working together, the coalition was responsible for:

·        The establishment of the nation's first industry financed, multi-million dollar telecommunications education fund, created to educate low income communities on the use of telecommunications technology;

·        The advent of multi-language marketing in the telecommunications industry;

·        The nation's most comprehensive diversity programs at the California Public Utilities Commission; and

·        Establishment of national models for expanded Community Reinvestment Act agreements that included board diversity, minority business contracting, community advisory boards, and philanthropy to the underserved;

Having been supported by Public Advocates, Inc., the Coalition started its own independent, non-profit corporation in November of 1993 - The Greenlining Institute.  The Greenlining Institute added a professional research and implementation capacity to its work and gave it a stronger, more proactive dimension.

The principles of the Greenlining Coalition are simple and clear - our communities are mutually dependent - if we stand together, learn together, and educate each other, we will prosper together.


Coalition Members

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