New Center for Justice and Equity targets systemic racism in New Hampshire

Anthony Poore

A newly formed nonprofit, the NH Center for Justice and Equity, will be focusing on advancing issues of racial, economic justice and health equity in New Hampshire, its organizers say.

The center, they say, will also seek to foster a greater dialogue among Granite Staters, including those in leadership positions, to find actionable solutions to systemic racism that will better reflect New Hampshire’s realities and values.

Anthony Poore, a former executive director of New Hampshire Humanities, is president and CEO of the new organization, said, “We envision a New Hampshire that offers fair opportunities for all Granite Staters, regardless of your age, gender, who you love, where you grew up, or the language of origin you speak.”

The NHG Center for Justice & Equity will focus on New Hampshire’s communities of color and similarly marginalized communities. Poore said the center will act as a convener across various stakeholders and sectors, building relationships and power and will engage and encourage more people to take part in fostering human and capital resource sharing, particularly when similar efforts are often siloed, duplicative and under-resourced.

He said the center will also encourage communication, coordination and collaboration across issues and opportunities, as well as operational support to current projects in areas that include law enforcement/criminal justice, civic engagement, government, education, health and economic development.

“We will provide backbone support to those projects that are already underway, with the understanding, these efforts must be aligned and focused on structural reforms, collaboration across sectors, and an understanding that social change requires a deep understanding of complex systems, power-sharing, trust and communication,” Poore said.

Poore eventually wants to see the Center become a community development financial institution (CDFI), moving real capital into communities in what he said would be uniquely beneficial and democratic ways.

“For me, this is a culmination of my work over 30 years coming to bear at one singular point. I recognize the responsibility that lies ahead, but it’s also what I’ve been working for all my career. I understand how systems work and I want to use all these resources in support of the center’s mission.”