AISP Toolkit Feb25 2025 - Flipbook - Page 3
Author’s Note
We, the authors of the toolkit, have been working on this updated
version for nearly two years. In that time, we have poured over each
sentence and considered every word carefully. This work is a labor
of love for everyone involved. It was created in the spirit of bettering
ourselves, bettering the work we do, and bettering the lives of all
people, but especially those harmed by systemic injustice. In 2020,
when the original toolkit was released, it seemed that collective
consciousness across the United States was shifting in this direction,
that we were meeting the culture at a critical in昀氀ection point and
pushing forward together. Now, in February 2025, releasing this work
feels defensive. We are pushing against seemingly enormous odds,
trying to mitigate a barrage of harms.
At AISP, we sit in a position of relative privilege, housed at a university
and funded primarily philanthropically. Given this position, we have
chosen not to change the language in this toolkit. We 昀椀rmly believe
that diversity, equity, and inclusion are important. We believe that
disparate impacts based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
gender, and disability exist and can be either replicated or mitigated
by data use. We believe in the humanity of every person represented
by a data point.
We have removed the names of several contributors and anonymized
some Work in Action examples to protect those who might be put
at risk by being associated with this work. We are so grateful for
their contributions and are strengthened by the knowledge that they
continue to embody equity despite a prohibition on the word.
We have decided that these chaotic 昀椀rst six weeks of the new
administration will not override two years of hard work. Speaking
plainly and speaking truthfully are radical acts. We choose to use
these words for all of those who cannot. Thank you for accompanying
us on this journey.
In solidarity and hope,
Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy
