In June, the Minneapolis Sailing Center joined voices across our community to demand Justice for George Floyd and state unequivocally that Black Lives Matter. We committed to improving access for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) in our programming and to achieving our mission to foster an inclusive, sustainable community and to teach sailing to all. As the year draws to a close, we’d like to share our progress in these efforts and announce our plans moving forward as we launch our Equity and Inclusion Initiative. We are seeking your involvement and feedback as we begin this work together.

Since its founding in 1989, MSC has aspired to make sailing accessible to all. To reduce access barriers, we provide need-based scholarships to sailors and offer sliding-scale programming for community organizations to introduce BIPOC youth and adults to sailing.

The Equity and Inclusion Initiative focuses and expands these efforts, with a goal of more proportionally reflecting the diverse demographics of our community in our students, membership, staff, and board. To encourage sailing for diverse communities across the Twin Cities, we’ve developed a comprehensive approach. In 2021, we plan to offer:

Member Outreach - Members introduce friends, colleagues, and community members to sailing. George Floyd sailed an Ensign with an MSC member in 2019.
First Sail - Low-cost first opportunities for walk-up and advance registration sailing accompanied by an instructor.
Free Sailing Sundays - 30 minute sails offered by MSC staff for all folks who gather and recreate at Bde Maka Ska.
Community Partnership Events - Day and evening events in partnership with community organizations specifically aimed at marginalized groups.
Individual and Group Scholarships - Increase visibility and access to scholarships for individuals and groups from non-traditional sailing communities.

This spring, we will be providing training to ensure MSC embraces individuals from all backgrounds. We are also working to diversify our board and staff. These efforts will ensure that students from across the Twin Cities can see themselves in their instructors and are welcomed into our community.

The implementation and success of the Equity and Inclusion Initiative depends on the support of volunteers. We look forward to your feedback and participation in this initiative. Thank you.