Equity Resources

As a land-grant institution, the UC Master Gardener Program remains dedicated to serving all Californians through equity, inclusion and belonging — a commitment that has not changed. From volunteer recruitment to training and outreach, we continue strengthening our cultural competency and meeting our obligations to USDA/NIFA. The University of California, Cooperative Extension, and Land Grant University System resources listed below have been reviewed by UC Master Gardener Program staff and are accessible to UC Master Gardener Program volunteers.

Training

Implicit Bias

• UCLA Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion — Implicit Bias YouTube series
  • Videos privated in November 2025; pursuing alternative access methods.
• UC Managing Implicit Bias Series
  The UC Managing Implicit Bias Series is accessible to UC employees via their division-specific online UC Learning Center. Most UC ANR personnel have UC Davis UC Learning Center access. Please contact UC ANR Learning and Development if you need support. This series is available to volunteers (without certification) through UCOP. More information is available in this 2020 UC Master Gardener Program blog post.
• UC ANR Avoiding Implicit Bias in Recruitment: 101
  This 24-slide deck was created in 2019 by then-Assistant Vice Provost Mark Bell for use in academic recruitments. The deck outlines basic considerations for reducing bias among search or selection committee members. The deck is publicly available with no log-in required. An autoplay option is available.
• UC Search Advisory and Hiring Committee Best Practices
  This 23-slide deck was created to support search committee chairs and members across the UC system. This course focuses in part on federal and state laws impacting hiring — which are not applicable to the volunteer context. However, some content including search chair and committee member responsibilities, diverse committee formation, quality interview question development, and other topics do prove relevant. The deck is publicly available with no log-in required. An autoplay option is available.

Civil Rights and Cultural Awareness

• Increasing Cultural Awareness and Equity in Extension Programs
  This self-led course is accessible via the eXtension Campus platform. Enrolling in this course requires entry of an enrollment key. Enter "California" when prompted.
  • Course unlisted in April 2025; pursuing alternative access methods.
• Civil Rights Training Modules
  This four-part playlist from the University of Wisconsin Extension covers the protections provided by and the applications of civil rights laws in Extension.

Presentations

UC Davis, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Sylvia Hurtado — "Campus Climate, Inclusive Science, and Institutional Change" — This lecture was part of The UC Davis Forums on the Public University and the Social Good, delivered on Oct. 26, 2017. Dr. Hurtado discusses recent developments in campus climate and a new model of inclusive science that integrates diversity in undergraduate education and faculty development.

UC Berkeley, Othering and Belonging Institute

• The Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley brings together researchers, organizers, stakeholders, communicators, and policymakers to identify and eliminate the barriers to an inclusive, just, and sustainable society in order to create transformative change.

  Highlights:

  • Ibram X. Kendi — "How to Be an Anti-Racist"
  • Rise Up for Justice: Black Lives and Our Collective Future
  • Nancy Krieger — "Structural Racism, Social Justice, and COVID-19"

Michigan State University

• The Center for Regional Food Systems at Michigan State University hosts webinars and presentations on the topic of racial equity in the food system.

  Highlights:

  • Measuring Racial Equity in the Food System: Established and Suggested Metrics
  • Land-Grant Institutions and Food Systems: Acknowledging Historical Disparities and Exploring Present-day Equity Initiatives
  • The Center's Racial Equity Statement is helpful in framing the need to address racial equity in the food system, particularly for dominant culture audiences.

Readings

• "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Professional Development Offering of the Extension Foundation Impact Collaborative" (PDF) by Lindsey Lunsford.
  • This publication is a great starting point to gain access to information, experts, training and resources that can help you develop or conceptualize your program.
• "Food — Systems — Racism: From Mistreatment to Transformation" by Eric Giménez and Breeze Harper — Food First's Dismantling Racism in the Food System Series (PDF)
  • This succinct history of racial inequity in the U.S. food system is available for download.
• "The Color of Food" (PDF) by Yvonne Yen Liu and Dominique Apollon
  • This white paper from the Applied Research Center compiles data related to racial inequity in the whole of the food system (from production to distribution) and offers equity-related "good food movement" critiques that are essential to thinking about a more sustainable agriculture.
• "Levels of Racism: A Theoretical Framework and a Gardener's Tale" (PDF) by Camara Phyllis Jones
  • This accessible academic paper uses the metaphor of a garden to explain three levels of racism: institutionalized, personally-mediated, and internalized.
• "Land-grab Universities: Expropriated Indigenous Land is the Foundation of the Land-Grant University System" by Robert Lee and Tristan Ahtone
  • This article is a must-read for anyone working in Cooperative Extension in the United States.
• White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
  • Check out DiAngelo's free reading guide for additional context and discussion questions.

Curriculum

21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge — Food Solutions New England — The #FSNEEquityChallenge features 21 daily prompts plus a set of resources to explore. While the challenge typically takes place each April (hosted by a variety of organizations), the blog posts, resources, and guiding questions are available year-round to subscribers.

Vocabulary

UC System

• UC Davis Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Glossary
• UC Berkeley Business School Haas Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership — Advancing Language for Equity and Inclusion

Non-Profit Organizations

Racial Equity Tools Glossary — This glossary is extremely thorough and well-curated. Don't miss the "About" section which describes the evolving nature of and therefore evolving language related to equity work and research.

Additional Resources

• For additional UC ANR staff resources focused on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, visit UC ANR Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.