An organization in the conformity stage complies with standards, rules and laws and behaves in accordance with socially acceptable conventions of the group or community. Organizations in this phase:

• Intentionally or unintentionally exclude historically underserved and marginalized groups.
• Intentionally or unintentionally enforce institutional racism, including formal policies and practices, teachings and decision-making approaches at all levels.
• Enforce attitudes of white supremacy and overtly diminish other ways of thinking and being.
• Are tolerant of a limited number of token people of color while maintaining the structures of white privilege throughout the organization. Any challenge to this privilege is viewed as discriminatory against the majority. Racial superiority attitudes remain intact.
• Avoid open discussions about race, oppression or marginalized people among staff and organizational leaders.
• Accept the concept of colorblindness as the norm.

An organization in the symbolic stage uses symbolism to represent equity, diversity and inclusion. Organizations in this phase:

• See themselves as committed to inclusion of people of color and affirm pronouncements of equality but are relatively unaware of continuing patterns of white privilege, paternalism and community control.
• Recruit people of color for staff positions and committees but not people who will publicly express their views or make waves.
• Think the primary solution to inequality is through time-bound celebrations of other cultures or including a token ritual into an otherwise white, Eurocentric calendar of events; inject other viewpoints/units of study into an otherwise white-dominant history/curriculum.
• Make official policy pronouncements regarding multicultural diversity but offer little in terms of contextual change in everyday cultural activities or decision-making.
• Experience high attrition rates of staff of color without investigating or understanding the underlying causes.
• Reflect incongruence between intentions and results.

An organization in the affirming stage actively supports and affirms the position of equity, diversity and inclusion. This is the first stage of an identity change for an organization. The intent to change is present, but the results do not match the intent. Organizations in this phase:

• Desire to eliminate discriminatory practices and inherent advantage of one racial group over another.
• Sponsor programs of equity and antiracism training.
• Encourage teams to investigate and challenge the existence and impact of institutional racism.
• Work to expand views of diversity by including socially oppressed groups, but decision-makers and/or decision-making groups in all levels of the organization may still conform to the status quo and the discriminatory practices of the larger community.
• Provide equal access to resources rather than equitable access.
• Discuss and develop plans to be accountable to historically oppressed students and communities, but these actions are not yet fully implemented or inclusive of those voices.
• Are conscious of institutionalized white power and privilege but inconsistently focus on the attributes, voices and assets of people of color and other historically marginalized groups in the workplace.
• Are unwilling to, or unskilled at, substantially altering the way things have always been done.

An organization in the antiracist stage actively incorporates processes against racism. Staff are engaged and supported to seek understanding of how racial ideology is manufactured and how it impacts the lived experiences of people they serve daily. Organizations in this phase:

• View historically marginalized groups as an asset.
• Include the contributions and interests of diverse racial, cultural and economic groups in determining their mission, policies and practices.
• Create conditions for staff, students and community partners to consistently disrupt and negate systemic and structural racism and inequity while actively supporting equity and social justice.
• Have leaders who acknowledge and decenter white privilege and who will ensure resources are allocated equitably so that those who need more will receive more.
• Audit all aspects of school life to represent antiracist commitments.
• Have policies and procedures that are actualized for inclusive decision-making, pedagogy and community partnerships.
• Provide and lead antiracism, equity training for all staff.
• Are structured in a way that holds the group accountable to marginalized groups and confers identifiable power to those groups.
• Acts as an ally to communities who are battling social oppression.
• Have adopted an antiracist identity that is recognized and accepted by the members of the community.
• Foster a sense of community and mutual caring that is seen and felt by all.

An organization in the integrative awareness stage is fully inclusive of all marginalized groups. Institutional structures are in place to make sure all identities are integrated into the decisions for the institution. Integrated awareness exists in all aspects of the institution. Organizations in this phase:

• Experience equity as the expected norm or the new status quo of the community.
• Incorporate equitable practices into every aspect of the institutional structure.
• Sponsor programs that educate staff and other community members about the inequities surrounding multiple marginalized identities (e.g., intersectionality of race and gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc.).
• Employ staff whose demographics match the racial identities of the communities being served.
• Promote an environment where people of color and white people are able to positively identify with their own racial groups while also acknowledging that other aspects of their identity (e.g., gender, talent/abilities, and unique experiences) contribute to their personhood.