Building a New Table

Dr. Brittany Lewis, founder and CEO of Research in Action, a social benefit corporation, has spent more than fifteen years working in partnership with Twin Cities communities. She served as senior research associate at the University of Minnesota's Center for Urban and Regional Affairs and is featured in the Upper Midwest Emmy Award–winning documentary Jim Crow of the North and the radio documentary A Fiery Unrest: Why Plymouth Avenue Burned. She was a Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank Scholar-in-Residence, recipient of a 2020 Bush Foundation Fellowship, and winner of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department 2020 History Makers at Home Award. Named one of the top 100 Leading Black Women in 2020 by the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce, she was selected to deliver a TEDx Minneapolis talk, "The Illusion of Choice."

"Dr. Brittany Lewis provides us with a different and much-needed approach centered on a blend of community-based research, systems change, and community-building results. In this model, communities are viewed as qualified authorities on practice-based research and engaged in the science of designing and implementing solutions, and institutions are engaged in transformational learning and practice. Building a New Table is our pathway forward." - Ilhan Omar, US House of Representatives (D-MN)"Dr. Brittany Lewis's new book, Building a New Table, puts everyday people in the driver's seat to enact social change. Her Equity in Action model centers marginalized groups as experts of their own experiences, and this book cements Dr. Lewis as a leading voice on democratizing social change work in marginalized communities. Her uncommon insights and commitment to justice make Building a New Table an inspiring read that should be mandatory for anyone participating in this complex yet critical work." - Repa Mekha, president and CEO, Nexus Community Partners"Building a New Table is a groundbreaking manifesto. The Equity in Action model offers a fresh perspective on tackling social inequality, emphasizing community engagement and actionable solutions. This book is a crucial resource for those who want to shape a more inclusive and equitable future." - Trista Harris, president of FutureGood"This book is an essential contribution to the practice of - and thinking about - community-based research. Dr. Brittany Lewis possesses a rare combination of principled idealism and practical business skills." - Brian Rosenberg, president emeritus, Macalester College and senior advisor, African Leadership University"Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity benefited significantly from our work with Dr. Brittany Lewis. Her insights into how to show up in communities of color, as well as how to allow research and data to guide nonprofit, foundation, and government processes, make her an exceptional expert in this work." - Chris Coleman, president and CEO, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and former Mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota"Building a New Table provides a compelling approach to accelerate the long-term disruption of social inequality. Dr. Brittany Lewis offers a practical, human-centered research methodology to build trusted relationships that are needed to inform solutions to intractable problems. Centering community voices and building a new table combine to create a powerful strategy that is rooted in the value of lived experiences, deep listening, and the reciprocity inherent in healthy relationships. The book is a must-read for nonprofit, government, and philanthropic leaders who want a new model for research and effecting positive change." - Gloria Perez, president and CEO, Women's Foundation of Minnesota"Just because government often does not know how to share power with the communities most impacted doesn't mean we can't. Dr. Brittany Lewis knows that we can learn how, and she has experience as a trusted guide." - Jennifer Ho, commissioner, Minnesota Housing"Dr. Brittany Lewis has created an open-source methodology for equitable, community-engaged processes. She has put her values at the center and democratized her learnings into a thought-provoking, step-by-step guide on building a new table. She emphasizes the reparative work necessary for community engagement and how to choose values-aligned partners. This book will serve the ecosystem of freedom fighters advancing ambitious solutions." - Adair Mosley, president and CEO, Pillsbury United Communities"When you include people impacted by social and racial injustice in decision making, it leads to better decisions, which leads to better results. Dr. Brittany Lewis's Equity in Action framework addresses this say/do gap by providing nonprofit, government, and philanthropic leaders with a proven and tangible approach to sharing power and more authentically engaging communities impacted by racial injustice in decision-making." - Susan Bass-Roberts, vice president, Pohlad Family Foundation"The Equity in Action (EIA) model is unique in acknowledging the ever-widening gap between researchers and the marginalized communities they study and propose to serve. Traditionally, marginalized communities are acted upon rather than being partnered with or leading the direction of research. EIA puts the focus back on the community by placing the means of research and policy recommendation—goals, methodology, data collection, and data synthesis, but also aligning values; dismantling white supremacist norms; and prioritizing harm reduction, healing, and transparency - in the hands of the people most affected by the conclusions of that research. Initiatives in somatic abolition, social work, diversity and inclusion, and related fields can be transformed by the lens of the EIA model."—Resmaa Menakem, New York Times best-selling author of My Grandmother's Hands"In my work as Minnesota Attorney General, we are constantly searching for new ways to do community-engaged research and policy work. We depend on effective engagement with community. The Equity in Action model contains tremendous insight that will aid the Attorney General's Office as an organization." - Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General and former member of Congress