Lisa Catanzarite, Ph.D.

VP, Research & Evaluation
UNITE-LA

Dr. Lisa Catanzarite has worked closely with her colleagues to focus on anti-racism (A/R) and race equity at UNITE-LA over six years. The initiative started with several efforts including staff Implicit Bias training; improved recruitment of Black program participants; and (uneven) attention to A/R in some of the external work. However, A/R wasn’t an organizational priority until after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, when she approached the organization’s CEO about a formal effort to fully integrate and deepen A/R in internal operations and external work, with a central focus on dismantling anti-Blackness. She helped draft a preliminary work plan, which proposed several new efforts, including a staff Anti-Racism Planning Group to drive the work, staff professional development and A/R strategic planning. As a sociologist and former professor, Dr. Catanzarite’s teaching and published research centered on social stratification, particularly labor market inequalities by race/ethnicity and gender.