Our Story
A Bold Beginning in 2020
The Suncoast Antiracism Initiative (SARI) began in 2021 with a simple but challenging question: What would it look like to build an interracial antiracism initiative on the Suncoast? What started through conversations at Church of the Palms and with Light of the World Sarasota grew into a broader community effort grounded in collaboration, awareness, and action.
From that beginning, SARI has brought residents together through workshop, supported local antiracism and racial justice efforts, and worked alongside like-minded organizations across Sarasota and Manatee counties. As the work has evolved, SARI has clarified its mission, vision, and guiding values while continuing to deepen relationships and encourage shared commitment.
Now, SARI is in a due diligence phase exploring a new initiative called Common Thread, a Suncoast platform for connecting stories, insights, and creative content that foster antiracism, belonging, and deeper community understanding.
Our Approach
Fostering an interracial conversation that leads to outcome-oriented action and adapting to changing circumstances is a formidable task. The CORE Team is using an approach called Strategic Doing which is specifically designed to achieve this kind of collaborative action, even and especially for very challenging problems like racism.
For more information about our approach contact connect@sarisrq.org
Leadership
Melvin, Jackie, Angie, James, Steve, Marlene, Mike, Harold, Mark
Melvin Christian *
Visitation Pastor at Church of the Palms in Sarasota. Served in pastoral and ministerial capacities in other churches in Sarasota and Arlington, VA. Also served as Director of Operations for appellate division of the Social Security Administration.
Jacquelyn Dix, M.D.
A native of Delaware and graduate of Morgan State University. Dr. Dix received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Rutgers Medical School in Newark, NJ, where she served as Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a Fellow in the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Dix is an artist trained at Visual Art Center of New Jersey by Vicki Starger. Several art shows have featured Dr. Dix’s work.
Mark Huey *
Private strategy and collaboration consultant with C-level leadership roles in the private, public and non-profit sectors focused on economic development, affordable housing, and commercial real estate development. Wharton MBA.
Steve McConnell *
Senior Pastor at Church of the Palms in Sarasota. He previously served churches in New Jersey and Philadelphia before moving here 13 years ago.
Mike Murphy
A retired pastor who served ministries in suburban Chicago and the West Side of Chicago. Now a spiritual director for pastors and ministry leaders.
Marlene Petro
Retired Operations Director for Massachusetts Dental Society. Current Elder and chair of Day for Hope at Church of the Palms and Board President for Samaritan Counseling Services of the Gulf Coast.
Dr. James B. Stewart *
Professor Emeritus at Penn State University. Dr. Stewart holds advanced degrees in Economics and an undergraduate degree in Mathematics. Formerly, Penn State Vice Provost for Educational Equity and Director of the Black Studies Program, responsible for the University’s goals, policies and procedures pertaining to diversity, equity and incusion (DEI), and served as a consultant on DEI issues for several universities and the Department of Defense. Dr. Stewart has served as President of three national professional organizations, including the Manasota Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
Angie Stringer *
President and CEO of Girls Inc. of Sarasota County since August 2015. Ms. Stringer has more than 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector in Sarasota, including direct program supervision, program development, strategic planning, staff management, fiscal planning, fundraising and marketing.
Harold Young *
Former Baltimore HUD official and legal counsel convened community leaders, housing professionals, fair housing advocates, non-profit organizations, and elected officials to address important housing and community development issues.
* The photograph shares all Founders of the SARI Core Team who served from 2021- 2025. Asterisked Founders continue to serve as SARI’s Core Team.
Mission & Vision
As a newly formed initiative working to overcome racism, we are not naïve about our challenge. Rather than being overwhelmed by its complexity and ever-present controversy, rather than being paralyzed by fear, we are committed to fostering actions which have an increasingly transformative impact on the Suncoast.
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Our Mission: SARI is an interracial network collaborating to confront and diminish racism on the Suncoast.
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Our Vision: SARI envisions the Suncoast as a region where diversity, equity, and inclusion are community norms.
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Our Guiding Principles*: We are people of the Sarasota/ Manatee region concerned about racism, collaborating to change policies and attitudes that perpetuate inequality.
The following principles guide us:
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We believe we are responsible for building a diverse, equitable, inclusive future for ourselves and future generations.
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No individual, organization, or institution can build that future alone.
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Open, honest, focused, and caring collaboration among diverse participants is the path to accomplishing clear, valuable, shared outcomes.
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We believe in doing, not just talking – and in behavior in alignment with our beliefs.
- We believe in doing actions that lead to…
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Awareness- raising awareness regarding personal, systemic, and institutional racism,
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Relationships-promoting collaborative relationships across racial, ethnic, and class divides, and
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Commitments-encouraging and inviting participants to commit personal skills, assets, and resources toward collaborative initiatives that will make diversity, equity, and inclusion community norms.
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*These principles are informed by the Strategic Doing Credo and Dr. Jemar Tisby’s ARC Racial Justice.
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Statement
At the Suncoast Anti-racism Initiative, we recognize that systemic racism and historical injustices have led to persistent disparities affecting Black, Indigenous, Latino, and other marginalized communities throughout Florida. We are committed to dismantling these inequities by embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into every facet of our work.
Diversity reflects the rich tapestry of identities, experiences, and perspectives that make up our communities. We honor and celebrate this diversity, understanding that it strengthens our collective efforts.
Equity involves the fair treatment, access, and opportunity for all individuals. We strive to identify and eliminate barriers that have historically marginalized certain groups, ensuring that everyone has the resources and support they need to thrive.
Inclusion means creating environments where all individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute fully. We actively cultivate spaces where voices from all backgrounds are heard and integrated into decision-making processes.
Our commitment to DEI is not a standalone initiative but a foundational principle that guides our mission to eradicate racism and promote social justice for the historically marginalized.
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Pro-Democracy Statement
- We envision a Florida where democracy is truly reflective of all its people — a state in which every voice, especially those from historically excluded Black, Indigenous, Latino, and other marginalized communities, is heard, valued, and represented at every level of decision-making.
- We imagine a future where every Floridian, regardless of race, language, income, gender, sexual orientation or background, has equal and unhindered access to voting, civic engagement, and leadership opportunities — a democracy that works for all and excludes no one.
- We see a Florida where democratic institutions are open, transparent, and accountable to the communities they serve — where government power is exercised for all and responsive to the voices of those most impacted by injustice.
