Dear John,

For many of us in the movement, the last few months have been filled with anger, grief, and fear. And yet, amidst our collective struggles, we’ve seen our communities show up with hope and power. We’ve seen people take to the streets with arms raised in protest. 

In my work at Race Forward as Training Strategies Director, I have seen what happens when people dare to be powerful in these moments of vulnerability and uncertainty by attending our racial justice trainings, convenings, webinars, and cohorts. 

This year alone, we’ve trained over three thousand people. 

These 3,000+ individuals represent hundreds of organizations and government agencies. They come from a variety of sectors - health, housing, education, immigration, voters’ rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, philanthropy, reproductive justice, and more. Regardless of issue area, what ties them together is that they have chosen to learn the skills needed to organize for racial justice.  

Three thousand people dared to engage in challenging conversations about systemic racism - even as state agencies are actively creating policies that punish folks for just mentioning the word “racism”. Even as books by beloved authors like Toni Morrison, Khaled Hosseini, and James Baldwin are banned from libraries and public schools across the country. 

Meanwhile, in our programs, participants are able to examine the roots of everyday racism. They are able to see and articulate the deep connections between systemic racism and other forms of oppression. They bring these lessons back to their jobs and their community. The ripple effect is immeasurable.

So today, on Giving Tuesday, I humbly ask you: Will you make a donation of $30 to support our programs - so we can train 3,000 more folks in the next year? 

With your continued support, we hope to offer even more spaces for individuals and organizations to learn about racial equity concepts, tools, and ways to organize with one another. Your generosity enables us to create intentional spaces, where participants are manifesting a world where Black, Indigenous, and people of color thrive.

Thank you for your consideration and passion for this important work.

In solidarity,

Nikko Viquiera

Deputy Senior Vice President of Programs, Race Forward

P.S. - Cost shouldn’t be a barrier to attending a racial equity training. That’s why Race Forward offers both scholarships and a sliding-scale rate to those who need it. However, the true cost for one person to attend a training is $450. Consider making a gift of that amount, or $30 monthly, to continue keeping our trainings and resources accessible to all.