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Dear John,

How will you remember the summer of 2024?

Between President Joe Biden's historic exit from the presidential race,
Kamala Harris's ascent to the top of the Democratic ticket, and recent
SCOTUS rulings that defy logic and democracy, this has been an
unprecedented summer in US politics.

With Election Day just three months away, we stand on the brink of
making history or repeating the worst moments from it. Voter suppression
and growing extremism threaten to halt our collective progress. We must
remain vigilant and undeterred in our commitment to co-creating a more
equitable future.

This summer marks the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer, one of the
last multiracial civil rights efforts of the 1960s.
Volunteers and Black Mississippians braved voter intimidation and
state-sanctioned violence to exercise their constitutional right to vote
and register others to do the same. Their efforts, along with the work
of organizers before them, raised awareness of voter suppression in the
Deep South and helped lead the way for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The Voting Rights Act, the legislative crown jewel of the Civil Rights
Movement, turns 59 this week. Today, efforts to erode our voting
protections are rampant. According to the ACLU [[link removed]],
more than 400 anti-voter bills have been introduced in 48 states
[[link removed]].

This summer also marks two other racial justice milestones: the 60th
anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 158th anniversary of
the 14th Amendment in July. These three legislative landmarks ushered
in new chapters of freedom in American history.

We celebrate these wins by honoring the work of Black and brown leaders
and everyday people who, through sheer grit and political will, laid the
foundation for us to build upon. Building power across color, class,
gender, and cross-sectoral lines is needed to sustain our wins and
achieve the full promise of America.

When communities and public institutions organize around the vision of a
true multiracial democracy, we ALL win. During Freedom Summer, 17,000
Black Mississippians attempted to register to vote but only 1,200 were
successful.

Today, it's on us to ensure that their efforts were not in vain. We
encourage you to register, vote, and stay in the fight with us!

What's new?

For National Security's Sake, The US Supreme Court Must Respect The 3
Branches Of Government

Recent rulings by the Supreme Court suggest it has become dangerously
partisan and tone-deaf, says Carlton Eley, Race Forward's senior
director for federal strategies. The Chevron decision
shifts power away from federal agencies, making it difficult for them to
regulate the environment, public health, workplace safety and much more.

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"These rulings are an attack on democracy, and they are un-American. We
can't have a strong democracy when environmental injustice and economic
injustice persist," writes Eley in NewsOne.

Read More
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jaboa lake with Movement for Black Lives's Reparations June

In June, the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) [[link removed]]
moderated a teach-in webinar on Reparations for Family Policing,
featuring Black Families Love & Unite [[link removed]], Movement for Family Power [[link removed]],
upEND Movement [[link removed]], Transfuturist Collective
[[link removed]], and Race Forward.
In conversation with others, jaboa lake, our senior
director of impact evaluation, learning, and research, spoke from a
personal capacity on being directly impacted by family policing, and how
reparations frameworks can be used to address and prevent the harms of
family policing systems and child "welfare" policies that target and
disparately impact Black families.

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See M4BL's Reparations Toolkit
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Remembering Freedom Summer 1964

In the summer of 1964–Freedom Summer–more than 1,000 Northern white
students traveled for the first time into the Deep South. It was nearly
a year since Martin Luther King's now iconic "I Have A Dream," speech
but back then much of the nation was still either unaware of or
uninterested in the ongoing campaign of legal terrorism visited by
whites on southern Blacks. Freedom Summer, mainly a voter registration
project, aimed to change that by waging nonviolence and using young,
white bodies to prick the nation's conscience. And at great cost, it
did.

To mark its 60th anniversary, we revisit the perspective from one Black
teen whose life was touched by the moment.

Read it on Colorlines
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The Impact of #RaceAnd DEI: The Legal Fights

The latest attacks on DEI represent an attempt to gut our historic Civil
Rights laws and framework and re-whitewash America's history of racial
subjugation. These efforts seek to halt the pursuit of racial justice—or
any progress towards a multiracial democracy at all.

This conversation between Cathy Albisa, vice president of institutional
and sectoral change at Race Forward, and Dariely Rodriguez, deputy chief
counsel at Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law [[link removed]]
, delves into the bills that have been introduced, the laws passed, the
fights still in progress, the wins we have seen, and the implications of
these attacks on the movement for racial justice.

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Watch the Conversation
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Seattle is Walking Back its Promises for Racial Equity in Housing.

Is Your City Next?

When it launched a first-in-the-nation anti-displacement fund in 2016,
Seattle established itself as a leader in racial equity. But a new
attack on the City's Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) threatens that progres.

Race Forward Director of Housing, Land, and Development Ryan Curren
joins Partners for Dignity & Rights' [[link removed]]
Ben Palmquist and Friends of Little Saigon's [[link removed]]
Quynh to explain how these attacks are part of a nationwide effort to
scale back government efforts that address systemic racism and
inequality. Read it on Next City [[link removed]].

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SOURCE: Jean-Pierre Chamberland

Read it Here
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What's next?

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Promote Your Work at Facing Race 2024!

The Facing Race Exhibition Hall will feature National and St. Louis
based businesses and organizations led by people of color. We reaffirm
our commitment to partner with vendors whose entity is owned, operated,
or serves Black, Indigenous, people of color, and people who are
trans-identified, non-binary, and or other members of the LGBTQAI2S+
community.

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This year the Facing Race Vendor/Exhibition Hall will be curated in
partnership with St. Louis nonprofit Frizzy By Nature.
[[link removed]]

This local business hosts Frizz Fest [[link removed]],
a natural beauty festival aimed to encourage self-love and inspire
confidence among women.

Join us in fostering an inclusive and empowering space at Facing Race.
We look forward to receiving your applications!

Apply by October 1!
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RSVP Now: Cultural Week of Action Kick-Off Event

Friday, September 27 in St. Louis

We invite you to join us in celebrating the role the arts have played in
shaping our culture and helping us envision a true, multiracial
democracy. The kick-off event for the Cultural Week of Action will be a
reminder of the joy in our movement for racial justice.

The night will include a live performance by Gangstagrass [[link removed]]
, a band that uniquely blends bluegrass and hip-hop, along with
performances from talented local St. Louis creatives, and more!

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RSVP Today!
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Building for a September Surge!

Wednesday, August 21

7-8 PM ET/4-5 PM PT

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As this fall's elections approach, the stakes couldn't be higher for our
public schools, our democracy, and the future of our country.

Our partners at HEAL Together are hosting a "September Surge for Public
Schools" to mobilize thousands of people to attend school board meetings
nationwide. And we need YOU to bring the action to your local community!

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Join us on Wednesday, August 21, at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT to hear from
inspiring leaders in battleground states and get the tools you need to
bring a September Surge action to your district. Together, we can turn
the tide and create a truly thriving multiracial democracy where all our
children, regardless of race, gender, or zip code, can thrive.

Sign Up Here
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Building Racial Equity — Coming to St. Louis!

Join us for our Building Racial Equity Foundations training in St. Louis
on October 17, our first in-person session since the pandemic. To
commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Ferguson uprisings, we'll tailor
our training to focus on addressing systemic racism and advancing racial
equity in ‘The Lou.' In partnership with the Deaconess Foundation, this
special session kicks off a series of events happening ahead of our
Facing Race conference.

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Building Racial Equity Foundations Thursday, October 17, 9 am – 4 pm CT
Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being
1000 N. Vandeventer Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63113 Lunch and Refreshments will be provided.

Register Today!
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Services for Organizations

Race Forward is committed to transformational, sustainable change for
racial justice. We provide services to help organizations develop and
advance racially equitable policies and practices.

Our services are developed and delivered by a multiracial and
multigenerational team of experts with extensive knowledge and
experience in various areas, including policy and program development,
leadership development and strategic coaching, community organizing, and
racial equity.

Learn More
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We hope your August is one of celebration and progress. Visit
raceforward.org [[link removed]] to learn more about our work.

In solidarity,

Team Race Forward

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