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Dear John,

This past week, as our nation celebrated its 249th birthday, many of us
reflected on this truth: July 4th has never meant freedom for all of us.
The holiday reminds us not only of America's aspirations toward freedom
but also of the unfinished work required to make freedom–and
belonging–real for everyone.

Independence Day represents a complex legacy—a declaration of liberty
that granted freedom from monarchy and tyranny for white colonists while
excluding enslaved Black people, Indigenous communities, and other
vulnerable groups from the full promises of democracy for centuries to
come.

Yet here we are—still fighting, still organizing, still believing in the
possibility of a democracy that includes all of us.

Today, as we witness systemic inequities–concentration of power and
resources in the hands of the wealthy few, detention of people without
due process, attack on birthright citizenship, dismantling of government
agencies that serve our communities, and criminalization of lawmakers
and judges for doing their jobs–we must ask:

Will we allow our country to slide backward toward authoritarianism, or
will we stand together to defend and strengthen our multiracial
democracy?

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SOURCE: Getty Images/Mario Tama

The choice isn't between left and right—it's between democracy and
authoritarianism, between shared prosperity and concentrated power,
between a just, thriving future and a return to the past.

As Race Forward's President Glenn Harris recently stated
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: "We must not only resist the rollback of these freedoms [our ancestors
successfully won], but we must continue to stand strong in solidarity to
build a country that honors the dignity of all humanity."

The historic "No Kings" protests of June 14–with over 5 million
participants across 2,000+ locations–represented a powerful statement
against authoritarianism and a clear demand for democratic governance.

The "Free America" gatherings that happened this weekend, the planned
"Good Trouble Lives On [[link removed]]" actions on July 17,
the ongoing economic resistance, the resource-sharing, and the organizing
happening within virtual and community spaces are not isolated events—they're
part of the same fight for the democracy we deserve.

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SOURCE: Getty Images/Sergio Flores

As our friend Deepa Iyer noted
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, social change happens when people find their roles in the ecosystem:
as storytellers, guides, weavers, disrupters, healers, and more. To that
end, we invite you to join us in the Learning Lab on July 9
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, meet us in November for Just Narratives for Multiracial Solidarity
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, support local/national organizing efforts, and continue to stay in the
fight with us for a just, multiracial democracy.

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In the spirit of Juneteenth

Juneteenth Reminds Us That the Fight for Freedom Is Far From Over

Juneteenth isn't just a day to celebrate. For Eric Ward, it's a marker—a
moment to remember what came right after emancipation. Because every
time Black people in this country have pushed forward toward freedom and
justice, something has stepped up to push back. That pushback is the
unfinished business of American democracy, and it's playing out right
now.

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SOURCE: Getty Images/Go Nakamura

Our executive vice president reminds us to celebrate our progress while
remaining committed to defending democracy. Read his reflections in TIME.

Read it on TIME
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They Tried to Erase Us, We Told the Story Anyway

Most people think of oral tradition simply as storytelling, but long
before it became a federal holiday, oral history transformed Juneteenth
into a movement-building strategy with insights for today. For over 150
years, Juneteenth was kept alive by Black families and communities—even
as textbooks and federal calendars ignored it. Juneteenth became a
cultural and political force not because the government officially
recognized it, but because we told our story.

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SOURCE: Wikimedia Commons

Race Forward's president Glenn Harris offers these thoughts and more on
Word in Black.

Read it on Word in Black
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What's New?

Housing Justice Requires Comprehensive Planning

Comprehensive plans are needed to guide growth in our communities that
closes long-standing racial disparities in our housing and land use
systems. By applying a racial equity lens, comprehensive planning can
deliver solutions for improving quality of life outcomes for people of
color.

Race Forward's latest policy brief offers case studies from local
governments working collaboratively with communities to reimagine a just
and equitable housing system that works for ALL of us.

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Learn More
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Narrative Strategies to Address Individualism for Health and Racial
Justice

Structural racism survives by telling us we're not connected.

That's the thread running through Different & The Same —a new essay
series unpacking how American narratives of individualism can fuel
inequality. Race Forward is partnering with five organizations to gather
insights and develop strategies aimed at shifting mindsets on health
equity and structural racism.

Read perspectives from Berkeley Media Studies Group, FrameWorks
Institute, Harmony Labs, Narrative Initiative, and the Radical
Communicators Network.

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Read the series on Medium
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What's Next?

TOMORROW: Scaling Up Racial Equity in a Time of Backlash

Racial equity work is under attack, but this is no time to retreat. Join
Race Forward for a special 4-hour Learning Lab designed to help
organizational leaders and practitioners respond to backlash with
clarity, courage, and strategy. Learn how to build resilience, counter
disinformation, and advance measurable equity outcomes. Led by national
leaders Glenn Harris and Julie Nelson, this interactive session provides
the tools and resolve to not only withstand attacks but also to grow
stronger in the face of them.

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Join us tomorrow!
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#RaceAnd: Lessons Learned from Federal Public Administration — Thursday,
July 31

In today's climate, advancing racial equity inside government may feel
like a distant goal—but that wasn't always the case. In the years
following the 2020 uprisings, dozens of federal agencies launched bold
initiatives to confront systemic racism and repair harm.

Join us for #RaceAnd: Lessons Learned from Federal Public
Administration, a live, virtual conversation with former federal equity
leaders who helped design and defend these efforts.

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This webinar will surface key insights from that period of
possibility—how change was made, what was learned, and how those lessons
are being applied now in local, state, and movement contexts.

Join us July 31!
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Decision-Making for Racial Equity — Tuesday, July 22

Decision-Making for Racial Equity–part of our Racial Equity Learning
Series [[link removed]]
–is our training that provides a framework for disrupting dominant forms
of decision-making that can perpetuate racial bias. Using Race Forward's
Racial Equity Decision-Making Tool (DRE Tool), participants will learn
how to build an organization-wide racial equity decision-making practice
and culture that centers Black, Latinx, Asian American, Indigenous,
Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander staff and communities.

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NOTE: Completion of our Building Racial Equity training is required
before registering for this course.

Register Today
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Weavers Lab for Solidarity Narratives — Apply by Friday, August 8

Race Forward is excited to announce the Weavers Lab for Solidarity
Narratives, a year-long cohort experience designed to strengthen how we
build narrative power to advance solidarity and racial justice. The
learning lab will involve an iterative process for organizations to
design and implement narrative strategies that build clarity, cohesion,
and solidarity necessary for transformative change.

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For one year, we will engage a multiracial and multi-issue cohort of
8-12 organizations, each bringing at least two representatives, that are
working to advance racial justice and solidarity through a narrative
strategy. Cohort participants will receive training, coaching, and
relationship-building opportunities with peers and experts in the
narrative, racial justice, and solidarity space. Cohort members will
also attend Race Forward's signature conferences: Just Narratives for
Multiracial Solidarity 2025 (November 12-15) and Facing Race 2026
(mid-November). The cohort will officially start in October 2025 and end
November 2026.

Join us for an informational session
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Thursday, July 17. Learn more and apply by Friday, August 8!

Download the Info Packet
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Apply by August 8!
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Just Narratives for Multiracial Solidarity

Join our first ever multi-day convening for narrative strategists,
communicators, creatives, storytellers, racial justice advocates, and
movement builders. Just Narratives for Multiracial Solidarity – the
anchor event for Cultural Week of Action 2025 – represents Race
Forward's commitment to building both the narrative and cultural power
needed to advance a just, multiracial democracy.

At Just Narratives, we'll:

• Align our narrative and cultural strategies to shift hearts, minds,
and policies towards a more just and thriving future

• Strengthen cross-racial, cross-movement solidarity to withstand our
opposition's efforts to divide us

• Identify and advance impact storytelling for collaborative governance
that our communities and movements need and deserve

• Share lessons learned using art, culture, and media to amplify
narratives for racial justice

• Ignite the mass courage needed to make our racially just future
undeniable

Limited tickets are available. Get yours today and join us in St. Louis
November 13-15!

Register Today!
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Take Action

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We Make History Everyday

Racial justice isn't history. Racial justice is happening every day.

Shop online at our new store and choose from an array of products like
shirts, water canteens, hats, and sweaters. No matter the weather, we
make history together!

Shop Our Store Today!
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Subscribe to The Fire We Face Newsletter

The Fire We Face is a newsletter for those committed to protecting
democracy, racial equity, and public service in the face of systemic
threats. As we monitor the Trump Administration's embrace of Project
2025 and other anti-democratic, racist initiatives, The Fire We Face
will document actions targeting federal agencies and civil servants
striving to serve the public equitably. Through in-depth analysis,
reflections, and tangible examples, this newsletter aims to empower
readers with the knowledge to understand and navigate these challenges.

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Sign up here for updates!
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Follow us on Bluesky!

Given the current political climate and our declining engagement on
Twitter, we have made the decision to remain inactive on Twitter until
further notice.

To keep the conversation going, we encourage you to join us on Bluesky.
Be a part of an ever-growing network of racial justice advocates as we
continue to share engaging content that moves the needle to a just,
multiracial democracy.

Follow @raceforward.org
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John, true democracy demands that we all
participate — whether as advocates supporting those on the frontlines,
weavers building connections across movements, or disrupters challenging
unjust systems.

As we move beyond Independence Day, let's recommit ourselves to the
ongoing struggle for a country where freedom and belonging are realities
for everyone — not just promises on paper.

In solidarity,

Race Forward

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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