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Dear supporters and movement partners,
In response to the current political period and economic constraints, Race Forward has made the decision to sunset the Federal Initiative to Govern for Racial Equity (FIRE). For nearly four years, FIRE made significant contributions to the field by successfully translating the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) frameworks into the federal government. The initiative helped agencies operationalize President Biden’s Executive Orders, build internal capacity, and demonstrated that racial equity could be implemented within complex national institutions. FIRE showed that the practices pioneered by state and local governments—equity assessments, data-informed decision-making, cross-agency collaborations, and accountability structures—were not only applicable at the federal level but essential to effective
governance. FIRE helped define what it meant to govern for racial equity at the federal level.
We extend deep gratitude to the team that led this historic work: Carlton Eley (Senior Director), Warren Whitlock (Deputy Director), Jennifer Godinez (Training and Education Director), and Sloane Kali Faye (Outreach and Marketing Director), along with former team members Wendy Vang-Roberts (Program Manager), Justyn Díaz (Program Coordinator), and Daniel Cantrell (Wilder Fellow). Their collective expertise in federal systems, training design, communications, and movement infrastructure made FIRE possible. As they transition to new opportunities, we invite partners to learn more about their work through their LinkedIn profiles.
Sunsetting FIRE does not represent a step back from institutional transformation; rather, it reflects a strategic consolidation that builds on the
program’s successes and reinforces GARE’s bedrock role as the foundation that made this federal expansion possible. FIRE helped define what it means to govern for racial equity at the federal level by showing that meaningful federal change is rooted in strong local and state infrastructure—places where democratic voice endures, authoritarian pressure is resisted, and hard-won lessons are preserved. By grounding federal practice in tools forged in cities and states, FIRE affirmed that we not only can reimagine a federal approach to racial equity, but are prepared to reclaim it when the moment demands.
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FIRE Accomplishments and Continuing Resources
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Over the last four years, FIRE made numerous groundbreaking contributions to federal racial equity implementation, such as:
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- Supported the framing for the Biden/Harris Administration's approach to equity.
- Supported and strengthened Equity Action Plan development and assessment across federal agencies and partnered with PolicyLink on the assessment of Federal Equity Action Plans.
- Built a cross-agency community of practice for federal racial equity practitioners, breaking down silos and enabling collaboration.
- Delivered training and capacity-building to multiple agencies, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Labor, Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Convened members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) to share
strategies and build collective leadership for advancing equity at the highest levels of federal government.
- Defended the attack against federal democratic institutions by making government deliver on the promise of equity and justice for all—from Project 2025 to Project 2029.
- Launched the Justice in Government Fellowship, bringing together former federal civil servants who led equity work prior to 2024 to reflect on lessons learned and offer recommendations for future equity agendas.
- Supported federal civil servants
who were placed on leave for carrying out equity-related responsibilities under the Trump administration.
- Will publish a retrospective report on the Diversity Initiative of the Environmental Careers Organization (ECO), documenting the legacy of a federally and philanthropically supported pipeline program whose equity outcomes are now at risk of erasure.
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Collectively, this work demonstrated that Race Forward’s racial equity framework is not only scalable to the federal level, but vital to the functioning of democratic institutions.
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FIRE Accomplishments and Continuing Resources
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As the federal landscape has become increasingly hostile in 2025 and philanthropic conditions have shifted, Race Forward has undertaken a careful assessment of how to steward our work across levels of government. While we will no longer maintain a standalone federal team, our commitment to federal transformation remains firm. Federal institutions play a critical role in advancing universal public goods, shared democratic governance, and racial, gender, and all forms of justice. The insights and strategies generated through FIRE will continue to inform Race Forward’s programs, partnerships, and long-term strategy, as we lean into our core strengths and deepen alignment with local government leaders and national intermediaries.
Race Forward will continue to make real the promise of just democratic governance at the local, state, and federal levels, while remaining
grounded in the enduring truth that lasting change has always been driven locally. From the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter, community leadership has propelled local victories into national transformation. Guided by this history—and by the lessons and successes of FIRE—Race Forward remains committed to advancing a truly just, multiracial democracy in which all communities can thrive.
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Glenn Harris
President, Race Forward
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Copyright © Race Forward, PO Box 96353, Washington, DC 20090-6353, USA
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