Race Forward is excited to announce the launch of our Butterfly Lab for immigrant narrative strategy!

Race Forward’s Butterfly Lab brings together pro-immigrant leaders to build power for effective narratives that honor the humanity of migrants, refugees, and immigrants, and advance freedom and justice for all. In the Lab, the cohort will develop, test, and scale immigration narratives that meet our current political moment and that advance our vision for the world we want to build.

The cohort comprises leaders from work in advocacy, the law, organizing, policy, human rights, the arts, and popular culture (see full list here). Their projects will be supported with research and impact evaluation, and the cohort’s learnings will be broadly disseminated to build capacity, skills, and knowledge within the pro-immigrant movement. 

The Butterfly Lab is named after Favianna Rodriguez’s timeless “Migration Is Beautiful” butterfly image, and is funded in part by Unbound Philanthropy, Luminate, the Open Society Foundations, and the Oak Foundation.

“At a time of unprecedented readiness for radical change, every word we say, and every story we tell, matters,” said Taryn Higashi, Executive Director, and Adey Fisseha, Senior U.S. Program Officer of Unbound Philanthropy. “Our words and our narratives can move us forward towards a pluralist society where everyone belongs, or backwards. We are thrilled to support this dynamic, superbly talented group to move us all forward. We are also delighted to partner with the brilliant team at Race Forward to nurture this cohort.”

Race Forward believes that by advancing narratives that connect Americans back to their core beliefs and values, we can compel them to act and confront attacks on migrants, refugees, and immigrants, support humane and transformative action, and foster a welcoming pro-immigrant culture. 

Read Race Forward’s full announcement here, and visit Race Forward’s Butterfly Lab page for more information.

Check out our latest below!

Facing Race Is Going Virtual 

Watch the video announcement for Facing Race: A National Virtual Conference 

It is with deep love and care for our Race Forward community that we announce our conference will be taking place entirely online November 10 - 12, 2020 as a virtual event: Facing Race: A National Virtual Conference. A unique collaborative space for racial justice movement making, we continue to aim to make Facing Race the largest multiracial, inter-generational gathering for organizers, educators, creatives, and other leaders in the movement for racial justice.

Like those who came before us, we must strive, and we must organize to create and build the society we want to live in together. This is a decisive and furious moment in our movement, a time to press forward as a coalition of movement makers. In the words of the late champion and icon, Rep. John Lewis, “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

Register today, and join us in November to make some “good trouble”, and help us spread the word for Facing Race: A National Virtual Conference on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

[Listen] Momentum –– Season Finale

Demos' K. Sabeel Rahman joins us on Momentum's season finale! 

In our season finale, Demos President K. Sabeel Rahman joins Hiba and Chevon for an exciting conversation addressing racial and economic inequities and why it’s important to boldly fight for the future of American democracy. Sabeel shares his experiences growing up as a first generation Muslim, Bangladeshi- American, his journey to becoming an Associate Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, and his current role, leading the innovative work at Demos. 

In the conversation, Sabeel talks to our hosts about the inspiration behind his books, Democracy Against Domination, and Civic Power, his take on the fight for constitutional law to be applied equitably, and the important reconciliatory work that will be essential beyond the November election. 

Chevon and Hiba also talk about the recent win in Asheville, North Carolina which will see the city provide investment based reparations to its Black residents. Our hosts gave a big shout out to our GARE (Government Alliance on Racial Equity) team members for their important contributions in this step towards racial justice. 

Stream all ten episodes of Momentum on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, and Google Play. We’ll be back soon!

Staff Picks

During these trying times, it's important to share the small things that keep us going. In this edition, we hear from our Conference & Convenings Coordinator, Stephanie Castro! 

“A song that has been giving me energy during this time is a song called Arrullando by Canalón de Timbiquí. Canalón de Timbiquí is an Afro-Colombian ensemble that plays traditional music of the Pacific Coast Choco Region of Colombia. "Arrullando" means to nurse/cradle new life and that is exactly how this song makes me feel. You don’t have to understand the lyrics to know you are being invited into a vulnerable state where the rhythm of the music cradles and nurses your soul back to a state of peace.”

Credit: Radio Nacional de Colombia 

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In solidarity,

Team Race Forward