After an election in which unprecedented numbers of voters went to the polls, especially from Black, Indigenous, and communities of color (BIPOC), Race Forward celebrates the victory of President-elect Joseph Biden and the historic election of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the first Black and Asian American woman to hold that office.

In recognition of the role that BIPOC communities and the multiracial movement for racial justice played in this election, Race Forward also calls upon the Biden administration to center racial justice in the development of its policy platform for the first 100 days and beyond.

Read more about Race Forward’s calls to the Biden administration in its first 100 days

In one of its first calls, Race Forward is asking the Biden administration to immediately reverse President Trump’s “Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping”, which bans racial justice work in the federal government. In particular, the Order directed federal employees to look for certain keywords and to take action to end any programs, grants, or contracts that include them and punish any employees who use them. The “banned words” included: “systemic racism”, “unconscious bias”, "critical race theory”, "white privilege", "positionality”, "racial humility”, and "intersectionality.”

In response, Race Forward launched its own #BannedWords campaign, to fight back against Trump’s attempt to stop a historically unprecedented racial justice movement by censoring the language we use to name racism. Because of our justice movements, these #BannedWords have become part of everyday language. In fact, our research shows the US media used “systemic racism” more during the month of June than in the past 30 years combined. The majority of Americans recognize and want to have measured, meaningful conversations about the historic and continuing impact of white privilege and systemic racism.

Listen to Momentum: LIVE at Facing Race with Hiba and Chevon to hear Race Forward President Glenn Harris and President of the National Urban League Marc Morial talk about fighting back against Executive Order 13950

Here’s how you can participate in the #BannedWords campaign: 

• Have your organization join hundreds of others in signing our open letter supporting conversation and action to end racism in all American institutions.
• Download our #BannedWords Campaign toolkit
• Download or link to this crossword puzzle — Puzzled By Racism? — to share with friends!
• Join our #BannedWords social campaign (Twitter) (Instagram) and use the hashtag #BannedWords to tell your stories on social media about how you use these banned words to fight racism
• Read our original press release on the Executive Order
• Use the hashtag #BannedWords to ask the Biden Administration to rescind the EO and issue a new one that centers racial justice in all of its work

Also, plan now to join us as we look past the vote and mobilize for racial justice in this upcoming #RaceAnd Town Hall conversation.

Check out our latest below!

More than 4,000 people attended Facing Race: A National Virtual Conference 

Grab these Facing Race 2020 Takeaways! 

Facing Race 2020: A National Virtual Conference was our most successful conference to date. In the face of an ongoing pandemic and an historic presidential election, more than 4,000 attendees joined us online to discuss how we continue to move racial justice forward.  A very special and warm thank you to all attendees who took the time to participate. 

There was much to celebrate and lift up during the three day event. From The Rev. Dr. William Barber II's keynote address, to the first live taping of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, to our “Forging A Just, Multiracial Democracy Through Cross Racial Movement Building”, and “Culture in the Time of The Uprisings” plenaries, it was truly a momentous occasion. 

For registered attendees, we will soon be providing you with extended access to the conference experience (details and more information will be forthcoming). In the meantime stream the films from our Race Flicks track, download our Facing Race “Swag Bag”, and access the wellness sessions from Acorn Center for Restoration and Freedom. 

Here’s a few more ways you can interact with Facing Race. Share your experience with us (visit our social page for examples), contribute to our transformative work by donating, and let us know what your experience was like and how we can better improve for future Facing Race conferences. 

Once again, thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s virtual conference. We hope that you’ve learned enough to take back to your communities and institutions to push the needle forward on racial justice. Onward + Upward!

And continue to follow us for more information on our first ever Facing Race Youth Conference in 2021!

In The Coming Year, We Will Continue Moving Forward –– Together 

Donate today and support Race Forward into 2021! 

We know it’s been quite a year. Between the emergence of COVID-19, the uprisings for racial justice, and fighting back against voter suppression efforts, we know you have been through it, and we have been here going through it with you. 

However, now is when we double down. Now is when we galvanize our people, our movements, and our nation to chart ahead –– together. In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, Race Forward will continue to build strategies to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture. 

We know that you don’t work on a four or eight year election cycle, and neither do we. We’ve been working to create racial justice strategies for 40 years, and we will be here doing what we do best in 2021 and beyond –– because structural racism will not disappear with a change of administration. 

Thank you for all that you already do in the name of racial justice. Consider making a contribution today to support Race Forward’s vision for racial justice and the work we’re doing to get there.

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 Director of Development, Marina Munoz De Martinez.

“A song that’s been giving me life and energy throughout 2020 is Stevie Wonder’s “Master Blaster (Jammin’)”. I love that he wrote it in tribute and reference to a potential collaboration with Bob Marley. I also love that it expresses excitement and joy over a shared vision of peace and community. And mostly, I love it because the backbeat and bassline are FIRE!”

Credit: Britannica 

What are you listening to, watching, reading and learning? Tell us on Twitter or Facebook.

In solidarity,

Team Race Forward