Where were you forty years ago? In 1981 I was just entering high school and my break dancing years. I was learning how to tap into my power to nurture the seeds of a lifelong commitment to building a multiracial democracy. In that same year Gary Delgado was forming the beginnings of four decades of research, movement building, and crafting a justice-oriented pedagogy that influences every aspect of our work today.

Over the past forty years I’ve seen the growth of a movement that started at a time when no one was discussing what was possible — because we were still in defense mode. In those formative years, when someone said “democracy” I only heard “hypocrisy.”

Four decades later, we’ve made incredible progress. Yet, we continue to face a lot of the same challenges. We’re fighting an emboldened right wing, ushering in authoritarianism that uses Black and Brown people as both targets and wedges. We’re fighting voter suppression and heinous rhetoric banning lessons about our country’s history of racism. 

When I think of the next 40 years, I know it is a future with as many of us at the table as possible. Even though we may feel powerless and hopeless at times, we must remember that people, particularly those most impacted by structural inequities, have been coming together for decades to lead us toward a future where people of color thrive with power and purpose.

Which is why Race Forward needs you by our side.

I was inspired to join this movement by my family and my own struggles. But I remain in the fight for the benefit of future generations. We are all standing on the shoulders of our ancestors, and must offer a shoulder for those yet to join us in the struggle for liberation and freedom. 

I invite you to join us with your passion and philanthropy today. And I invite you to bring your love, courage and humility to the fight ahead.

In solidarity,

Glenn Harris

President of Race Forward and Publisher of Colorlines

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