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Dear John,
With another year coming to a close, one that marks an important
milestone for Race Forward, I find myself in a place of contemplation.
When I reflect upon what sustains me in this movement I think of all the
racial justice leaders who center our interconnectedness in the face of
politically elite-driven, racialized division. This is resonant for me
because interconnectedness is a central theme across my life. My parents
wouldn't have been able to immigrate here without the 1965 Immigration
Act. That major piece of legislation wouldn't have passed without the
moral and legal underpinning of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A big
reason why I'm here is intrinsically tied to the struggle of Black
people for freedom in this country.
One way to stay connected to Race Forward
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In this moment of Race Forward's 40th Anniversary—I'm celebrating the
Center for Social Inclusion (CSI), co-founded by Maya Wiley and Jocelyn
Sargent, and all of the staff that made CSI what it was. You may already
know that CSI merged with Race Forward in 2017
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, bringing together two national organizations working to support the
racial justice movement. CSI's legacy in the movement is significant. I
learned what structural racism is at CSI and learned how deeply embedded
racism is in our laws and institutional policies and practices, whether
in transportation or in health systems. I also learned what it means to
center the solutions crafted by Black and brown people as interventions
that could lead to prosperity for everyone, regardless of race, whether
it is wealth-generating co-ops or food hubs.
On a more personal note, CSI was the place where I was nurtured and
where I felt invested in. I'm able to do the work I do in Race Forward
because of the collective wisdom of staff and community leaders that CSI
touched.
A timeline of 40 years of fighting racial justice
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Racial justice is a long game. It is the horizon. I hope that in another
40 years we can look back at the collective work we did to make meaning
and change in this moment of racial reckoning and backlash. We will see
how the moment moved the needle towards equity and justice much like the
1st Reconstruction and the 2nd Reconstruction did prior to this moment
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. And hopefully, we'll have looked back at this moment and saw all of
the steps we took to wrestle control of our society from the oligarchs
and the corporate, political, and media elites that enrich them by using
race as a wedge.
Your generosity is important and necessary
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I often think about the reality and possibility of interconnectedness in
the fights we're in for dignity, equity, and justice for all. And I
think about the reality that acknowledging and repairing systemic harm
(encompassing the theft of lands, labor, and wealth that is central to
our country's story) actually benefits us all collectively.
Join us with a gift before December 31
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, knowing that your generosity and partnership is an investment in our
vision for a just, multiracial democracy in which all people are able to
thrive.
In solidarity,
Dennis Chin
Vice President - Narrative, Arts, and Culture
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PS - Stay tuned in early 2022. Race Forward will be launching a project
called H.E.A.L. Together to counter the attacks on an honest and
high-quality public education in the United States. Your support today
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will make a difference to this important work.
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