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. 

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, 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.

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. 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.

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, 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

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 will make a difference to this important work.