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Dear John,
Earlier this month, our Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a
network of more than 430 government jurisdictions across the country,
held its annual membership meeting. Approximately 1500 people attended
the hybrid event, in- person in Portland, OR, and/or online.
During the week, there were great, inspiring conversations about the
role of government in leading the change for a multiracial democracy
where everyone has equitable opportunities to thrive and prosper.
However, one can't help but juxtapose these conversions with the current
realities of the country and world in which we are living.
As we approach and get closer to the midterm elections, we know the
fights will become more fierce. We will have to be vigilant in
countering the false narratives being told by those who desire to stoke
fear in order to maintain power. We will have to boldly tell the truth
over and over again: CRT (critical race theory) is not about harming
white children; brown and black immigrants are not bringing diseases and
drugs into this country at alarming rates (in fact, most are coming here
for their very survival); no person deserves to be killed because they
fear the police officer who has stopped them for a minor traffic
offense; women are intelligent and more than capable to make decisions
about their own bodies; and the list goes on and on, and is likely to
get longer and longer as the elections get closer and closer.
We, as a collective, are at stake here, and we must work collectively to
shape this country and make it live up to its promise. This may mean
tearing down the very things we have become accustomed to in the
realization this country was founded on a false notion that some people
are inherently better and more superior than others and therefore, are
afforded certain privileges and rights denied to others.
The dismantling of systemic racism is hard work, but it is possible.
Race Forward encourages you to find your place in this movement for an
equitable America. Check out some of our resources below to get started:
Video series - What is Systemic Racism?
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Article - What is Racial Equity?
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Training Series - Racial Equity Training
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for those new to racial justice and those organizing and working in the
community and government)
Training Series - H.E.A.L. (Honest Education Action and Leadership)
Together Training
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(for those who believe our children deserve a strong education)
Tool: Creating Cultures and Practices for Racial Equity
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Tool: Organizing for Racial Equity Within the Federal Government
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Tool: From Seed to Harvest: A Toolkit for Collaborative Racial Equity
Strategies
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We may have to work harder than ever for it, but a just, multiracial
democracy is possible!
Reserve Your Place Now at Facing Race 2022!
Coming just weeks after the 2022 midterm election, Facing Race 2022 will
provide a unique collaborative space for discussions and strategies to
continue advancing racial justice.
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Join with others working for racial equity to share ideas and strategies
about what is needed post-midterm election to continue advancing racial
equity in this country. Participants will receive unprecedented access
to information, tools, and resources to assist in their organizing
efforts.
With so much at stake, we invite you to join us at Facing Race 2022,
in-person or online.
Register Now
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Staff Pick
As part of a BIPOC meditation practice at Common Ground Meditation
Center
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in Minneapolis, I have been digging into the book Radical Friendship:
Seven Ways to Love Yourself and Find Your People in an Unjust World
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by Kate Johnso n.
Our group has been reading the book, just one chapter per month, and
taking time to reflect as part of our biweekly practice space. Kate
Johnson
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is a mixed-race Black Buddhist teacher, writer, and facilitator who
guides read ers in how to connect in deep and authentic ways with each
other by drawing on the teachings of the Mitta Sutta, a Buddhist text
that guides the practice of loving kindness and spiritual friendship. As
Johnson describes, "By radical friendship, I mean the kind of friendship
that has the potential to heal us at the very ground of our being.
Wounds from when we were young; maybe even wounds from before we were
born. The kind of friendship that forges bonds so strong that systems of
oppression can't break them."
Vina Kay, Vice President, Movement Capacity Building
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