We need to face racism head-on in order to have healthy communities and a strong country. Racism and gaps among racial and ethnic groups affect education, housing, health care, the justice system and job opportunities. If we're going to make progress in our communities and in our country, people from all backgrounds and views must work together to address racism and inequities.
Dialogue-to-change programs can help people from a variety of racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds examine the gaps among racial and ethnic groups where they live, explore approaches to creating greater equity, and create lasting change in their community.
Read profiles of programs addressing racism in their communities
Read endorsements of the discussion guide Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation
Success Stories
Neighborhoods and people of faith power dialogue and action in Indianapolis
A number of dialogue-to-change efforts and other community initiatives are under way in Indianapolis neighborhoods and churches, helping to unite and empower adults and youth.
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News Articles
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Projects and Partnerships
Communities Creating Racial Equity Initiative
Eight communities from around the country taking part in Everyday Democracy's "Communities Creating Racial Equity" initiative gathered in East Hartford on April 2009 to share and learn together on addressing racial equity.
Since 2007, Everyday Democracy (then the Study Circles Resource Center) has been working indepth with eight communities around the country as part of "Communities Creating Racial Equity," an initiative to help communities create and sustain public engagement and community change on issues around racial equity.
Everyday Democracy feels that this is an important time for addressing racial equity. Increasing diversity in communities across the United States, and the related challenges and benefits, provide a unique opportunity to make sure that everyone has an equal chance at a good quality of life.
Through the "Communities Creating Racial Equity" initiative, Everyday Democracy is helping and learning with the eight selected communities to organize large-scale, inclusive dialogue and link it to measurable, sustained change on issues of racism and racial inequities.
With generous support from the W.K Kellogg Foundation and the C.S. Mott Foundation, Everyday Democracy is working with the following communities to use dialogue and problem solving on issues of racial equity.
- Hopkinsville, Ky.- As a result of a city-county visioning process completed in 2005 by an outside firm at the behest of the Chamber of Commerce, this program--led by Hopkinsville's Human Relations Commission--aims to address poverty and the racial divisions that exist in the community.
- Jacksonville, Fla.- led by the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission, this coalition-based project builds on 10 years of work in race relations to bring about policy and institutional change in business and economic development, education, justice, health, housing, employment, media relations and politics.
- Lynchburg, Va. – The city of Lynchburg, through its Many Voices – One Community project, is working to promote open dialogue to increase understanding of the challenges of racism, and to improve the social, economic and educational opportunities in the city.
- Montgomery County Public Schools, Md. – The five-year-old Montgomery County Public Schools Study Circles Program will continue its work to remove racial and ethnic barriers to student achievement in the schools.
- New Haven, Conn. – Community Mediation will lead a broad-scale program to address the issue of immigration that is at the heart of debate over racial and ethnic equity in the New Haven area.
- Sacramento, Calif. – The County of Sacramento, through South Sacramento County Visions, its Committee Addressing Racial Equity, and the Community Pride Project will continue work to engage and build the capacity of residents and businesses to work together to improve quality of life in south Sacramento’s diverse neighborhoods.
- Stratford, Conn. – Led by the mayor’s office, this program will focus its ongoing broad-based work on racial equity on education, leadership and community-police relationships.
- Syracuse, N.Y. – Led by the Community Wide Dialogue to End Racism program of InterFaith Works, this 11-year-old initiative will deepen its work to end racism in Syracuse, with special focus on education, employment and neighborhoods in conflict.