Throughout 2023, the Community Coalition on Race challenged itself, the town governments, the schools, civic organizations, and residents to embrace unique, intentional efforts to build an inclusive community. Across the nation this year we witnessed growing censorship in classrooms, book bans, the persistence of school and residential segregation, the rise of white supremacy and racial hate crimes, and the dismantling of affirmative action.
As long as deeply rooted systemic racism, overt racism, and unconscious bias exist, we cannot for one moment take our eyes off the Coalition’s mission. We know what happens to communities that gain diversity without doing the work of intentional integration. At best, people of different races tend to live, go to school, and socialize in isolation from one another. At worst, the community loses its diversity altogether.
This year the Coalition convened hundreds of people to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to share the light of peace with the Luminary Project, and to learn about the racial wealth gap at Conversations on Race. During Black History Month, we collaborated on African American Genealogy Workshops. With our support, Durand-Hedden House & Garden sponsored “Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom,” an educational event that attracts hundreds of people each year. Plus, we launched monthly Integrated Art Circles that support cross-race relationship building; debuted a Deconstructing Racism Series, which brought people together to learn and grow in their anti-racism journeys; and gave parents and teachers strategies at a Talking to Children about Race workshop.
We continue to monitor and advocate for residential and school integration. To address community concerns about housing, we held a Town Hall on Housing, Development, and Impacts in SOMA. We are especially excited to have made five Wealth Gap Equalizer Loans, a critical effort to address home ownership disparities locally and promote integrated neighborhoods.
Your participation and support in our shared pursuit of integration and inclusion work makes change possible!
To view our 990 report, click on the link below: