Race Forward

05/29/2026

In this critical moment, Facing Race is still here.

The nation’s largest bi-annual conference for racial justice stands as a space where community organizers, activists, artists, educators, and movement makers converge to build power and develop strategies to advance the movement.

Join us in Raleigh this fall! https://facingrace.us/register

05/28/2026

When authoritarianism defies rational thinking, how can we fight back with the facts?

Discover how researchers are meeting the moment with resistance in our next conversation this June. Hear from our panel of movement researchers as they share methods for naming the harms of fascism, stopping the violence in its tracks, and supporting everyday people.

Panelists include:
– Samuel Sinyangwe, founder, Police Scorecard and Mapping Police Violence
– Amber Qureshi, co-director, Deportation Data Project
– Munira Lokhandwala, co-executive director, LittleSis
– Regina Campbell, director of oral history and engagement, Rikers Public Memory Project; and co-director, Humanities Action Lab
– Moderated by jaboa lake, phd, senior director of impact evaluation, learning, and research, Race Forward

Register to join us, Thursday, June 4! https://raceand.org/resistanceresearch

05/27/2026

Race Forward is proud to serve as a community partner for “Rewriting the Script: Arts, Media Narratives, and Democratic Belonging,” a gathering hosted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding - ISPU and Race Forward Weavers Lab cohort member Arts Administrators of Color Network.

This multimedia event will present ISPU’s new study, Stereotypes on Screen: The Effects of Muslim Portrayals in Entertainment Media on Attitudes Toward Democracy and Policy as well as a pop-up of the “Native American and Indigenous Muslim Stories: Reclaiming the Narrative project (NAIMS) exhibition. You’re invited to explore how media narratives shape public attitudes, belonging, and democracy, while centering the power of arts and storytelling to challenge harmful narratives and build solidarity across communities.

Join artists, cultural workers, educators, advocates, and cross-sector leaders in NYC for an evening of research, dialogue, creative practice, and connection.

📍 El Museo del Barrio, New York City
📅 Friday, June 12 | 5:30–8:00 PM ET
Register: bit.ly/RewritingtheScript

05/21/2026

CALLING ALL FILMMAKERS

Race Forward is pleased to be co-curating Race Flicks with Working Films, a national leader in the use of documentaries for social change and environmental justice. This year, we're looking for film projects rooted in themes of resistance with a strong focus on stories of racial justice in the US South, a region that survived by growing roots of the civil rights movement, environmental justice movement, and abolitionist movement.

Submit your film to be considered by Monday, June 22!

https://facingrace.us/raceflicks

05/19/2026

We know that building narrative power calls for us to lead with values and vision. But what does that look like in practice?

This week’s session of the series will share insights from racial justice leaders who leverage various mediums to implement narrative strategies in critical issue areas, including immigration, government, health, and economic mobility. Panelists include:

— Shireen Malekafzali, chief equity officer at County of San Mateo - Government
— Nasir Anthony Montalvo, archivist at Black Q***r Kansas City {B/qKC}
— Kenrya Rankin, managing director at Disability Culture Lab
— Shammara Wright, Healthy Communities Managing Director at RWJFoundation

Join us this Thursday—and get access to the full series! raceand.org/narrativepower

05/18/2026

On the season 6 premiere of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, Leah Obias of Race Forward speaks with Abre' Conner of the NAACP to discuss the rapid expansion of AI data centers and the growing political, environmental, and governance issues surrounding them.

The conversation examines how the infrastructure powering artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping discussions around transparency, public accountability, environmental impact, and racial justice. The episode also explores the growing resistance emerging across the country through organizing efforts, public hearings, and legal and policy battles over the future of data center development.

Listen to the season 6 premiere of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast.

https://www.raceforward.org/momentum-race-forward-podcast

05/14/2026

Facing Race gives you the opportunity to promote your work or sell products in our marketplace, open throughout the conference. From full booths to bag inserts, we offer an array of vending and sponsorship solutions to help you reach over 3,500 individuals working to advance racial justice.

Best of all, your vendor registration includes two (2) tickets to experience the conference, along with access to the equipment and technical support you need for an immersive exhibit.

APPLY BY TOMORROW TO SAVE 10%!

https://facingrace.us/vendors

05/13/2026

What narratives have been effective in advancing solidarity and equity? Session 2 of our series will explore challenges in the field of narrative power building, with best practices and strategies for cultivating collaboration. Hear from narrative experts, including:

— Sol Jimenez-Palacios, national organizer at Familia:TQLM
— Sarah Lowe Ph.D, vice president of communications + research at Define American
— Aletha Maybank M.D, Ph.D, president and CEO at Novellawells
— Pamela Mejia, co-director at Berkeley Media Studies Group

Join us this Thursday!

https://raceand.org/narrativepower

05/07/2026

Authoritarians use many tactics to consolidate power. Grassroots research plays a key role in exposing these tactics, making regimes more vulnerable to resistance movements.

Race Forward's jaboa lake identifies the tactics of authoritarianism and shares how resistance researchers are countering these efforts.

Read her insights on Convergence Magazine.

Authoritarians use many tactics to consolidate power, grassroots research plays a key role in exposing these tactics and making regimes more vulnerable to resistance movements.

05/06/2026

Want to help make Facing Race a valuable conference experience for other attendees? Sign up to be a volunteer with our event staff!

As a volunteer, you can support anything and everything—from pre-conference preparation to registration, workshops, special events, and more. You’ll work alongside Race Forward staff while forming networks with racial justice professionals like you.

Learn more and apply by Monday, June 22! https://facingrace.us/volunteers