Racial Justice Programs

Click here to access Tucson Anti-Racism and Diversity Resource Directory.

Understanding Racism Community Education Program
The YWCA provides Understanding Racism Workshops to provide a forum for participants to discover conscious and unconscious ways that racism has impacted their lives. This powerful program is designed to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of differences.  Participants explore personal perceptions and issues concerning race, conflict, and internalized racism.  The four-hour workshop includes the viewing of the 90 minute film, The Color of Fear. For more information or to schedule an Understanding Racism Workshop for your organization, call the YWCA at 520-884-7810 or email us.

 It’s Time to Talk Forums on Race

 It’s Time to Talk, a program created by the Urban Institute of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, provides our community with more opportunities for meaningful cross-cultural dialogue about racism.  Individuals are offered opportunities to participate in large community luncheons with nationally known keynote speakers, host small dinners in their homes, or organize larger gatherings in their workplaces or neighborhood centers.  More than 200 volunteers have been trained as It’s Time to Talk facilitators.  For information or call the YWCA at 520-884-7810 or  email us.

 Tucson Anti-Racism and Diversity Resource Directory

 This resource for our community includes Tucson programs and organizations that work to combat racism, suggested activities and events, and books, magazines and films that are available to individuals who want to take additional steps to learn more and to become more active in the fight against racism.   Click here to access Tucson Anti-Racism and Diversity Resource Directory. For more information or to add an item to the Directory, call the YWCA at 520-884-7810 or email us.

 Racial Justice Youth Program

 The YWCA Racial Justice Youth Program provides opportunities for youth to understand the life experience of others, open the door to sustained connection with youth who are different from themselves, replace stereotypes with real people, encourage and be a catalyst for further dialogue and meaningful activities for nearly 1,500 students each year.  The Racial Justice Youth Program empowers students with skills to lead and influence others to eliminate racism and prejudice.

 The Racial Justice Youth Program begins each year in October with the Annual It’s Time to Talk Youth Forum on Racism where teams of students from high schools and middle schools throughout Pima County come together to learn and share in small dialogue groups facilitated by youth and to create their own on-going action plans against racism to take back to implement in their schools.  The projects created at the Youth Forum are eligible for support through a small grants program offering grants from$100 to $1000.

 All aspects of the YWCA Racial Justice Youth Program are planned and implemented by young men and women who serve as members of the Racial Justice Youth Program Committee.  If you would like information about how you or your school can participate, call the YWCA at 520-884-7810 or email us.

 Journey to a Hate-Free Millennium

 Journey to a Hate-Free Millennium is a powerful two-hour program that features the 35 minute film, Journey to a Hate-Free Millennium.  The film is an inspirational, award-winning documentary that seeks solutions to the horrible hate crimes that have become frequent events in our daily lives.  This stirring firm features shocking examples of hate crimes in modern America:  The vicious murder of Matthew Sheppard, the dragging death of James Byrd, Jr., and the unfathomable shootings by high school students at Columbine High School.  Dialogue centers on creating a vision of the new millennium where senseless acts of violence and hate are a thing of the past.  This program is appropriate for middle and high school students as well as adults.  If your would like to learn more about the program or how to arrange to bring Journey to a Hate-Free Millennium to your school or organization, please call the YWCA at 520-884-7810 or email us.

 Racial Justice Program Consultation and Technical Assistance anti racism

 The YWCA of Tucson has been recognized nationally for our work in Racial Justice:  The National League of Cities Award for Undoing Racism is 1999 and the American Psychological Association and Kellogg Foundation Valuing Diversity Award for creating effective community strategies in 2001.

 Our organization has provided consultation and technical assistance to numerous non-profit organizations, educational institutions, municipalities, and employers to help them create and implement anti-racism and diversity programs and initiatives. For more information call the YWCA at 520-884-7810 or email us.