EIN: 81-2305195
Mission Statement
To empower and inspire people to disrupt racism one compassionate conversation at a time.
Program Summary
Challenging Racism (CR) is an Arlington-based 501(c)3 and our mission is to empower and inspire people to disrupt racism one compassionate conversation at a time. For more than 20 years, we have trained organizations and individuals using professionally designed and facilitated programs to build awareness and skills to courageously talk about race and equity. We offer introductory programs, topic-specific workshops, book/podcast/movie discussions, and facilitator training. We also provide DEIBA (diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and accessibility) advisory services for organizations to effectively disrupt all “-isms” in the workplace.
Our approach is based on conversations and storytelling, rooted in facts and local history, to create a shared experience that dispels dangerous myths and assumptions. We invest the time and self-reflection needed to build deep knowledge, skills, and practice to normalize conversations on race and othering, and to hold the difficult conversations necessary to advance systems-level change.
We serve diverse participants from a wide range of local partners including government, schools, non-profits, faith groups, theatre companies, and the private sector. We build the capacity of the organizations we engage with so that they can assess and lead their own social and racial equity programs, and our alumni go on to act as change agents in the community.
Challenging Racism is a ”small but mighty” non-profit organization, dedicated to advancing intersectional anti-biased and anti-racist work in our diverse but segregated communities across Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV). We are Black-led, staffed majority by women, and benefit from the guidance and wisdom of our talented and diverse Board.
Impact Statement
We center race because racial inequities exist in every system: health, education, criminal justice, employment, and more. We center intersectionality because racial disparities persist across all identities: gender, sexuality, education, ability, age, socioeconomic, citizenship, and more.
Most Americans lack racial literacy and conversational practice to effectively impact these inequities and disparities. Our workshops move participants from a misconception that discrimination, bias, and racism is simply the work of “bad individuals” to an understanding that racism is systemic. Moreover, it is a system of advantage that all of us participate in whether we intend to or not, and we can work to eliminate their consequences by working for equity.
Our participant surveys reveal behavior change in our participants after they learn about the root causes of inequities and types of bias. Our participants report a greater likelihood of recognizing and interrupting harmful microaggressions which results in a safer, more inclusive community for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) populations. In the workplace, we have observed organizations adopt an equity lens necessary to identify and challenge discriminatory practices, attract increased staff diversity, and successfully foster authentic relationships with BIPOC colleagues and beneficiaries. These impacts are measurable and necessary for systems-level change.
What ways can the public get involved?
Challenging Racism enthusiastically welcomes the public to join our programs as participants or serve as hosts of a Challenging Racism program in your community or workplace. Every program we facilitate helps build awareness and community power where advocacy and action for racial and economic justice are most needed today.
We also welcome volunteers to join us as we design and implement a range of outreach activities to support racial equity and anti-racism. Our volunteers help plan events, build partnerships, outreach via social media, apply for grants, raise funds, and design programs for organizations needing our conversations. All skills are needed and volunteers can choose to help with discrete activities or lead on racial equity initiatives. Interested volunteers can fill out our Volunteer Form on our website or contact us for more information at info@challengingracism.org.
How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?
Interest in our racial equity and DEIBA workshops has never been stronger. However, members of our larger community are left out because of tuition costs, which are required to sustain our organization, pay our professionally-trained racial equity facilitators, and fund the highest quality curriculum writing.
Contributions make our conversations and workshops more available to every member of our community and more affordable to passionate, committed, and diverse participants. Your donation enables local leaders and community members from diverse backgrounds to strengthen their facilitation and advocacy skills for racial equity and to go on to teach others and disrupt and dismantle systemic racism across our community.
Information provided March 2025