America is engaged in a great national conversation regarding racial equity and social justice. But sometimes the hardest part of joining a conversation is knowing how to get started. The good news is, there are plenty of resources just waiting to empower you.
The 2023 Racial Equity Challenge series, powered by United Way of Delaware (UWDE), Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative is a quarterly journey of self-discovery designed to help Delawareans build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership.
For five consecutive days each quarter during 2023, participants are prompted with a daily e-mail challenge — such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, or watching a video–and are then encouraged to reflect on that content and to relate the situation to their own lives. Participants discover how racial inequity and social injustice impact our community. The goal is to build new understandings and new connections and in so doing, to begin dismantling systemic racism in Delaware.
2023 Dates & Topics
The 2023 Challenge is an evolution of what began with the 21-Day Racial Equity & Social Justice Challenge in 2020, which occurred weekdays from Monday, August 17, through Monday, September 14. After that, in 2021 and 2022, the Racial Equity Challenge moved to being one week each month, from February to December 2021. Since the challenge series began, over 9,000 Delawareans have signed up to participate!
Sign up now for the 2023 Challenge, and check out the 2020, 2021, and 2022 archives for all of the previous challenge content!
FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA DISCUSSION
- The 2023 Racial Equity Challenge Series is a personal commitment to devote 5-30 minutes a day, for 5 consecutive days each quarter, to learn about the history and impact of racism in Delaware, and the ways that bias, prejudice, privilege, and oppression show up in our everyday lives.
- With this awareness and understanding of how racism shapes each of our lived experiences, we can all become part of making positive change in our community.
- The 2023 Racial Equity Challenge Series is an enlightening journey, for everyone – no matter where you come from or how you identify yourself. Along with new perspectives, you’ll receive examples and tools of how you can help undo racism and build a more just and equitable community here in Delaware.
- While we encourage everyone to share their participation with others and to join the conversation, your employee and personal information will remain both private and confidential.
- With this awareness and understanding of how racism shapes each of our lived experiences, we can all become part of making positive change in our community.
- The 2023 Racial Equity Challenge Series is an enlightening journey, for everyone – no matter where you come from or how you identify yourself. Along with new perspectives, you’ll receive examples and tools of how you can help undo racism and build a more just and equitable community here in Delaware.
- While we encourage everyone to share their participation with others and to join the conversation, your employee and personal information will remain both private and confidential.
- Each morning for 5 consecutive days each quarter, registered participants receive an email featuring links to readings, videos, and/or podcasts that are 5-30 minutes long. Participants pick one or more of the “challenges” and begin their journey of discovery.
- Participants can share reflections and “Aha!” moments using the hashtags #unitedforequity, #equitychampions, and #DEequitychallenge, and can follow the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A private, monitored Facebook group will be available for deeper discussions
- A downloadable discussion guide will help participants explore topics with friends, family, and colleagues
So What’s Next?
That’s where the Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative comes in. The Collaborative is a statewide group of more than 200 community leaders working at the grassroots level to eliminate systemic racism in Delaware. In many ways, the Collaborative is ALL of us. But even THAT’s not enough. Defeating racism in Delaware is going to take resources.
Will you chip in right now to help end racism in Delaware?
Want To Set Up Your Own Racial Equity Challenge? We encourage your organization to roll out an equity challenge in your community! To learn more, contact Tierra Fair, Vice-President of Engagement & Partnerships, with your name, organization, email address, phone number, and logo– tfair@uwde.org or call 302-494-5442.
