Racial Justice
What We Believe
We believe America draws its strengths from its ideals — those of equal justice, inclusion, and empowerment reflected in the Declaration of Independence. The extent to which America has lived up to those ideals has unleashed unprecedented progress for our country.
Unfortunately, our country has never fully lived up to these ideals. And where there have been violations of these founding principles, legal, cultural, and social barriers have and continue to disproportionately harm people of color — Black Americans in particular.
The only way to address these injustices is to unite people to more fully live America’s ideals. The Stand Together community partners with people and organizations that are doing this and helping to break the barriers holding people back. Below is a snapshot of those efforts, with a more comprehensive overview available here.
Partnership Highlights
Heal America is a movement to fight racial injustice with love and redemption. Inspired by Dr. King’s principles of non-violence, in 2018 the late Bishop Omar Jahwar created Heal America to breathe new life into the power of those ideals — quickly growing from a series of local events into a community of changemakers across the country. With the passing of Bishop Omar in March 2021, Urban Specialists, Stand Together, and thousands of advocates committed to carry forth his vision for a national movement that unites all people to pursue solutions and more fully realize America’s ideals.
The principles of Heal America are also informed by Bishop Omar and Urban Specialists’ more than 23 years of proven experience navigating peace and leading community change. As part of their signature 3-I Methodology, Urban Specialists utilizes the experience of people closest to the problem and cultural influencers to strengthen urban neighborhoods from the inside out. Now led by Antong Lucky, these changemakers build intentional partnerships that can transform communities in cities across America.
dfree® is a faith-based financial movement that works with tens of thousands of Black Americans. dfree® empowers individuals to achieve financial freedom. dfree® is also creating a larger movement that celebrates asset building and upward mobility. In partnership with Stand Together Foundation, dfree® has set a goal of educating, inspiring, and enabling one million Americans to collectively pay down $1 billion in debt and to generate wealth creation through savings and investments.
The Stand Together community partnered with One America Movement, a national nonprofit confronting toxic polarization in our society, to equip faith communities in Chicago and Jackson, Mississippi, to bridge political, racial, and religious divides.
Unite for a Better Education I Derrell Bradford
Stand Together is partnering with Derrell Bradford, executive director of 50CAN, to tackle racial injustices in education. That includes eliminating policies like a residential assignment that disproportionately prevent people of color from accessing quality education.
The Bill of Rights Institute (BRI)
Stand Together partners with the Bill of Rights Institute (BRI) to provide tools and resources to students, teachers, and parents, helping them to seek knowledge and engage in civil discourse around America’s founding principles. The application of those principles, such as what it means to strive for equal justice for all, is increasingly important today.
As part of the Stand Together community, the Charles Koch Foundation supports initiatives that increase access to education and support students in their journey to realize their potential. One example is UNCF/Koch Scholars Program, which was established in partnership with Koch Industries and UNCF to provide Black students with scholarships, mentoring, and networking opportunities through online discussions and an annual summit that explores how the principles of entrepreneurship can improve communities and create a more inclusive society.
Criminal Justice Reform | Brian Hooks
For decades, the United States has addressed the criminal justice system in two narrow ways: You’re either tough on crime or you’re soft on crime. These false choices have led to a broken system that disproportionately harms Black Americans. See how Stand Together partners with unlikely collaborators to make real progress on criminal justice reform.
Transforming Education for Every Student | LeBron James Family Foundation
In 2020, Stand Together and the LeBron James Family Foundation brought thoughtful and dynamic leaders together to launch The Huddle — a national conversation about how we can provide access to quality education for all students, regardless of the neighborhood in which they live. Speakers and panelists included award-winning authors, national activists, nonprofit leaders, student activists, and I PROMISE partners.
