Eliminating Racism

YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism and empower women. Because we know that we cannot empower all women without confronting systemic racism, we act by raising awareness of the impacts of institutional and structural racism and by building community among those who work for racial justice.

This year, our racial justice campaign, Until Justice Just Is (UJJI), centers around the theme Equity in Action: Exposing Myths and Redefining Justice, and it will be based on the topics for the 2025 YWCA Racial Justice Challenge, which will be:

Age of Misinformation / Disinformation
Interpersonal Racism
The American Dream
Racialization of Crime

Challenge Purpose:

The YWCA Racial Justice Challenge aims to create a dedicated space for personal reflection and communal responsibility around issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership. It encourages participants to identify and take action to dismantle racism at personal, professional, and systemic levels.

Challenge Format:

-The Challenge lasts four weeks, with daily activities provided through an app and website.
-Activities include articles, videos, podcasts, self-reflection exercises, discussions, and advocacy efforts.
-No activities on weekends, with each week focusing on a different topic related to racial inequity.
-The shared content sequence will progress from historical context to current realities and projected future trends. It will also include opportunities for individuals to reflect on their behaviors and biases, along with actionable steps to drive change personally and at the societal level.

Join the challenge here

To continue your educational journey about racial justice throughout the year, you can access additional curated resources. We believe that this journey is not just about acquiring knowledge but about cultivating empathy, understanding, and meaningful action. It's a lifelong commitment to challenging biases, dismantling systemic inequalities, and fostering a more just society.

We recognize that each person's learning style is unique, and that's why our resources come in various forms - from articles and books, to podcasts and documentaries. We encourage you to explore these resources with an open heart and mind, engaging with diverse perspectives and voices to deepen your understanding and contribute positively to the ongoing dialogue on racial justice. Together, let's take meaningful steps towards a more equitable and just world.

YWCA’s commitment to racial justice and civil rights runs deep. Since the 1800s, Black and Native women have been providing leadership in YWCA’s movement and, because of the leadership of women of color, in 1946 YWCA began working for integration throughout the organization, adopting an “interracial charter” that established that “wherever there is injustice on the basis of race, whether in the community, the nation, or the world, our protest must be clear and our labor for its removal, vigorous, and steady.” That work culminated in the creation of YWCA’s One Imperative in 1970: To thrust our collective power towards the elimination of racism, wherever it exists, by any means necessary.

1890s - First African American YWCA branch opened in Dayton, Ohio. First YWCA for Native American women opened in Oklahoma.

1909 - YWCAs International Institutes featured bilingual instruction to help immigrant women.

1915 - YWCA held the first interracial conference in the south, at Louisville, Kentucky.

1930s - YWCA encouraged members to speak out against lynching and mob violence, for interracial cooperation rather than segregation and for efforts to protect African American's basic civil rights.

1942 - YWCA extended its services to Japanese American women and girls incarcerated in World War II Relocation Centers.

1946 - YWCA adopted its Interracial Charter - eight years before the United States Supreme Court decision against segregation.

1950s - As African countries became independent, the United States sent leaders who moved from village to village to tell the YWCA story and help women marshal their own leadership and resources to create indigenous YWCAs in Kenya, Uganda, Rhodesia, South Africa and elsewhere. Uganda achieved remarkable participation - 90 percent of women were YWCA members by the 1990s.

1960 - The Atlanta YWCA cafeteria opened to African Americans, becoming the city's first desegregated public dining facility. Separate black YWCA branches and facilities were integrated into the whole.

1963 - The National Board of the YWCA became a sponsoring agency for the summer March On Washington in support of civil rights. The National Board voted support for A Direct Action Program, two-year project to complete desegregation of Community YWCAs.

1965 - The YWCA National Board created the Office of Racial Justice to lead the civil rights efforts and appointed Dr. Dorothy Height as director.

1966 - The National Board voted to participate in Project Equality and reassessed its business dealings with companies that have discriminatory employment practices. The National Board withdrew its funds from the Chase Manhattan Bank and others that overtly participated in the South African Consortium.

1969 - Racial Justice Institutes were held in eight locations around the United States.

1970 - The YWCA National Convention, held in Houston, adopted the One Imperative. "To thrust our collective power toward the elimination of racism, wherever it exists, by any means necessary." The resolution passed and renewed effort went into racial justice work. The National Board's Office of Racial Justice convened four conferences for women of color seeking input; affirmative action workshops were held to teach YWCAs how to implement strategies; nationwide Web of Racism conferences helped members recognize the layering of racism in jobs, housing, schools, institutions and daily lives.

1980s and 1990s - Work on racial justice continued through public policy action on legislation, through collaborations and by hosting the YWCA Racial Justice Convocation  bringing together key civil rights leaders, public officials, and university representatives  to develop blueprints for racial justice training.

1992 - The YWCA National Day of Commitment to Eliminate Racism began in response to the beating of Rodney King, an African American, the acquittal of four white Los Angeles police officers accused of the crime,  and the subsequent riots and unrest across the country. The annual event is held April 30.

1995 - The YWCA Week Without Violence was created as a nationwide effort to unite people against violence in our communities. The annual observance is held the third week of October.

2001 - Steps to Absolute Change was adopted. The YWCA shifted from a top down to a bottom up grassroots organization. Local associations joined regions and elected their regional representatives to the National Coordinating Board. They also adopted a focus on Hallmark Programs - the Economic Empowerment of Women and Racial Justice, set in place the goal for a revitalized brand identity and put a renewed emphasis on advocacy, developing leaders under 30 and enhancing connections with the World YWCA.

2006 - Igniting the Collective Power of the YWCA to Eliminate Racism -- moving the conversation to the next level, the YWCA USA's Summit on Eliminating Racism, is held in Birmingham, Alabama, bringing together associations from across the country to explore YWCA best practices and create a plan for full equality for all.