Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy

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The Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy

Tuesday, October 27 to Tuesday, November 3, 2026

In Cities, Communities, and Virtual Spaces Across the Country

Race Forward’s Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy is back, and this year, we’re starting early! Beginning in August, communities and organizations across cities, towns, and virtual spaces will be invited to engage music, storytelling, movement, and collective learning to cultivate a culture of participatory democracy that works for all of us and helps us grow our democratic muscle ahead of this year’s midterm elections and beyond.

The official Cultural Week of Action will take place October 27-November 3, 2026, culminating a national campaign that uplifts solidarity narratives, cultural organizing, and community activations helping drive civic culture year-round.

At the heart of Cultural Week of Action is a renewed commitment to meeting people where they are and centering the importance of collective action. This year’s Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy will launch as part of Race Forward’s DemocracyIs: campaign.

We are living in a moment of racialized authoritarianism, a coordinated effort to criminalize dissent, weaken democratic institutions, and strip resources from the communities that have historically pushed this country toward multiracial democracy.

Preserving democracy requires more than defending existing systems as they are; it requires reimagining and redesigning them so they work for everyone. Beginning in August, this year’s Cultural Week of Action will feature a range of public offerings, access to resources and learnings from national leaders committed to cross-movement solidarity for multiracial democracy, and endless opportunities to gather—your way.

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Cultural Week of Action 2026 Celebrates Creative Civic Imagination, Leadership, and Participation

The Cultural Week of Action Campaign Seeks to:

People walking around an art exhibit with various text and phrases

How do our communities understand “racial equity” and “democracy?” We aim to center experiences and approaches that can help us arrive at shared definitions grounded in justice, truth, and community. A season of action allows us to affirm our shared values and paint a vivid picture of the democracy we are working for instead of feeding existing harmful narratives.

We know that the conversations that inform what we care about and how we respond take place every day, all around us, and are informed by our feelings, experiences, and opportunities. Over the next few months, The Cultural Week of Action campaign will explore new and trusted creative approaches to advancing democracy across a range of sectors, issue areas, and communities around the country that support expanded pathways to participatory democracy. How can creative mediums help us connect, lead with joy, and translate the possibilities for our democracy for the next 250 years? The Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy aims to remind us that we are strongest when we act together.

What if exercising civic power was as easy as brushing our teeth – for everyone and not just a privileged few? We aim to support and uplift efforts that pursue creative approaches to democracy as a vehicle for community power and illustrate what effective governance for all can look like when we are empowered to participate in and transform our democratic institutions beyond election cycles.