Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy

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The Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy

Monday, November 8 to Friday, November 16

In Cities, Communities, and Virtual Spaces Across the Country

The Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy—a national pulse point for multiracial democracy and cross-racial solidarity—is back! Across cities, towns, and virtual spaces, communities will come alive through music, storytelling, movement, and collective learning. It’s a time to shift the narrative, reclaim the deeper meaning of democracy, and elevate the power of culture to shape what comes next.

Strategic in its approach of meeting people where they are, moving them emotionally, and inviting them into collective action, the Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy provides a range of opportunities and events—some curated and some for you to design on your own.

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“We The People: A Week of Culture, Courage, and Collective Power Building.”

At a time when manufactured culture wars aim to divide and distract, joyful, public, and rooted cultural engagement becomes an act of imagination—and solidarity. It reminds us what we’re fighting for, and invites us to envision who we can become, together.

The Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy (CWA) is a canvas for creative expression and collective power. From curated national events to do-it-yourself gatherings shaped by local voices, it offers space to co-create moments that move us—through art, music, movement, and story. Each contribution helps shift the narrative and brings a just, multiracial democracy into view.

CWA provides the chance to build the country to which we aspire and know is possible. It’s time to say enough to the “culture wars” designed not to solve problems, but to divide us. The conflicts over identity, values, and belonging are playing out in our schools, on our screens, and across public life—fueled by those who fear a truly inclusive democracy.

These culture wars aren’t just symbolic—they shape laws and policies, school curricula, hiring and workplace culture, and how we experience freedom, safety, and belonging. At the core is a struggle over whose identities, stories, and values will define America’s future. The Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy will demonstrate that we are stronger when we are together, that we have more in common with each other than with the politicians who are making money off of dividing us.

But we have another path. One rooted in connection and celebration across communities, in shared culture, and collective power. The Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy reminds us that we are strongest when we stand together. By bridging our differences and honoring our truths, we can strengthen this country—so that “liberty and justice for all” includes every one of us.

What are Our Goals?

People walking around an art exhibit with various text and phrases

Reframe the public conversation: The culture wars and the resulting polarization often distort terms like “racial equity” or “democracy.” A week of action will center real stories and definitions—rooted in justice, community, and truth.
Move from “defense” to “vision”: Instead of just reacting to bans or attacks, a week of action will project a bold vision of multiracial democracy as something worth fighting for.
Lift up values: Emphasize shared values like fairness, dignity, participation, and safety—values that resonate beyond the tactics that politicians are using to divide us.

Create momentum: Through coordinated events, art, storytelling, and media, the week will generate visibility and urgency around racial justice and democratic participation.
Involve unlikely allies: A public-facing week of action will draw in every day people, colleagues, friends, community members, artists, educators, faith leaders, and others not usually engaged in direct political work, breaking out of silos.
Counter disinformation: By promoting accurate narratives in schools, workplaces, and community spaces, it disrupts the spread of fear-based distortions about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Critical Race Theory, and “wokeness.”

Bridge cultural work to civic action: Cultural programming (e.g., public art, discussions, performances, and more) can be paired with voter registration, town halls, or advocacy to influence local and national policy.
Show what democracy looks like: Events that center dialogue, repair, and collective decision-making offer living models of what inclusive democracy looks and feels like.
Expose authoritarian tactics: A coordinated week can shine a spotlight on censorship, language bans, book removals, and intimidation, tying them together as part of a broader attack on democracy.

Build local ownership: The week will take place across the country, connecting locally led events, allowing communities to reflect their specific histories and needs while connecting to a national effort.
Develop new leaders: Youth, artists, educators, and organizers can all find an entry point and deepen their engagement.
Foster resilience: Celebrating culture, identity, and shared struggle builds the kind of emotional and relational infrastructure needed to weather political attacks.

Create cultural meeting points: Music, food, and storytelling have the power to build bridges where political debates can’t. This softens divisions and opens space for listening.
Highlight intersectionality: Culture can illustrate how racial justice connects to LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, disability, and economic justice, building coalitions across movements.
Celebrate joy and resistance: A week of action reminds people that racial justice isn’t just about struggle—it’s about possibility, love, joy, and belonging.