Join our Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy campaign! This is an opportunity to deepen commitments to racial justice and inclusive democracy through cultural activations. Here’s how you can organize an event or activation in your community to build the necessary civic momentum for our midterm elections on November 3 and beyond:
Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy
On July 30, Race Forward hosted Cultural and Narrative Change for Multiracial Democracy, the final DemocracyIs: session and kickoff for this year’s Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy.
Led by Sughey Ramírez and featuring Cayden Mak, Milly Tamarez, and Sonny Singh, the conversation explored how art, storytelling, satire, music, and cultural strategy can help communities resist racialized authoritarianism, strengthen everyday democracy, and build the civic imagination needed for multiracial democracy.
The session offers inspiration and concrete strategies for using culture to challenge gatekeeping, develop community voices, invite difficult conversations, and respond to this political moment with creativity and collective power.
Activations are happening now through November 3, with the official Cultural Week of Action taking place October 27–November 3, 2026.
Watch the conversation, host an event, and add it to the national CWA map.
The Cultural Week of Action campaign is driven by community leaders like you. There are a few ways your organization, group, or company can participate in our campaign between August and November 3!
Become An Organizing Partner
As an Organizing Partner, you will receive:
- Promotion of your work via the CWA map and Race Forward social media channels
- Access to dedicated Office Hours with Race Forward’s CWA lead to discuss your CWA plans and any available resources or network connections
- Discounts to training and convenings, including our 2026 Facing Race conference in Raleigh, NC
To participate as an “Organizing Partner” for The Cultural Week of Action campaign, an organization or group must pledge to:
- Sign up for our map to host a CWA activation between July and November
- Pursue one of the following: Produce or collaborate on at least (1) original election-specific or democracy-forward resource to be shared with Race Forward audiences between August and October; 2) Recruit at least (2) partners to sign up for the map and host their own Cultural Week of Action activation between August and November; 3) Support the campaign’s mobilizing efforts with a financial contribution
- Complete a post-event or post-campaign evaluation to inform our Cultural Week of Action Report
- Include their name and logo in promotional materials
Examples of election specific or democracy forward resources include but are not limited to: toolkits for support with connecting with audiences, case studies on examples of representation, civic participation, or shared decision-making in communities, voter guides, research reports, message testing findings, and resources to assist with network, cultural, or communications strategy)
Sign up as a Community Partner
- Host an-person or virtual community gathering and sign up for our map so we can help you spread the word
- Already have an event scheduled? Sign up for our map and share the details with us.
- Interested in participating but don’t know where to start? Read on for some ideas and access to our event planning toolkit.
Organize your own cultural event or activation and post it on our map
Join us as a Community Partner! Our toolkit to help you organize your own activation. Here are some possibilities:
- Public installations or murals that celebrate racial justice and democratic principles.
- Teach-ins and storytelling events that reclaim banned histories and elevate lived experience.
- Pop-up exhibits or art shows on themes like freedom, community, and resistance.
- Community assemblies or forums on local democratic participation and racial equity.
- Faith gatherings focused on connection, healing, and spiritual grounding.
- Youth-led actions or performances highlighting their vision of the future
Attend Facing Race: A National Conference
November 12-14, 2026 | Raleigh, NC
Facing Race: A National Conference is the nation’s largest multiracial, intergenerational racial justice conference. This biennial, one-of-a-kind gathering serves as a vital intersection where community organizers, activists, artists, educators, and movement makers converge to build power and develop strategies to advance racial justice.
Facing Race offers attendees unprecedented access to resources, information, cultural experiences, and collaborative opportunities designed to push racial equity forward across movements, sectors, and communities.
Over its 15-year legacy, Race Forward has consistently delivered this transformative experience, convening thousands in cities over the years, including Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, Baltimore, Berkeley, New York, and St. Louis. Each chapter of Facing Race is intentionally rooted in place—honoring the people, histories, and movements that have shaped the fight for justice.
We are honored to convene Facing Race 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the land, the people, and the history remind us what it means to be deeply interconnected. Known as the City of Oaks, Raleigh symbolizes resilience and fortitude—communities whose strength lies in roots that cannot be severed.
