Advancing Racial Justice ↘
Racial justice is at the forefront of all of our work at the YWCA. YWCA Asheville's programs are designed to address inequities, gaps, and disparities created by institutional and structural racism. Through our policies, practices, and values we promote equity, inclusion, and diversity at the YWCA and throughout our community. We also support local, state, and national initiatives that contribute to the elimination of racism.
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Racial Justice Workshops
Join the YWCA to learn about racial justice concepts and develop a deeper understanding of racism.
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Until Justice Just Is
Campaign against racism that builds community for justice.
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Racial Justice Challenge
YWCA's Racial Justice Challenge: 4 weeks of activities, reflection, and action against racism.
Racial Justice Workshops ↘
YWCA Asheville first developed our Racial Justice Workshop for the staff of the YW to build a better understanding of our mission-based work.
YWCA’s Racial Justice Workshop is now offered to anyone in our community looking to grow their understanding of racism and racial justice. Or, contact us by email to schedule a Racial Justice Workshop specifically for your organization.
Workshop Goals
Become familiar with some of the shared language and concepts related to racial justice
Develop an understanding of how racism shows up in each of our lives
Become familiar with the YWCA’s racial justice framework
Explore the history of racial (in)justice in the United States and beyond
Upcoming Racial Justice Workshops
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This virtual workshop will take place on Wednesday, 11/13 and 11/20, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm each day. Please make sure your schedule allows you to attend all three sessions.
Register here.
Until Justice Just Is ↘
Until Justice Just Is (UJJI) is an annual campaign of YWCA USA, designed to build community among those who work for racial justice and raise awareness about the impact of institutional and structural racism. This campaign, which will take place the entire month of April, provides the opportunity for communities across the United States to unite their voices to educate, advocate, and promote racial justice. UJJI is one part of our larger national strategy to fulfill our mission of eliminating racism. This year, UJJI centers around the theme Building Bridges to Equity, and it will be based on the topics for the 2024 YWCA Racial Justice Challenge, which will be Bodily Autonomy, Women’s Financial Empowerment/Caregiving, Gun Violence, and Transportation.
Participate in community UJJI events
Members of the public, local businesses, groups, and organizations are invited to sign the Until Justice Just Is pledge and host their own Until Justice Just Is events.
Participate in the YWCA Racial Justice Challenge, beginning April 1, 2024.
Over the course of the month, YWCA of Asheville will create space to gather as a community to learn, discuss, and take action to support our mission to advance racial justice. UJJI is just the beginning; join us and support our mission every month.
Learn more at Justice.ywca.org/about
Racial Justice Challenge ↘
Previously known as the 21-Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge, the YWCA Racial Justice Challenge is the same program developed by YWCA and adopted nationwide.
Racial Justice Challenge is an exciting opportunity to dive deep into racial equity and social justice while participants investigate different subjects each week. In 2024, RJC participants will investigate the topics of Bodily Autonomy, Women’s Financial Empowerment/Caregiving, Gun Violence, and Transportation.
Participation in an activity like this helps us discover how racial injustice and social injustice impact our community. It allows us to connect with one another, and identify action steps to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination. This is an exciting opportunity to join a learning community dedicated to racial equity and social justice.
The 2024 Challenge begins in April. Sign up for our newsletter below be the first to sign up!
Racial Justice Coalition ↘
The YWCA of Asheville is a proud member of the Racial Justice Coalition in Asheville, which includes fourteen organizations working to become a national model for best practices and improved police-community relations.
One of the most influential initiatives the Racial Justice Coalition has spearheaded is the revision of the Asheville Police Department’s use of force policy. A community working group convened with the police department to revise the policy, which emphasizes de-escalation and accountability – holding officers to a higher standard than the North Carolina statute. The Asheville Police Chief has committed to training all officers to the new policy standards. Additional training on crisis interventions, body-worn cameras, implicit bias and use of tasers has been completed. We are hopeful these measures will reduce incidents of violence – specifically within our black and brown communities who are disproportionately impacted.
Another initiative that the RJC is leading the charge on is the push for Asheville City Council to follow through with their Reparations Resolution passed in 2020. The RJC is committed to healing and justice for and with the Black community in Asheville and Buncombe County and is advocating for a truly reparative process that includes economic and educational advancement, and 100% engagement and involvement of this community.
The Racial Justice Coalition includes representatives of organizations in Asheville and Buncombe County dedicated to racial justice. The Racial Justice Coalition comes together in the commitment to racial equity and to advocate for the rights of people of color. The Racial Justice Coalition includes: ACLU of WNC, ABIPA, Asheville-Buncombe Branch of the NAACP, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Building Bridges of Asheville, Carolina Jews for Justice/West, Center for Diversity Education at UNC-Asheville, Christians for a United Community, Democracy North Carolina, Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation, Elders Fierce for Justice, Mountain People’s Assembly, and YWCA of Asheville and WNC.
