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Dear John,

As we mark May—a month dedicated to both Asian American, Native
Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage (AANHPI) and National Historic
Preservation—we find ourselves confronting a stark reminder of why
cultural preservation and community resistance matter more than ever.

Just days ago, hundreds of arts organizations across the country
received devastating news:
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their National Endowment for the Arts grants have been abruptly
canceled, with the Trump administration proposing to eliminate the
agency entirely.

We want to be clear: The assault on cultural funding isn't merely a
budget decision—it's an attempt to control which stories get told, which
histories are preserved, and which communities' voices are amplified in
our national narrative. Preservation and cultural expression become
battlegrounds for the soul of our democracy when the work of artists,
cultural bearers, and art institutions is deemed unworthy of support.

In this moment, narrative and cultural organizing become essential
strategies for resistance and transformation. By bringing communities
together through creative expression, Cultural Week of Action 2025
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will leverage cultural power to build the solidarity and collective
imagination we need to envision and create more just futures.

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Today's threats to arts funding and cultural expression echo historical
patterns of erasure that AANHPI communities have long resisted:

In response to discriminatory immigration laws, such as the Chinese
Exclusion Act, Chinese American communities fostered resilience by
establishing their own newspapers, cultural organizations, and community
archives.
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When Japanese American history was threatened with erasure after
internment, community members fought to preserve camp sites
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as national historic landmarks, transforming places of trauma into
powerful educational spaces that ensure these injustices are never
forgotten.

Native Hawaiian protectors of sacred sites like Mauna Kea demonstrate
that cultural preservation is inseparable
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from governance and self-determination.

Filipino American documentation of agricultural labor organizing ensures
that histories of multiracial solidarity remain vital references for
contemporary movements.

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Join us on Thursday, May 29 for "Cultural Sustainability: Protecting the Assets
and Narrative of Our Multiracial Democracy through Preservation," a
webinar exploring how preservation advances justice, belonging, and
narrative power in policy and community life.

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Race Forward in the News

A look back at Trump's first 100 days in office

One hundred days into the 47th U.S. Presidency, the administration's
actions have been detrimental to several of our nation's communities.
Race Forward President Glenn Harris joined The Daily Drum on WHUR 96.3
FM to discuss the impact so far and what to expect moving forward.

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Watch the Full Interview
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Your Rage Is Justified, But Don't Forget Who You're Fighting

In our fight against authoritarianism, we need each other now more than
ever. In his latest for NewsOne, Race Forward Executive Vice President
Eric Ward speaks to the political exploitation of antisemitism in this
moment, the dangers of movement fracture, and why principled partnership
is critical to defending democracy.

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SOURCE: Bryan Dozier/Getty

Read it Here
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What's next?

Apply for Our 2025-26 Policy Innovation Lab Cohort

Are you part of a coalition working to transform policy at the
intersections of race and climate justice? Through the Policy Innovation
Lab, Race Forward creates a space where coalitions can collaborate,
strategize, and develop approaches that position impacted communities as
decision-makers over policies that directly affect their lives.

See how your coalition can join our 2025-26 cohort, where you'll engage
with like-minded groups to support active policy campaigns.

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Apply by May 16!
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#RaceAnd Cultural Sustainability — Thursday, May 29

Sustainability often focuses on environmental resources; however,
cultural sustainability is also needed to protect the stories, spaces,
and creative legacies that define our collective humanity. These choices
shape how future generations understand identity, justice, and
belonging.

Our next #RaceAnd event will explore preservation through the lens of
racial equity. Join us for a discussion with speakers who bring
cross-sector insights from federal service, cultural heritage, and
narrative strategy. Together, they'll examine how preservation can be a
tool for justice—and how we shape the legacies we leave behind.

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RSVP for May 29!
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Learning Lab: Reimagining Research for Racial Justice — June 11

Historically and currently, research has been framed as an objective
process and has been used to harm communities, justify racial
inequities, and uphold oppressive systems. However, communities have
engaged with a range of research methods that are rooted in liberatory
movement practices.

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Join us for our next Learning Lab, Reimagining Research for Racial
Justice. This one-time, three-hour training will introduce frameworks
for using research towards racial justice by centering community needs
and movement strategies that build power.

By the end of this training, participants will:

* Build deeper reflective racial equity practice as researchers

* Apply a values-driven action research framework that draws from movement
strategies

* Translate values to principles to tangible practices across methods and
during different stages of the research process

* Discuss and apply anti-racist and liberatory research ethics and
principles, tools, and resources for critical methodologies

* Discuss and apply new insights for the role of research in contributing
to building community power and impacting the material conditions for
those most impacted by oppressive systems.

Join Us June 11!
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Cultural Power for Change!

From the Freedom Songs of the Civil Rights Movement to storytelling from
the Indigenous Land Back Movement to the murals of the Black Lives
Matter movement, cultural organizing has always been central to
advancing justice.

Today, we face coordinated efforts to control narratives, erase
histories of resistance, and suppress our voices. Our response must be
equally coordinated.

Just Narratives for Multiracial Solidarity, the anchor event of Cultural
Week of Action 2025, is bringing together communicators, cultural
workers, and movement builders to build on this legacy and create the
narrative and cultural power needed for this moment.

Register Today!
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Take action

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We Make History Everyday

Racial justice isn't history. Racial justice is happening every day.

Shop online at our new store and choose from an array of products like
shirts, water canteens, hats, and sweaters. No matter the weather, we
make history together!

Shop Our Store Today!
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Subscribe to The Fire We Face Newsletter

The Fire We Face is a newsletter for those committed to protecting
democracy, racial equity, and public service in the face of systemic
threats. As we monitor the Trump Administration's embrace of Project
2025 and other anti-democratic, racist initiatives, The Fire We Face
will document actions targeting federal agencies and civil servants
striving to serve the public equitably. Through in-depth analysis,
reflections, and tangible examples, this newsletter aims to empower
readers with the knowledge to understand and navigate these challenges.

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Sign up here for updates!
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Follow us on Bluesky!

Given the current political climate and our declining engagement on
Twitter, we have made the decision to remain inactive on Twitter until
further notice.

To keep the conversation going, we encourage you to join us on Bluesky.
Be a part of an ever-growing network of racial justice advocates as we
continue to share engaging content that moves the needle to a just,
multiracial democracy.

Follow @raceforward.org
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John, what we preserve today shapes what we can
build tomorrow. When we maintain control of our histories and cultural
expressions, we aren't just resisting erasure—we're creating the
conditions for a vibrant, just multiracial democracy where all
communities can thrive with purpose and power, regardless of which way
political winds blow.

In solidarity,

Race Forward

Services for Organizations

Race Forward is committed to transformational, sustainable change for
racial justice. We provide services to help organizations develop and
advance racially equitable policies and practices.

Our services are developed and delivered by a multiracial and
multigenerational team of experts with extensive knowledge and
experience in various areas, including policy and program development,
leadership development and strategic coaching, community organizing, and
racial equity.

Learn More
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