Racial Justice and Gender Equity Institute
The Racial Justice Institute (RJI) exists to achieve racial justice and healing by eliminating systemic barriers faced, especially by women of color. The RJI promotes:
Narrative change, by changing the conversation through greater awareness and understanding of race and gender
Behavior and practice change, by empowering individuals to advocate for themselves and empowering organizations and companies to change to support individuals, especially women, of color
Systemic change by advocating for policy reforms to support individuals, especially women, of color.
Eliminating Racism
Racial Justice Education and Advocacy
Our Racial Justice Education and Advocacy program’s primary goal is to support our community by providing the following services and products.
Comprehensive and customizable training and summits addressing the barriers faced by women of color,
Providing advocacy and education to all community members.
Racial Justice Virtual Library is an online, easily accessible compilation of articles, books, and podcasts with the purpose of educating and supporting community members who are interested in learning more about racial justice and advocacy.
Racial Justice Toolkit and consultation is designed to assist professionals in successfully navigating multicultural settings and interactions in the workplace.
Community collaborations focused on supporting communities of color and assisting in bringing about awareness and barriers.
Empowering Women
Economic Justice Education and Advocacy: Our Economic Justice Education and Advocacy program’s primary goal is to support our community by providing the following services and products:
Wage Equity Awareness Campaign
Comprehensive and customizable training and summits addressing the barriers faced by women, more specifically the occupational segregation of women in the workplace, dismantling glass ceilings, re-valuing the work historically and traditionally performed by women
Providing advocacy and education about women in the workforce
Community collaborations focused on bringing about awareness and grassroots changes
Systemic change working with policymaker
Economic Justice Education and Advocacy:
Our Economic Justice Education and Advocacy program’s primary goal is to support our community by providing the following services and products.
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Wage Equity Campaign
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Product Offering
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Resources, Advocacy & Research
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Virtual Library
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Why Can't They Just...?
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La Cuenta Pendiente
Narrative Change & Storytelling
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Why can't they just?
“Why Can’t They Just…?” shares the stories of women, served by YWCA and within the YWCA community, who have been experiencing poverty – from intergenerational to situational – and explores the systemic barriers that prevent them from living better lives and realizing their goals.
To learn more about this project visit our microsite “Whycanttheyjust.org
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Telenovela La Cuenta Pendiente / Outstanding Balance
Through powerful storytelling and culturally relevant narratives, La Cuenta Pendiente (Outstanding Balance) explores themes of racism, sexism, wage inequality, domestic violence, immigration struggles, poverty, and the challenges of single-parent childcare. The series highlights the lived experiences of women and families navigating these hardships while showcasing the strength of community collaboration as a pathway to justice and equity.
From the Racial Justice Department
Misty Harty, Director of Racial Justice and Gender Equity
Black History Month — A Call to Remember, Reflect, and Act
This Black History Month we hold close the stories of those who came before us — the ancestors whose courage paved the way and whose sacrifices demand more than remembrance; they demand action. As we’ve explored together in past collaborations and projects — from our Day of the Dead piece honoring lesser-known suffragettes to the RAISE workshops and restorative justice work — our work is always about centering history as a living guide for change. Honoring Blackhistory is not a single month of tribute; it is a continuous commitment to dismantling systems of harm, amplifying Black voices, and creating workplaces and communities where dignity is real for everyone.
I invite you to join us in practices that move us beyond words: attend our racial justice sessions, lean into the hard conversations in our learning circles, support the immigrant and newcomer families we serve at events like the Newcomers Resource Fair, and make your civic voice heard at the ballot box. Let this month be a catalyst — a time to study th"From the Desk of" for Black Historye past, to grieve and to celebrate, and then to act with intention. Together we can transform awareness into policies, conversations into healing, and remembrance into long-term justice.
In solidarity and purpose —
From the desk of Misty Harty
Director of Racial Justice and Gender Equity
(“igniting transformation” in every step)