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.
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.
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.
From the Racial Justice Department
Misty Harty, Director of Racial Justice and Gender Equity
JULY 2026
Honoring National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
As we reflected on National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month this July, we were reminded that mental health does not exist in isolation from race, culture, history, identity, or lived experience.
For generations, communities of color have carried the weight of systemic inequities, racial trauma, displacement, discrimination, and barriers to quality healthcare. Yet despite these challenges, conversations surrounding mental health in many communities have often been met with stigma, silence, or a lack of culturally responsive resources.
This month served as an important reminder that healing is a racial justice issue.
When individuals are unable to access care that acknowledges their culture, language, and experiences, inequities deepen. When workplaces fail to recognize the impact of stress, trauma, and bias on mental well-being, people suffer quietly. When communities are expected to be resilient without receiving support, we confuse survival with wellness.
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month challenged us to move beyond awareness and toward action. It invited us to examine how systems contribute to mental health disparities and how each of us can help create environments where seeking support is viewed as strength rather than weakness.
As we move forward, may we continue creating spaces where people are seen, heard, valued, and supported in their entirety. True equity requires more than access—it requires belonging, dignity, and the freedom to heal.
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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.
