The Social Justice Challenge is a signature campaign of YWCA USA to build community among those who work for equity and social justice to raise awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural inequities in our communities.Through this challenge we will all stand against racial, gender, and social injustice until justice just is.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn and engage with curated information on equity and social justice efforts exploring the Past, Present, and Future of Ohio and the United States of America. This year’s challenge includes strategies for self-care to prevent burnout, especially for those whose work revolves around community and social services

Participation in this virtual community of growth helped us to discover how racial, gender, and social injustice impact our community, to connect with one another, and to identify ways to dismantle discrimination.

JOIN US! We invite you to join us by rallying to make change for communities of color and telling the world that we won’t stop until justice just is!

Our collective efforts can root out injustice, transform institutions, and create a world that sees women, girls, and people of color the way we do: Equal. Powerful. Unstoppable.

INVEST IN YOUR EQUITY & SOCIAL JUSTICE DEVELOPMENT

Equity work is consistently underfunded. YWCA Greater Cincinnati needs your help to continue to provide high quality programming like our Social Justice Challenge.

Make a investment in your own social justice development and encourage others to take the challenge and match your investment.

Invest in Social Justice

Past Social Justice Challenges

  • Participants in 2023 had the opportunity to learn and engage with curated information on racial inequity within the following topics:

    • Crossroads of Culture

    • Intersection of the Isms

    • Junction of Justice

    • Lanes of Liberation

    Participation in this virtual community of growth helped hundreds of people to discover how racial and social injustice impact our community, to connect with one another, and to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination.

  • Participants in 2022 had the opportunity to learn and engage with curated information on racial inequity within the following topics:

    • Critical Race Theory

    • Racial Wealth Gap

    • The Power of Representation

    • Health Equity

    Participation in this virtual community of growth helped 1,074 of people to discover how racial and social injustice impact our community, to connect with one another, and to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination.

  • In 2021, the campaign addressed Racism as a Public Health Crisis.

    Structural racism plays a large role in determining the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and affects people’s access to quality housing, education, food, transportation, political power, and other social determinants of health. Understanding and addressing systemic racism from this public health perspective is crucial to eliminating racial and ethnic inequities, and to improving opportunity and well-being across communities.

    We invited folks to join us by taking the pledge and deepening the conversation on racism as a public health crisis via social media.

  • The 2020 Stand Against Racism features a social media campaign to raise awareness of the myriad racial justice issues that pose barriers to civic engagement for communities of color while exploring how the tools of civic engagement can advance the work of justice in your community and empower people of color.

  • In 2019, YWCA USA hosted a policy briefing on Capitol Hill: “Ensuring Safety and Opportunity for Immigrant Women.” In collaboration with YWCA’s across the country, organizations raised our collective voice around the critical racial justice issue of supporting and protecting immigrant women, children, families, and communities.

  • The 2018 Stand Against Racism featured the Regional Coalition Against Hate. Representatives from coalition member agencies shared stories and their experiences with having Courage Under Fire. Community members had the opportunity to learn more about the coalition, including how to get involved.

  • The 2017 event on April 27, 2017, featured spoken word poet Kendall Young, the (CA) ^2Dance Crew, and addresses from local community leaders including United Way’s Stephanie Byrd, Ashlee Consulting’s Aerial Ashlee, UC Law’s Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice’s Emily Houh, Santa Maria Community Service’s Luz Elena Schemmel, and Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco