250 years in, the work of democracy remains unfinished. And the promise of freedom is highly contested. Race Forward’s DemocracyIs: campaign brings together organizers, advocates, artists, civil servants, philanthropic partners, and storytellers to imagine and build a democracy that’s truly of, by, and for the people.
The colon is intentional. It’s an invitation to define democracy and organize to make it real.
250 Years of History and The Next Expansion of Democracy
Glenn Harris, president of Race Forward, explores the tension between Juneteenth and July 4th and argues that democracy cannot be built while avoiding race. He traces how Black freedom struggles are inextricably linked to our collective freedom and makes the case that co-governance is the next democratic expansion.
I Know What It Feels Like to Be Governed and to Be Left Out
Eric K. Ward, executive vice president of Race Forward, reflects on growing up in Los Angeles and what it felt like to be governed without belonging. He argues that today’s racialized authoritarianism is attacking the civic floor, and that the answer is governance with real power, shared decision-making, and movements willing to claim government rather than abandon it.
I was a National Park Ranger for 32 years and Now I’m Speaking Out About Censorship
#RaceAnd Democracy: (Re)Imagining the Next 250 Years
Five-part conversation series with organizers, scholars, artists, and practitioners interrogating democracy through the lens of race, place, solidarity, and narrative power. One ticket grants access to all sessions and recordings. Sessions run June 18 through July 30.
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| June 18, 2026 | Repairing Place, Rebuilding Power with Carolyn Johnson, Winta Yohannes, JT Flowers |
| June 23, 2026 | Justice & Belonging with Glenn Harris, Michael McAfee, john a. powell |
| July 2, 2026 | Co-Governing New Futures |
| July 16, 2026 | Global Solidarity with Scot Nakagawa, Bernadett Sebaly |
| July 30, 2026 | Cultural and Narrative Change with Nikko Viquiera, Sughey Ramirez |
The Case for Co-Governance
The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence finds democracy at a crossroads in the United States. How can we defend and reclaim American democracy, and how do we build new strategies and structures that can truly honor its unfulfilled promise of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” for all?
Race Forward and Partners for Dignity & Rights are curating this series from multiple voices looking at how co-governance can offer solutions to this question.
Get DemocracyIs: essays, stories, and actions — delivered throughout the campaign and beyond.