“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.” – Barack Obama, inaugural address Yes, we need a national makeover. And it’s gonna take real work. By all of us. If we get it right, racial justice must be a cornerstone of this transformation. When we look racism straight in the eye–without ignoring its realities under the false pretense of colorblindness–we can make real progress in this new phase of the journey for justice. We can’t rely on a single leader and sit back and wait for change. Leadership and vision must come from each of us. The opportunity of this moment compels us to bring forth viable solutions to advance racial justice. We can, and must, demand racial equity in every policy for every person. That’s why the Applied Research Center and many partner organizations have developed the Compact for Racial Justice: An Agenda for Fairness and Unity. You can view it here. Here are four simple things you can do to begin the work of advancing racial justice in this new era: 1. Sign the pledge to support the Compact. 2. Ask organizations to which you belong to endorse the Compact. 3. Send the Compact link to ten friends, post it on blogs, and ask others to sign on. 4. Stay tuned at RaceWire and ARC’s website for upcoming actions you can take. Racial equity is possible. Join this effort and be a part of the change you seek.