Just one week until the 2012 Stand Against Racism!  Already more than 160 local organizations have signed up to take part, making the Rochester area the largest Stand in the nation to date! 

Our thanks to the many community leaders, businesses, organizations, and committed individuals who created their own unique ways to mark the day.  Special thanks to Monroe County and the City of Rochester for proclaiming April 27th, 2012 “Stand Against Racism Day.”  From International corporations like Xerox to Girl Scout Troop # 416, the message is the same: Together. A Stronger Community. 
  

How to Get Involved

There is no cost to sign up and there are many ways to participate. Examples include: sign a pledge against racism, hold a workshop, host a speaker or facilitated discussion, have a “race against racism” or other outdoor activity, or incorporate music, poetry or inspirational readings.  Or simply sit down with a person of a different color over coffee or lunch—small acts can mean a lot.  Even distributing flyers, wearing a button, and inviting others to take a Stand helps raise awareness and can spark meaningful conversations. 

You can also attend one of these events open to the public:

A special Kick Off Celebration will be held from 7:30 – 8:30 am on the 27th at Geva Theatre Center for “Coffee and Superior Donuts” with Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks and Rochester Deputy Mayor Leonard Redon. The morning will feature a performance by Barbara Blaisdell as Susan B. Anthony and David Anderson as Frederick Douglass.

Barnes & Noble in Greece Ridge Mall will host a special diversity Story Time from 10:30-11 am on April 27th for young children featuring age-appropriate books on celebrating differences.

ACT Rochester will deliver a report on “Race-Ethnicity Community Disparities,” from noon to 1 pm at the Rundel Memorial Building, Harold Hacker Hall, Central Library. This event is sponsored by ACT Rochester, Central Library, and the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library

United Methodist Church of North Chili, in collaboration with the Greater Rochester Community of Churches, will host “A Time of Prayer and Reflection on the Elimination of Racism: Examining Racism in Spatial, Institutional, Environmental, and Individual” at 7:00 pm on April 27th

On May 1st and 3rd, the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library will host “A Conversation on Race: A Process of Discovery” with representatives from the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Non Violence, the Center for Dispute Settlement, NCBI, and Asbury First United Methodist Church. For more information, call (585) 428-8350.

Interested in helping to spread the word? 

Click here to download an event flyer.  Click here to download a poster.  Click here to download a postcard. 
 

Get Creative!

Looking for ideas on how you can create your own way to mark the Stand?  Click here for a list.  Remember, even small acts can mean a lot.  Click here to print and sign a personal pledge against racism - there's even a youth version to begin the conversation with your child.  To view photos from 2011 for additional ideas, click here. 

Why Take A Stand?

As an organization that focuses on making a difference in the lives of women and girls in our community, we are reminded daily of the interface between poverty and race. So how do we address these issues, beyond providing the best services we can?

Four years ago, YWCAs, along with many community partners across the country began an annual awareness-building day to emphasize that while there has been progress on race, there’s more work to do. The event was endorsed by Governors of five states and over a quarter million individuals participated in 2010.

Our local YWCA decided to participate in this effort for the first time in 2011 by engaging diverse sectors of business, education, government, religious and other organizations and creating opportunities to work together to build a stronger community.

For a list of participating sites, click here.

15 Community Leaders & 4th Graders at Virgil I. Grissom School Share in Support of the Stand

To download a copy of this video, click here.

Questions? Please contact Tim Newton at (585) 368-2212 or tnewton@ywcarochester.org.