Stand Against Racism

According to BJS’s National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), U.S. residents experienced an average of 250,000 hate crime victimizations each year from 2004 to 2015, and while a majority of those were not reported to the police, nearly half (48%) were motivated by racial bias during the 5-year aggregate period from 2011 to 2015. The presence of 17 active hate groups across the state of New Jersey, is testament to the fact that racism and white supremacy continues to operate in our communities and that now, more than ever, is the time to stand up together in the fight against it.

Stand Against Racism, popularly known as the STAND, was founded by YWCA Trenton and YWCA Princeton in 2007, and is now a signature campaign of YWCA USA. The STAND’s purpose is to build community among those who work for racial justice and to raise awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism in our communities. This campaign is one part of YWCA’s larger national strategy to fulfill our mission of eliminating racism.

The theme for the 2018 STAND is Our Power, Our Mission, Our Future. We believe that everyone has a role to play in civic engagement – everyone can take a STAND. This year we innovated the STAND to make it meaningful for all of our community members throughout the year, through the following range of upcoming civic engagement activities.

2018 STAND Upcoming Events

Thanks to popular demand, we are thrilled to bring to you a summer series of ongoing Stand Against Racism group discussions. All events are free and open to the public. The discussion will be held at YWCA Princeton’s Bramwell House Living Room, 77 Bayard Lane Princeton, NJ 08540.

2018 STAND Summer Series

Racism in Higher Education

When: Thursday, July 5, 2018 at 7:00 – 9:00 PM

Join us for a discussion on “Racism in Institutions of Higher Education” with Tennille Haynes, Director of the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding at Princeton University. She will discuss the issues of race, and racist events that happen in institutions such as Princeton University in her talk.

The Black Immigrant Experience

When: Tuesday, July 10, 2018 at 7:00 – 9:00 PM

Join us for a discussion on “The Black Immigrant Experience” with Toni-Anne Blake as a part of our 2018 Stand Against Racism Summer Series. Toni-Anne Blake is on the Board of Directors at VolunteerConnect. Given the current climate in America, it is so crucial that we talk about the experiences of all the members of our communities, especially the immigrant communities of color.

Racism and Generational Trauma

When: Thursday, July 19, 2018 at 7:00 – 9:00 PM

Join us for a talk with Kimme Carlos on “Racism and Generational Trauma.” Kimme Carlos is the Executive Director and Founder of the Urban Mental Health Alliance. She will help us dive into the issues of racism and generational trauma and how understanding this can help us better understand the actions of those around us.

To RSVP to any event from the STAND Summer Series, email us at rsvp@ywcaprinceton.org or call on 609-497-2100 x 383.

2018 STAND Past Events

Intergenerational Discussions on Race

When: October 2017 – March 2018

As a lead up to the stand, YWCA Princeton along with Corner House organized a series of five discussions on topics related to systemic racism. Each session comprised of attendees from varied walks of life, and was were led by a moderator.

NEXT GEN Stand Against Racism Happy Hour

When: Tuesday, April 17, 2018, 5:00 PM
Where: Salt Creek Grille, 1 Rockingham Row, Princeton, NJ 08540

The NEXT GEN Board took a Stand Against Racism with a Happy Hour, where community members were invited to meet, mingle and network with like-minded individuals who support the YWCA’s mission of empowering women and eliminating racism. They were also asked to join the hundreds of thousands of people across the country in taking the Stand Against Racism pledge, and learn about other Stand Against Racism events planned for April.

Poster Making Competition

When: April 1 – April 23, 2018

This contest was open to Princeton area teens to design a poster inspired by the Stand Against Racism Pledge and / or the 2018 theme, Our Power, Our Mission, Our Future. The first prize was won by John Liang, a junior at Princeton High School for his poster titled ‘Colorblind’. Two runners up winners received $75 each.