Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy (CWA) Funding Opportunity

Race Forward and Americans for the Arts are excited to announce a new initiative, the Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy. This annual event, hosted in partnership with local communities, brings people of all identities and backgrounds together to spark action towards creating a just, multiracial democracy. The inaugural event will be held Friday, September 27 through Saturday, October 5, 2024, in towns, cities, counties, and states across the country. Local projects and organizations can apply for funding to support their participation.

Together with local arts and culture institutions and community-based organizations, these events will spark conversations that touch on history, how it shapes our present, and how everyday people are organizing to build an equitable and racially just future. These events will also inspire action that community members can take together to create a truly, just, multiracial democracy—starting in their own neighborhoods.

This is what the Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy is about. It’s about bringing people together through arts, culture, and creativity, in order to:

• Learn about our history and how it shapes our present;
• Listen to the people most impacted by injustice in this country about how we advance a vision of a just, multiracial democracy;
• Elevate the work of local arts and culture institutions, particularly in communities of color, that can resonate this vision through truth-telling and creativity;
• Spark collective action to advance racial justice, so that we can make our vision into a reality.

APPLY FOR FUNDING

Race Forward and Americans for the Arts are seeking proposals from local organizations* for funding to participate in the first annual Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy (CWA) this September 27 to October 5, 2024. We anticipate funding 12 to 15 sites; participation in the CWA will also be encouraged and open to organizations not requesting funding. This is an opportunity to deepen commitments to racial justice and inclusive democracy through cultural activities.

We are excited to sponsor select projects to encourage deep, bold, and long-term change. Through a competitive process, 12-15 local communities that represent the diversity of our country will receive $25,000-$40,000 for cultural organizers and community partners to design and implement projects that align with the theme of Building the Bigger We.

Proposals are due on March 29, 2024.

Visit https://www.raceforward.org/projects-programs-%26-initiatives/cultural-week-of-action/apply-for-funding for more details.