Wilmington, DE – Monday, April 3, 2023 — YWCA Delaware, in partnership with YWCA USA, the nation's oldest and largest women's organization, launched their 2023 Until Justice Just Is (UJJI) campaign — formerly known as Stand Against Racism — which will run throughout the month of April and is intended to raise awareness of systemic racism and how each of us can take action to advance justice.

YWCA's first Director of Racial Justice, Dr. Dorothy Height, built a legacy of racial and gender justice that helped shape the civil rights movement. To carry forth her momentum in the movement for racial justice, YWCA USA introduced Until Justice Just Is to bring awareness to the pervasiveness of systemic racism and to act as a roadmap for how individuals, communities and corporations can take actionable steps to eliminate racism.

The theme of this year's Until Justice Just Is campaign is Advancing Justice: Ensuring Equity for All and will feature two main components: the 2023 YWCA Racial Justice Challenge, which runs online from April 17 - May 15, and YWCA Delaware's virtual Let's Talk panel discussions which will run on Mondays at 7 p.m. from April 24 - May 15.

Each panel discussion provides a platform for Delawareans to share their professional, academic, volunteer, or lived experiences as they relate to each weekly topic of the Racial Justice Challenge, which includes disability, housing, music, and mental health. These discussions aim to increase community engagement and public awareness of issues impacting our local communities. The Let's Talk schedule is:

April 24, Let's Talk Disability with guest speakers:

• LeTonya Wilson, Parent Advocate
• Carlean Ponder, Director of Disability Rights and Housing Policy, The Arc of the United States
• Dr. Sarah Curtiss, Assistant Professor of Special Education, University of Delaware

May 1, Let's Talk Housing with guest speakers:

• Eugene R. Young, Jr., Director of Delaware State Housing Authority
• Lisa Forever, LMSW, MSCJ, YWCA Delaware Chief Housing Officer
• Shyanne Miller, Community Organizer, H.O.M.E.S. Campaign

May 8, Let's Talk Music - guest speakers will be announced soon.

May 15, Let's Talk Mental Health with guest speakers:

• Marsha Akoto, Community-Based Counselor and Mental Health Fellow, Jewish Family Services
• Tomaro M. Pilgram, Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSc, MShs, HS-BCP, LMSW 

"We are so thankful for this year's incredible lineup of guest speakers who are willing to share their experiences on topics that help shape our world and to advocate for public policies that directly advance our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women," said Melissa Gonville, CEO of YWCA Delaware. "Our ability to share personal stories is a powerful way to connect and understand how daily realities of bias, prejudice and bigotry impact our well-being and society."

The YWCA Racial Justice Challenge is a virtual community of growth and learning open to anyone. It provides daily challenges such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, reflecting on personal experiences, and so much more to help participants build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership.

"This challenge represents a collective effort to understand the impacts of public policies and invites everyone to actively work together as a community to support public policy solutions that promote racial equity," said Rebecca Cotto, YWCA Delaware Director of Racial and Social Justice.

YWCA's Racial Justice Challenge content was designed and curated by YWCA Greater Cleveland, and music week was created in partnership with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

YWCA USA is also hosting a virtual Until Justice Just Is panel discussion on April 13 which will feature an array of experts, community leaders and elected officials to discuss the intersections between racism and housing disparities, how disability and mental health challenges increase the impacts of these disparities, and what we can do to address the most critical issues impacting communities of color today.

More information about YWCA's Until Justice Just Is campaign can be found at ywcade.org/racial-justice-challenge.

ABOUT YWCA DELAWARE

Founded in 1895, YWCA Delaware is committed to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. As a leading association among a national network of more than 200 YWCAs, YWCA Delaware touches the lives of thousands of women and families annually through the delivery of comprehensive human services. YWCA Delaware is a leader in the areas of economic empowerment, housing, racial and social justice, domestic violence and sexual assault response, and youth development. With a 24/7 crisis helpline and centers located in Wilmington, Newark, and Georgetown, YWCA Delaware serves as a highly effective, inclusive and uplifting force that empowers women and their families to achieve their full social and economic potential. Learn more at www.ywcade.org and follow @ywcade on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

ABOUT YWCA USA

YWCA USA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. We are one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation, serving approximately 2 million women, girls, and their families.

YWCA has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for more than 160 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform. Today, we combine programming and advocacy in order to generate institutional change in three key areas: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement of women and girls, and health and safety of women and girls.

For more information, visit ywca.org.

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