Riverside Area Organizations Working on Racism and Equity Issues
Following are organizations in the Riverside area focusing on issues of racism and equity. The list includes brief descriptions taken from their websites. The list is intended to provide information for individuals and for organizations who can then pursue partnerships for joint advocacy and education.
African American Historical Society: Preserves the Inland Empire’s African-American culture and historical heritage. Currently developing a Civil Rights Institute in Riverside.
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO: First and only national organization of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers, and their allies advancing worker, immigrant and civil rights. APALA is dedicated to promoting political education and voter registration programs among AAPIs, and to the training, empowerment, and leadership of AAPIs within the labor movement and APA community. Furthermore, APALA works to defend and advocate for the civil and human rights of AAPIs, immigrants and all people of color.
Black Equity Initiative of the Inland Empire: Composed of Inland Empire organizations that share a desire to improve social conditions through empowerment, education, and policy change. It is guided by a deep commitment to the liberation and self-determination of black people.
Black Lives Matter IE: The mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities. We affirm our humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.
Black Voice Foundation: Trains and educates individuals in various forms of media. Has a variety of projects in the fields of education, professional development, media, history, and the arts. Provides Black Voice News which is a newsletter and the Footsteps to Freedom Underground Railroad tours among many other projects.
BLU Educational Foundation: BLU manages several education and civic engagement programs that create a comprehensive approach to the goal of building productive communities. BLU convenes groups around issues impacting communities of color in the Inland Empire.
CA Antiracist Alliance (CARA): Alumni from phase 1 and phase 2 of the Racial Equity Institute trainings many of whom work with antiracism organizations, will meet for continued support. Will also become the site to schedule training on antiracist activities.
Center Against Racism and Trauma (CART): Dedicated to fighting against racism by offering counter narratives to the racist propaganda of the day and training adults and a new generation of youth in anti-racism ideology and strategies.
Center for Social Innovation at UCR: Integrates researchers, community organizations, and civic stakeholders in collaborative projects and long-term partnerships that strengthen shared values of resilience, inclusion, sustainability, and equity (RISE). Activities include collaborative research, policy innovation, and narrative change.
Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties: A museum, archive, and educational center in Riverside operated by the Riverside Community College District, with a focus on social issues, civil rights, and Inland Empire history.
Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE): Established in 2000 by a core group of pastors with a mission to “train and develop the capacity of religious and lay leaders in congregations and across the Inland Empire to protect and revitalize the communities in which they live, work and worship”.
Giverside: A platform for charitable organizations to share their current needs, allowing Riverside County community members to partner in meeting those needs.
The Group (on Facebook): Provides a forum for discussing and responding to community issues that affect Riverside, especially the African-American community.
Indivisible 41: Covers congressional district 41. Goal is to engage in organized, peaceful, and lawful exercise of civil rights to influence government at all levels. Political activism includes supporting candidates in California, fund raising, and organizing events for progressive causes.
Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ICIJ): 35 organizations that collectively advocate and work to improve the lives of immigrant communities while working toward a just solution to the immigration system. A coalition that engages in policy advocacy, community organizing, and education, and rapid response to ICE and border patrol operations. Builds organizational capacity and provides resources through training, technical support, and grants to coalition partners.
Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC): Brings people together to strengthen families and improve communities. Faith in Action believes in a society free of economic oppression, racism and discrimination in which every person lives in a safe and healthy environment, is respected and included, and has agency over the decisions that shape their lives.
Inland Empire Community Foundation: Strengths the Inland Empire through philanthropy based on values of integrity, inclusion, excellence, collaboration and knowledge.
Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches: The purpose is to unify the African American church, the community’s voice and resources to effect improvement and keep resources within communities. We believe the best way to do this is through the unified, collaborative efforts of the churches within those communities. The church has always been the center of the African American community. The IECAAC looks to continue and expand the church in order to improve the socio-economic situations of our communities at-large.
Inland Empire RISE (Roadmap for an Inclusive and Sustainable Economy): Two-county collaborative that works towards amplifying community voices around a unified vision and activating shared values to reform systems to make them truly equitable. The vision is grounded in racial, gender, and LGBTQ equity, and gives explicit attention to communities historically excluded by immigration status, ability, age, or other factors.
Includes a racial justice track that focuses on Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and other racially disenfranchised communities having inclusive and equitable access to resources for a more sustainable, thriving economy by prioritizing equality where they live, work, and learn.
Inland Equity Partnership (formerly California Partnership): An economic justice coalition of community groups organizing and advocating for policies that reduce poverty. Engages in state and local budget advocacy and identifies revenue solutions and organizes to build power and leadership among low-income and people of color communities.
LULAC of Riverside Council 3190: League of United Latin American Citizens seeks to provide resources and advocacy in educational attainment, civil rights, economic development and health for Latino/Latinas and other marginalized communities in Riverside.
NAACP - Inland Empire Chapter: Promotes the advancement of civil rights work and helps to build advocacy capacity in local communities. NAACP is the oldest civil rights organization in the country with the mission to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
Riverside All of Us or None: Part of a national organizing initiative addressing discrimination and human rights abuses faced by incarcerated/ formerly incarcerated people.
Racial Equity Institute: Designed to provide learning experiences to leaders and organizations who want to proactively understand and address racism, both in their organization and in the community where the organization is working. Alliance of trainers, organizers, and institutional leaders devoted to creating racially equitable organizations and systems.
Riverside Black Chamber of Commerce: Empowers and inspires minority entrepreneurs in their indigenous communities to be successful.
Riverside Coalition for Police Accountability: Grassroots coalition and political action group in Riverside committed to improving relations between the Riverside Police Department (RPD) and the community. Is dedicated to establishing public accountability for the RPD and believes that the RPD should serve all people of Riverside regardless of race, ethnicity, age, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, handicap, or religious belief.
Riverside Latino Network: Provides a forum to address community issues affecting and impacting the Latino community.
Riverside Speaks Up - The Community’s Police (on Facebook): Public group offering news and information about police reform efforts in Riverside from a grassroots community perspective. A partnership between Riverside Coalition for Police Accountability, The Group, the NAACP Riverside Chapter, The ACLU of Southern CA/IE Office plus All of Us or None.
Riverside University Health System-Public Health: Dedicated to the elimination of health inequities in Riverside County, the Health Equity Committee examines issues relating to the health of ethnic, linguistic and sexual minorities throughout the region. Also focused on institutional and historic racism and homophobia and other issues linked to social justice and social determinants of health. Public health also has a Black Infant Health Program.
Riverside University Health Systems- Behavioral Health (search for cultural competency program): Numerous initiatives focus on ethnic populations to reduce stigma around mental health and provide improved access to mental health services for minority populations. Initiatives also focus on services to LGBTQ populations.
SBX Youth and Family Services: The mission is to break the cycle of poverty and violence through mentoring, education, and community organizing.
Southern CA/Nevada Conference of United Church of Christ: Dedicated to eradicating racism and anti-blackness. Has numerous resources for individuals and churches to address racism.
UC Riverside Latino and Latin American Studies Research Center: Research center at UCR specializing in issues facing Latinos. The Center will “examine the linguistic practices of Latinos in Southern California and the systemic racism that they confront”. It will also build relationships with Latino communities so they can “see the beauty, the complexity, the cultural richness and also their political, economic and social importance to the Inland Empire”.